00:00Hello and welcome to DW77%. My name is Victor and we're live in the Boston city of Lagos, Nigeria.
00:12Behind me are classical trained musicians who are part of the Bond project 2025.
00:17The Beethoven first Bond project has been on for over 20 years and Lagos, Nigeria is hosting for 2025.
00:24Let's meet them. There's a saying that goes, music is a universal language, right?
00:28So, so far on this project, do you think that saying is, what do you think about that saying?
00:32Do you think it relates to what has been happening in this project so far?
00:34I actually got to believe the saying, actually, because when everyone assembled to rehearse,
00:43we all are practicing with scores. When we saw the scores, we all play the scores like we've been rehearsing before.
00:52So, like I feel music is a universal language that maybe wherever, maybe from Germany,
00:57once you see the music, once you see the written music, we can play it.
01:00Even from Nigeria, once you see the written music, we can play it the same way,
01:04but just like the interpretations are different, actually.
01:06Okay, thank you. So, Leopold, same question I asked him.
01:09Music is a universal language. How true do you think that is compared to what you've experienced on this project so far?
01:16I think it's a very universal language, and especially like rhythm. Everyone experiences rhythm in one or the other kind.
01:25Like with Afrobeat, you have the drum set in Egmont Overture by Beethoven, you've got strings playing the beat,
01:31and everybody can feel it, so it's very universal. Okay, thank you.
01:35How would you say the German music culture and the Nigerian music culture, how easy was it for both cultures to merge together musically?
01:45I think because we are all speaking the same language, which is music. That makes it easy.
01:51And joining together, collaborating together, make it more rich in sound. So, it makes it very perfect.
01:58You've been part of this project for a period of time now. What would you say are some of the similarities
02:04or similarities between the Nigerian culture when it comes to music and the German culture when it comes to music?
02:09Okay, the similarity about it is the musical notes we are all playing because it's just one language. Music is one language.
02:17Interpreting the music notes, it's one language interpreting. So, the differences I can say about it is the way we interpret it,
02:26because as we Nigerians, we interpret it the way we see it, but as a German, they interpret it the way the composer feels it has to be interpreted.
02:37But I can say the German because Beethoven, they know more and more things about the Beethoven, how he interprets music than we do.
02:46We only play it and interpret it the way we feel it should be interpreted, but then they know the rules, the way it has to be interpreted.
02:54If it's a Beethoven playing it, that's the only one I can say for now.
02:58Thank you, Mary. So, Mary, same question, but as a German, what do you think are some of the similarities between German music culture and Nigerian music culture so far?
03:07I think that this similarity is the way how we learn music. Like, I think Nigerians hear or listen a lot to music and learn it by listening.
03:22We had a few situations in our rehearsals where one person didn't know what to play, and the other person just played it for her or for him, and then she or her listened to it, and then he or she could play it.
03:41And I think in Germany, it's not like this. I mean, you have the score and you really focus on the score and what is written. And I think this is what Germans are maybe not so talented in that to only listen and play it.
03:56So, with the rise of AI, do you think that creators or music composers can actually use AI to their advantage when it comes to coming up with compositions or Mickey music?
04:06I think AI can be a chance, but I mean, what about the creativity? I mean, AI is not a human and not a human being.
04:18So, when it comes to AI, I miss the creativity of the humans.
04:26Thank you. So, back to you, Farouk. Same question. What do you feel is going to be the impact of AI to creativity when it comes to music in the coming years?
04:37Okay, so, I do not see AI as creative because it's just going to, for instance, I can just type it, okay, compose a piece for me and tell the AI story, but the AI is not going to compose the piece the way I feel.
04:51It does not have feelings. It's just a machine. So, I don't feel, I don't think AI is, like AI is good actually, but I don't think it can express the feelings in performing the music actually.
05:04So, you think when a human is composing, it's deeper than when an AI is composing? Yes, yes, definitely.
