party for steve rhodes - tomorrow

The Committee for Relevant Art, CORA, wraps up its celebration of the Elder Artsman, Steve Bankole Omodele Rhodes tomorrow (Sunday, 30 April) with a feast of Highlife music at the 56th Great Highlife Party (Elder's Forum) at the O'Jez Restaurant, National Stadium, Surulere.
Time is 6pm.

Steve Rhodes was 80 on April 8, 2006, and since then various programmes have been held to honour the arts impresario (see some images here).

On the Bandstand will be ex-Fela's sideman, YS Akinibosun-led Classic Band, with guest appearances bythe tenor saxophonist, Sir Maliki Showman, ex-Roy Chicago vocalist and composer, Tunde Osofisan, and thesensational highlife singer, Titi Oguntoyinbo.

Also the 'palmwine highlife' style guitarist,vocalist Alaba Pedro will be on duty.

Baba Agba of Kokoma Highlife, Fatai Rolling Dollar,who has been on world tour with Tony Allen's 'Lagos No Shaking' album project, is also expected at the showas the topmost bill.

Chris Ajilo, a contemporary of Steve Rhodes who was part of the NBC Orchestra founded by Rhodes in thelate 50s is making a special appearance.

Special Guest appearances -- specially dedicated tothe latest musical industry and adventure of SteveRhodes -- will feature selected key members of the SR Orchestra including Fela's Egypt 80 band leader, Lekan Animashaun aka Baba Ani and Ayo Soyinka.

• Compered by the veteran music broadcaster, writer Benson Idonije, the show initiated in 1999 by a few highlife enthusiasts with the former director of Goethe Institut, the late Renate Albertsen Marton - is designed to quicken the revival of Highlife Music as the prime musical product of the West Coast of Africa. It has held last Sunday of every month since October 2001 in conjuction with the management of the O'jez Nite Club and Restaurant. It started at the Iwaya, Yaba. Lagos branch of the Ojez until October last year when -- for want of a bigger space -- it moved to the Surulere restaurant of the O'Jez Group.