For those who grew up around Onike Majoro, Lagos, the name, JAZZVILE, will ring a bell as it was a home and melting point for all Jazz Music Lovers in Lagos in the 90’s.
As a teenager I often visited JAZZVILE to watch the best of Jazz musicians and other popular Nigerian musicians doing their thing. The brainbox behind this whole arrangement was no other person than Muyiwa Majek, a great music connoisseur who have paid his dues in the Nigerian entertainment industry.
Moving away from all that jazz (lol), Uncle Muyiwa, as I fondly call him, has taken up the mantle to set up Nigeria’s first Down Syndrome Music Foundation Project, which is known as Down2MusicFoundation, with the intent of breathing life with music into children who suffers from this medical challenge.
The place of music in medicine cannot be overlooked as medical experts use music as a therapeutic treatment for certain ailments, including Down Syndrome, Dementia, Stroke and Surgery, among others.
Down Syndrome is a genetic condition that causes mild to serious physical, mental and developmental problem.
For Mr Majek, he believes strongly that children with these medical condition should stand a chance of inclusion into the larger society and this he has effortlessly done with the power of music a familiar terrain.
Mr Majek is emboldened to break every barrier of downsyndrome with a zeal to integrate these kids back into the larger society.
His son, BJ, who will be 33 years in October has Down Syndrome. It is amazing how BJ, with the support of his father, has broken the shackle of the disease and, today, plays different kind of musical instruments and also entertains fans at different social gatherings.
Mr Majek hasn’t just brought out the best in his son by integrating him to the society against all odds but he has also thrown up the challenge to parents out there whose wards suffer same to desist from the castigation and stigmatisation of these kids.
Music is a healer…
•Esho is the Managing Director of Evergreen Musical Company Limited, Surulere, Lagos.
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