05:10Do you agree with that?
05:11Yes, I think I agree. In this way, that it is like a sense in itself to compose music, something for sharing your feelings and sharing your experiences.
05:24And if AI is doing it, it's nothing, you know, it doesn't serve anyone.
05:31Okay, okay, thank you. What are some of the biggest challenges that you face as a creative in Nigeria?
05:37One of the biggest challenges we face in Nigeria is financial support for music and we don't have infrastructures for classical music, especially in Nigeria, we don't at all.
05:50So, though we have just, I mean, the infrastructure is not there compared to what we have in Germany and what we've seen online on signing recitals or online.
06:06So, I feel financial support mostly.
06:10Financial support. Okay, thank you. So, let me come to you. What, personally to you, what are some of the biggest challenges you face as a music creative in Germany?
06:20I think in Germany the educational system is actually very good for musicians. So, that's very nice.
06:28It's something, it's not a problem, but what I experienced here, I think what we lack is that as classical musicians, we don't really learn how to do this improvisation and do music more spontaneously.
06:46It's just, like, people here do it, maybe. So, when it comes to improvising music, I feel like most, a lot of us have these inhibitions to do it, because everything in Germany has in our music, it has to be, like, just perfect and how it's written, but so we sometimes lose that creativity.
07:06Thank you, thank you, thank you. So, back to you. As a creative in Nigeria, what are, so classical music is not very big in Nigeria, we know that, right?
07:15So, how do you think, what was the future of classical music from what you've seen in Nigeria? Do you think it's something that can actually stand as side-to-side Afrobeat in Nigeria in the coming years?
07:27Honestly, I would say, in the coming years, classical music can't really stand, except we collaborate. Like, there's a collaboration with classical music and Afrobeat, just like what we did here.
07:38So, that's the only thing that can make. But, basically, and only if the, like, if classical music are played more often in radio stations, like we have Afrobeat, and maybe in clubs or something, if classical music are played, it can appreciate people listening to classical music.
07:53But, if, without that, I don't think people can appreciate classical music like that in Nigeria.
07:57Okay, great. Let me come to you.
07:59Something I want to say, linked to that, is that also in Germany, you know, not everyone loves classical music. In fact, in my school, like, I was basically the only one in my year who really enjoyed it. So, that's another interesting thing. So, but, yeah, no, Afrobeat, unfortunately, we don't listen to it that much. Yeah.
08:20Okay. So, do you think it was easy merging Afrobeat and classical music from what has happened in a couple of days?
08:27To be honest, I don't believe that it was a huge challenge, because, as we said before, music is a universal language, and even if someone can't, like, completely read the score, they just listen to it and manage to play it.
08:43So, I mean, it worked, you know. Also, of course, the guys from Nigeria, who play the classical instruments, they helped, because they were kind of a connection, I think, between us and the band from Adebantu.
08:58And, yeah, I mean, of course, there were challenges, but in the end, it wasn't that big of a deal. We just played together. Yeah.
09:06Thank you very much. What would you say is your biggest takeaway from the project so far?
09:11I really take away the hospitality of the Nigerians. Like, we were really welcomed here, and it was really nice.
09:19Let me come to you, Mary. What has been your biggest takeaway so far from the project?
09:23Okay. My biggest takeaway is the concert, not a concert, an open area that we did yesterday, collaborating with classical and Afrobeat.
09:34And the audience that was around, the white, the black, those ones that know classical or without Afrobeat, and those ones that know Afrobeat without classical.
09:44So now, joining those two sounds together to make a perfect music, it's a big thing. It's a big thing for me. I'm very sure for everyone it was a big thing.
09:54And they really enjoyed it. And we also enjoyed that. So, it's a big one, yeah.
09:59So, thank you very much. That was it from our classical musicians. We have Germans and then we have Nigerians who are part of the Beethoven's first project for 2025.
10:09Thank you so much for watching. This is DW77%. Keep watching.
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