Reason For Infusing African Groove In Canadiens National Anthem- Akintola
OLABISI OLALEYE
The African version of Canada’s national anthem went viral all through last year and since then YouTubers and other social media platforms have been awash with it.
With this particular danceable version, the national anthem lyrics is easier to memorise for both old and younger generation alike.
The faces behind this innovation are the combination of a father,Tolase Akintolaand his five year old daughter, Morolake Tolase Akintola.
Akintola is not just any musician but a talented and accomplished saxophonists, the first to infuse the African flavour into Canada’s national anthem.
As if that is not enough, he has a back up singer in his five-year old daughter, Rolake, who happily explained her role in this chat with Gtechnews entertainment.
Akintola explained that as a content creator, he felt the need to butter up the Canadian anthem with the African groove.
Excerpt
How long have you been playing the sax and what informed O Canada?
I have been playing the Sax for over 20 years. I had the idea in mind from the time I knew I would be relocating to Canada in October 2019 from Nigeria. I am from Osun State, but lived in Lagos.
I am a content creator and I just felt I should infuse the African groove into the Canadian anthem.
O Canada is the African infusion of the national anthem, was there any initial criticism or acceptance?
I must say that it was widely accepted. It went viral on social media and so many Nigerians in Canada shared it on different WhatsApp group.
Any challenge so far?
Not really. God has been so gracious and the fact that I came in with a lot of value adding skills made the settling in seamless. I was not even up to six months in Canada when the O Canada song went viral. And that brought some much awareness to my craft and services.
How did your daughter got involved?
She grew up seeing me play the sax, record and perform at different functions back in Nigeria, so the interest in music was natural for her. I just jokingly asked her if she would like to sing the Canadian anthem, and she was like of course I would like that. I decided to let her sing, while I played the Saxophone and she wasjust four year old then.
ROLAKE
Morolake Tolase- Akintola looks so ordinary in the midst of other children but her rich sweet and strong voice cannot be lost in any crowd.
When prodded on her best subject,she said, mathematics because she loved figures and that she would like to be a teacher in the nearest future.
She said, ” I am in senior kindergarten going to Grade 1. No, the recording was not difficult because daddy showed me what to do.
“My friends were happy and they told their friends and school mates that they knew the girl singing. Do I want to play sax like daddy?Yes and he is already teaching me”.
For her favourite food, she said, “Fries and eggs”.