00:00This is Bantu, the groundbreaking Aprobeat band from Nigeria.
00:05Known for its energetic live performances and eclectic sound,
00:09its songs revolve around pressing social issues.
00:12Founded in 1996 by Ade Bantu,
00:15the band has already collaborated with several music greats,
00:18including Yemi Aladei and Burna Boy.
00:21And now, it's Cassie Konoshi's turn.
00:25For me, like, flying in was kind of,
00:27I was like, wow, my dad was here, like,
00:30for a few years of his, like, formative years,
00:32and kind of like a reconnection with part of my heritage.
00:36Not quite at home, but, like, I think just getting a feel for it,
00:39and almost, like, emotional,
00:40because there's a very personal connection to it
00:43that I'm going to learn more about.
00:46The young saxophonist is part of this year's
00:48Beethovenfest BAN campus project,
00:50and has come to Lagos to rehearse with Bantu.
00:53One more time.
00:56In fact, let's just try those first two bars, like, all violins,
00:59because you are together in that, okay?
01:01There are still a few months to go until the premiere.
01:04Joint rehearsals are rare because Cassie doesn't live in Lagos,
01:07but a good 7,000 kilometers further north in Berlin.
01:11Cassie moved to the German capital from London about a year ago.
01:14She works with music greats,
01:16but her path as a composer of color has not been easy.
01:19The trajectory to becoming a composer can be quite difficult.
01:24As a person of color who is very interested in writing European classical music,
01:28when I was growing up there wasn't a lot of representation of composers in that field.
01:34She's successfully completed a degree in composition in London,
01:38has won prizes, and led the band Seed at the age of 23.
01:42She's worked with jazz and classical music greats,
01:45writes film music, and composes for prestigious opera houses.
01:49There's only one thing she hasn't managed to do so far.
01:53Cassie has never been to Nigeria, her father's home country.
01:59I'm really deeply excited to be going to Nigeria,
02:04just because for me, in my music, writing about my roots is really important,
02:11and what it is to be surrounded by people that everyone looks like me.
02:15So whilst my dad would tell like a lot of stories of his childhood in Nigeria,
02:20he's always wanted to ensure that we can sort of return to that culture.
02:26The campus project has finally allowed the composer to experience Lagos,
02:31a city of about 25 million inhabitants.
02:34Cassie's family are true natives.
02:39Her grandfather was born here.
02:44But like so many, Cassie's father left home.
02:51Cassie herself was born in Britain.
02:54Many Nigerians live on other continents,
02:57and feel like they're always crossing back and forth between different worlds.
03:03Cassie's father gave her a list of places from his childhood,
03:06bringing her here to the beach on Leki Island,
03:09in search of her roots, her heritage.
03:12Another stop, the Museum of Yoruba Culture and the John Randall Center,
03:29site of the first concert.
03:31For the Yoruba, one of the three major ethnic groups in Nigeria,
03:36masks, spirituality, and above all, music play a major role.
03:41Cassie didn't have much of a connection to that heritage back in London.
03:46My dad, so I am Yoruba. My Yoruba name is Adenike.
03:50And so to learn things more in-depth about you that I didn't know
03:55is to be eye-opening and just for a real connection
03:59and to know more of myself.
04:02Now it's time to warm up and get into the groove for the concert.
04:06It's the first public appearance for Cassie and the band.
04:09The evening will show whether the long journey and the effort was worth it.
04:13Personally, Cassie is sure it already has.
04:16I'm definitely going to come back.
04:19I'm trying not to allow it to be, like, commercially, like, tearing in a sense,
04:24but more a reconnection with some of the things that I didn't grow up with,
04:29like, the language.
04:31Someone said, oh, we have to teach Yoruba and things like this.
04:34So for me, this is just a way of reconnecting with things that I've missed growing up with.
04:39Bantu's performance of her piece is a success,
04:44as is Cassie's journey to her African roots.
04:47We're curious to see how this will impact her upcoming compositions.
05:09This is also a connection.
05:10This is a connection.
05:11I'm I'm trying not to help you.
05:12I'm trying not to help you manage anything.
05:13.
05:16And you can find me.
05:18You can find me.
05:19This is just how I work.
05:20I'm trying not to see you.
05:21I'm trying not to...
05:22I'm just trying not to help you.
05:23You have to know big tú.
05:24And I'm trying not to help you,
05:24because you're not going to be leading to the view of,
05:27and you know the map.
05:28You're a little bit more.
05:30I've been trying not to help you.
05:31I know most of the one of your life.
05:33I...
05:34I'm actually trying not to see.
05:35I'm trying not to understand what you've been doing.
Comments