Wife of the Nigeria’s Senate President, Mrs. Toyin Saraki, joined the ranks of President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle Obama, at the final music concert of the Obama administration, “Smithsonian Salutes Ray Charles: In Performance at the White House,” on the 24th of February at the kind invitation of.
Mrs. Saraki, founder of the leading maternal and child health NGO , the Wellbeing Foundation Africa, was on a private visit to the United States of America to mark 2016 Black History Month.
A longstanding supporter of the creative arts and music in Nigeria and globally, Saraki was at the concert alongside performing artistes Usher, Demi Lovato and Grammy Award Winner Brittany Howard.
During the White House tribute to international music legend, Ray Charles, she underscored the important contribution of music to culture and development.
Recognised along with Pepsi, American Airlines, the Kovlar Foundation and other eminent philanthropic personalities as a key supporter of creative arts at the Tribute Performance, Mrs. Saraki, accompanied by her son Oluwaseni, expressed appreciation to the United States of America’s First Couple for the warm and welcoming reception.
“I am delighted, that during Black History Month, the superlatively inspirational musical tradition of late Ray Charles Robinson, is being honoured so singularly, by current musical greats,” she stated.
US R n B singer, Usher,and gospel recording artiste, Yolanda Adams, were also among a number of contemporary artistes that performed the late Ray Charles’ music to an audience that included eminent guests such as renown civil rights crusader, the Reverend Al Sharpton; legal luminaries Sam Seymour and his wife, Karen Patton Seymour; and Directors of the Smithsonian Museum and Ray Charles Foundation, Kirk Johnson and Valerie Ervin respectively.
Despite hosting over a dozen “In Performance” events at the White House over the last seven years, President Obama has described Ray Charles as one of his musical favourites who continues to influence generations of musicians.
In 2009, the Founder-President of the Wellbeing Foundation Africa equally participated in Black History Month in the state of South Carolina, where she was honoured by the South Carolina State House of Representatives in a House Resolution, for her humanitarian effort for reproductive health and girl’s education on February 25, 2009.
