Akwa Ibom Christmas Carol holds this weekend with Glo’s support
Next generation network, Globacom, has thrown its weight behind the 2016 Akwa Ibom State Christmas Carol Festival. The company which also sponsored the festival in 2015 is the exclusive telecoms partner for this year’s edition.
The festival, whose theme is “Let Our King Be Lifted High”, will take place on Saturday, December 17, at the Uyo Township Stadium. It will be broadcast live by the major television stations, including African Independent Television (AIT), Channels TV, DSTV (on Africa Magic and dedicated channels) and AKBC.
Globacom explained that the success of last year’s carol which had award-winning artistes from all over the world, including two Grammy award winners performing, informed its decision to again sponsor the festival this year.
“We fully identify with the Akwa Ibom Christmas Carols festival which has become one of the biggest crowd-pulling events of the Yuletide season. Our desire is to follow the passion of Nigerians and connect them with their passion”, the company said in a statement released in Lagos.
For the 2016 edition of the festival, multiple award-winning international gospel singer, Don Moen, the PRM band from the United Kingdom, the Kenya Boys Choir and the Kayamba Africa Choral Ensemble are billed to perform. Other artistes who will entertain guests at the event are some of the country’s top gospel musicians including Sammie Okposo, Buchi, Steve Crown, Elijah Oyelade, Rev. Fr. Patrick Edet, Esther Edoho, Julius Nglass and Perfecta Ekpo.
The Ibom Orchestra, The Ibom Brass Band and the Akwa Ibom State Government Choir, which put up a brilliant performance in the 2015 edition, will also take turns to thrill the audience. The climax of the show will be the globally acclaimed 10,000-man choir which has a record of rendering remarkable Christmas Carols in a manner that had never been experienced before.
Chief host of the event and Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, has already sent a message of appreciation to Globacom for accepting to sponsor this year’s event.
The event is recognised worldwide, and it was cited in the Guinness Book of Records when, in the 2012 edition, it featured a 9,999-member choir which was reputed to be the largest carol choir on the continent at that time.
