Funmi Ogundare The Yoruba Tennis Club has taken its centenary celebration into the realm of music and cultural diplomacy with a jazz festival that brought together Nigerian, Cuban cultural and
**Funmi Ogundare **
The Yoruba Tennis Club has taken its centenary celebration into the realm of music and cultural diplomacy with a jazz festival that brought together Nigerian, Cuban cultural and Brazilian cultural influences in a celebration of heritage, friendship and musical exchange.
The Centenary Jazz festival, held at the club’s Greetings Hall, in Lagos, Monday, formed part of activities marking its 100th anniversary, with the participation of Cuba’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Mariam Morales Palmero, adding an international dimension to the celebration.
Welcoming guests to the festival, Chairman of the Yoruba Tennis Club, Chief Olawumi Gasper, said the event was designed to celebrate not only the club’s century-long history but also the power of music to connect cultures and communities.
The club, founded in 1926, is marking its centenary with a series of programmes celebrating 100 years of friendship, community leadership and preservation of cultural heritage.
Gasper said jazz was particularly appropriate for the celebration because of its rich African and global connections, emphasising the distinctive contributions of Cuba and Brazil to the evolution of the genre.
“Cuba is the home of Afro-Cuban jazz known for its heavy reliance on specific percussion of Congas, Bongos, Timbales and Clave,” he stated.
He also pointed to Brazil’s contribution to jazz through the fusion of traditional samba with jazz harmonies, which gave rise to the internationally celebrated Bossa Nova movement.
“Brazil embraced Jazz early, combining the traditional Brazilian samba with cool jazz harmonies, that led to the Bossa Nova explosion,” he added.
For the chairman, the festival offered more than an evening of entertainment. It provided an opportunity to explore the shared cultural histories that underpin different musical traditions and to reinforce the role of the arts in bringing people together.
Gasper described the Yoruba Tennis Club as the ‘home of culture and tradition’ and the first indigenous social club in Nigeria, noting that its centenary was an opportunity to reflect on the institution’s historical journey and its continuing role in preserving cultural values.
He also commended the vice patrons, trustees, past chairmen, elders, members and the Jazz Temple for the teamwork that contributed to the organisation of the festival.
In her remarks, the Cuban Ambassador to Nigeria and special guest of honour, Palmero, stressed that the shared Yoruba cultural heritage between Nigeria and Cuba remains a strong bond connecting both countries and strengthening their historical and cultural ties.
She described the occasion as significant not only for marking 100 years of the club but also for celebrating the enduring influence of African, particularly Yoruba, culture in Cuba and across the Caribbean.
According to her, the centenary provided an opportunity to reflect on the historical relationship between Nigeria and Cuba, noting that both countries were united by cultural roots and the recognition of African heritage as a defining element of identity.
She said the African legacy in Cuba was not merely a memory of the past but a living force reflected in the country’s cultural and religious practices, music and traditions.
“The global Yoruba legacy in Cuba is not a static memory of the past, but a living force that manifests itself in the practice of the rhythms of the batá drums and in the resonances of solidarity and fraternity in Cuba,” she stated.
The ambassador also recalled the contributions of the late Cuban revolutionary leader, Fidel Castro, to the recognition of Africa’s historical and cultural contribution to Cuba.
She noted that Castro recognised the importance of Africa’s legacy, particularly that of Nigeria, to Cuba’s national identity and its historical development.
Palmero said the Yoruba concept of Omoluabi, which emphasises good character, integrity, responsibility and uprightness, had continued to offer important values for social justice and responsible citizenship.
She commended members of the club for preserving and promoting their cultural heritage over the past century, describing the club as a symbol of dignity, cultural continuity and brotherhood.
The ambassador also expressed gratitude to the club for honouring traditional Cuban music as part of its centenary celebration, saying the gesture demonstrated the continuing cultural connections between Nigeria and Cuba.
She stated: “The celebration of the Yoruba Tennis Club’s 100 years is in many ways, also a celebration of African identity on both sides of the Atlantic.
“By preserving your traditions and growth and interpreting them in new ways, you are shaping a new segment of prosperity, leadership and continuity, strengthening the multicultural and friendly ties that forever bind Nigeria and Cuba.”
Palmero congratulated members of the club on the milestone, expressing hope that the values of brotherhood, culture and continuity that had sustained the institution for a century would continue to guide it in the years ahead.
Also speaking, President of the Centenary Jazz Summit Group, Otunba Olusegun Akinsanya, traced the roots of jazz music at the Yoruba Tennis Club to the colonial and immediate post-independence eras, when members and distinguished guests introduced European and Afro-American musical influences into the club’s social activities.
He said musical genres such as the Twist and Waltz soon became popular features of festive gatherings, offering members opportunities to relax, socialise and reinforce the bonds of friendship for which the century-old club is renowned.
He recalled that prominent members, including the late Ben Oluwole and Sir Mobolaji Bank-Anthony, were among those who particularly embraced the music and vibrant social atmosphere.
“During festive seasons, it was always a delight to see the likes of late Ben Oluwole, Sir Mobolaji Bank-Anthony and a host of others dance to or savour the music,” he stated.
According to him, the club’s appreciation of jazz entered a new phase during the tenure of the late Olusegun Ajayi, who, alongside other like-minded members, initiated efforts to establish a dedicated jazz group within the club.
