FeaturesGreat Excitement As 2022 Akwa Ibom Christmas Carol Festival Holds In Uyo

Great Excitement As 2022 Akwa Ibom Christmas Carol Festival Holds In Uyo

This year’s edition of the annual Akwa Ibom State Christmas Carol Festival which held on Friday, December 16, 2022 at Ibom Hall Grounds, IBB Avenue, Uyo, the state capital, was full of excitement.

The event brought together a host of worshippers and featured the Guinness World Record Choir (holding the record as the “Largest Group of Carol Singers in the world”). The festival, which had ”GO FORWARD” as theme, also showcased other chorale groups and some of the best local and international gospel artistes of our time .

Pastor David Ibiyeomie, often described as an extraordinarily anointed Man of God, was the guest minister at the event. He is the founder and presiding Pastor of Salvation Ministries Worldwide with headquarters currently in Port Harcourt , Rivers State.

Glo

Artistes who also featured at this year’s event included one of Akwa Ibom’s treasures to the world – Pastor Nathaniel Bassey, the king of Gospel Reggae; BUCHI, the Davasol Brothers; the biological twins that have been proven to have a unique and sweet grace of easily connecting people to worship and praise with their inspiring music.

Others were the sensational female singer, Sinach, Larry John, popularly known as Larry Sax, Pastor Aity Dennis Inyang, Emmanuel Iwok, Uto Essien, among others.

The Guinness World Record Choir, the 25,000-man choir that made the world record for the “Largest Group of Carol Singers” and holds the record as certified by the Guinness World Records till date, also made it to the event . The choir is made up of Akwa Ibom indigenes from every village of all the 31 Local Government Areas of Akwa Ibom State

At previous editions of the festival, the 5,000 choristers from the 25,000-man choir had always performed as the main sensation of the festival.

YAMA CHORALE, a Nigerian choral group with Catholic roots that originated from Akwa Ibom State with the mission to document the traditional tunes and sing all genres of music with African traditional music instruments, also made it.

The Akwa Ibom Christmas Carol Festival has since grown in magnitude to become a highly anticipated festival of Christian songs, dance and worship. Akwa Ibom Christmas Carols Festival is recognised by worshipers around the world and has featured top local and international gospel sensations like Don Moen, Ron Kenoly, Bob Fitts, Donnie McClurkin, Sinach, Nathaniel Bassey, Eben, Aity Dennis, Bongos Ikwue, the Harmonious Chorale and great Ministers of God’s word from around the world, including Bishop T. D. Jakes, Papa E. Adeboye, Pastor Adefarasin, among others.

The lead organiser of this year’s event, Mr. Aniekpeno Mkpanam, had promised an African Christmas Festival like never before, with an official hashtag:. #AKCAROLSFEST2022.

Mkpanam disclosed that the venue had been repositioned to give orderliness in sitting arrangements, security, media coverage, easy entrance and 15 exit routes to make way for easy exit to avoid stampede at the end of the event which is always in the wee hours of the night.

Also, hospitality operators such as hotels, restaurants, even roadside sellers who spoke on the positive multiplayer effects of the festival said it’s one day that is always looked forward to with great expectation.

Ninety per cent of the guest houses in the capital city were fully booked for at least two nights during the period.

“It is something great, as we are today, all the rooms are fully booked for Friday and Saturday. We don’t have a single room for those two days and I know very well that we will sell drinks, meat, food etc. Our bar is always empty at the end of the event and Friday will not be an exception. So we are fully prepared,” a hotel attendant along the IBB Avenue in Uyo, was quoted as saying on Thursday.

It is important to note that the event has remained the largest single gathering of carol singers in the world since the record-breaking edition of December, 13, 2014 during the tenure of the former governor, Godswill Akpabio.

The concert which featured 25,272 carol singers at the Akwa Ibom State Township Stadium, Udo Umana, Uyo, Akwa Ibom, Nigeria, had Guinness World Records representatives in attendance and was officially certified as the largest of such gathering in the world by Guinness World Records on December 13, 2014, thus beating a former record of 15,674 carol singers which was achieved the previous year (December 15, 2013) by a group called CENTI in Bogotá in Colombia.

The Akwa Ibom Christmas Carol Festival made its debut in 2008. It was known then as the “Akwa Ibom State Christmas Carol Night”. The event made global history when it featured an unprecedented 9,999-member choir. That gave the event the epithet, “9999 Carol Night”.

The carol festival kept improving by the year, and in 2012 featured prominent international artistes like Alvin Slaughter and Donnie McClurkin from the US and the Chorale Devine de Merveilles of the Republic of Congo, among others.

The 2013 was attended by Bishop Oyedepo of Living Faith Church Worldwide (Winners’ Chapel) and human rights activist, Rev. Jesse Jackson, and featured the National Choir of the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, international singers like Lionel Peterson and Israel Houghton, and Nigerian singers like Bongos Ikwue, Frank Edwards, Nathaniel Bassey, Aity Dennis Inyang, el Mafrex, Freke Umoh, and Fadabasi.

The 2014 event broke a Guinness World Record to become the “Largest Assembly of Carol Singers on the Face of the Earth”. In attendance were Don Moen, international gospel music composer, and Cardinal John Onaiyekan of Abuja Catholic Diocese.

The event featured special performances by Quartets from the five international choirs that performed in past editions. Also performing were gospel saxophonist, Angela Christie, Lionel Peterson, Sinach, Harmonious Chorale and many others.

With the new government and Deacon Udom Emmanuel in the saddle, the all-Christian event became thicker and more purpose driven. In 2016, the concert was organised on December 17. Though with guest artists from around the world such as Award Winning gospel singer, Don Moen, PRM band, The Kayamba Africa Choral Ensemble and Kenya Boys Choir, some locals artists from Nigeria such as the late Sammie Okposo, Buchi, Steve Crown, Elijah Oyelade, Akwa Ibom clerics and singers also featured prominently. Rev. Fr. Patrick Edet, Esther Edoho, Julius Nglass and Perfecta Ekpo were also among those who performed in the year’s event.

The festival only had a break in 2020 because of the outbreak of COVID-19, which practically crippled everything, including the world economy . However, there was a return in 2021.

About the Author

Homepage | Recent Posts

More like this
Related

Tinubu Appoints Abdullahi Bello New Chairman Of Code Of Conduct Bureau

March 28, (THEWILL)- President Bola Tinubu has approved the...

First Lady Remi Tinubu Pledges N1bn To Fight Tuberculosis In Nigeria

March 28, (THEWILL)- Nigeria's First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu,...