Producer Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo Visits DHQ
…Canvasses For AFN Participation In Global Tattoo Festival
Oru Leonard
The Chief Executive Officer and Producer of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo ( REMT), Brigadier David Allfrey (retired) has paid a visit to the Defence Headquarters Abuja. The visit which is part of his country tour to Nigeria aims at promoting the performance of military tattoo music in Nigeria and sensitising the Defence Headquarters on the possibility of the Armed Forces of Nigeria participating in the annual event scheduled to hold at the Esplanade of Edinburgh Castle in Scotland later this year.
Speaking during the visit, Brigadier Allfrey noted that the annual series of military tattoo music has transformed to fascinating artistry performances and relieves the historical and cultural heritage of the Armed Forces. He therefore used the occasion of his visit to the DHQ to extend invitation to the Armed Forces of Nigeria to participate in the festival alongside other countries billed to perform at the international event.
According to the REMT Boss, the military tattoo segment of Edinburgh Cultural Festival has become a high point of the Cultural Festival with millions of viewers across the globe and about 9000 spectators watching the command performances on a daily basis throughout the one month duration of the event. He, therefore, reiterated his organisation’s readiness to have the AFN band “showcase the rich historical and cultural heritage of Nigeria” alongside about 55 participating countries during the command performance at the International Festival.
The REMT is part of the Edinburgh Cultural Festival, which is an annual featuring series of military tattoo performed by the British Armed Forces, Commonwealth and International partners every August at the Esplanade of Edinburgh Castle in Scotland.
In his remarks, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin thanked the CEO/ Producer of REMT for visiting the DHQ as part of his sensitisation tour and lauded him for promoting military tattoo music.
Represented by the Chief of Defence Policy and Plans, Air Vice Marshal Nurudeen Balogun, the CDS said the AFN is looking forward to a formal invitation to be part of the Nigerian contingent to the event, stressing that the gesture would indeed avail the AFN and its British counterpart opportunities to strengthen existing bilateral relationship.
The tattoo is a military term used to describe a combination of sounds produced from bands and bugles, performance of music or display of Armed Forces intended to pass specific instructions and commands to troops during war and peace time. It was initially a form of military parade music, but has evolved into more extensive form involving theatrics and musical performances. It is also used to designate military events such as reveille, sounded during the Armed Forces and Remembrance Day parade.
