Classical guitar benefit concert held in Lagos

It was the culmination of a two-day programme that also involved masterclasses. It brought to the public a series of events that began in private between the award-winning guitarist and a young Nigerian artist with ambitions in music named Taiwo Adegoke. The German consul general, Ingo Herbert, was in attendance. 

To start the event, Friederike Moschel, director of the institute, welcomed attendees and gave an account of how her establishment came in contact with Gogoncea, who already had conceived the idea of coming to Nigeria for a benefit concert. "I like musicians connecting with each other without an institution behind it," she said.

Gogoncea said a classical guitar had been sent to Adegoke last November. He had come to present a different guitar to another aspiring musician, Olushola Festus Hamilton, who prior to Gogoncea’s masterclass had only received lessons from the self-taught Adegoke.

Discussing how expensive sending the guitar proved to be, Gogoncea told his audience that “it was cheaper to go to India, pick up the guitar and bring it myself than to send it over”.

During the music session, he played pieces from Spanish and British composers, starting with one by a Cuban artist. The piece, he said, was recorded in music notation by a friend who travelled to Cuba, as the elderly composer’s inability to write music meant his songs would be lost upon his death.

Adegoke and Hamilton, both of whom wore traditional Yoruba attires, then played a few pieces. The former played a selection including Rene Bartoli's ‘Romance’. The latter played 'Greensleeves', the English piece erroneously said to have been written for Anne Boleyn by English King Henry VIII.

“I'm very very grateful,” Hamilton said about his chance at acquiring a classical guitar.

Gogoncea returned to close the night with a few more compositions, including Joaquim Malats' 'Serenata Espanola'. By now he was clad in a traditional outfit similar to Hamilton’s.

"I think it was brilliant," Moschel told Music In Africa. "It is one of the most special projects for me."

Asked what attracted a European musician who has won several awards to an aspirant guitarist from Nigeria, Gogoncea said he had responded to Adegoke’s email because "he was not advertising himself. He was just asking for tips".

"I am going to continuing to teach Taiwo,” he said. “I would like go organise a guitar camp here. I have teachers who are willing to teach for free. But I'll need an actual sponsor for that."