Morung Express News The Changtongya Town Baptist Church (CTBC) Youth Ministry celebrated its musical festival on October 11, 2016 with Takowati, Language Officer, Directorate of School Education as the special guest. Altogether eighteen bands and singers – both old timers and young upcoming ones – took to the stage and enthralled the audience through their melodious renditions of gospel songs, stated a press release received here. It was a time for revisiting and also celebrating the rich heritage of the past singers, especially those gospel singers from CTBC who took a keen interest in gospel songs from the seventies. The music festival was also a time to revisit and explore the deep meaningful spiritual aspects of gospel music, with an aim to inspire the younger generation in the field of music. The special guest, Takowati, speaking at the festival exhorted the gathered musicians and music lovers, that song have many meanings and logic in it. While lauding the CTBC – Youth Ministry for organizing the music festival, the special guest however lamented the lack of enthusiasm of the present generation in music. Nonetheless, he identified the young upcoming musicians in the society and strongly encouraged the young composers to add the right meaning to their lyrics while structuring their songs so that their songs and compositions would inspire the listeners. Lamenting that many singers and composers are given to indulge in drugs and alcohol, Takowati, urged the young and upcoming talented singers and composers to keep away from harmful addictive substances so that their talent and creativity can be more known to the society. He also lauded the church for organizing the grand the festival for rejuvenate the music among the young generation as Changtongya was once the area that produced numerous talented composers and musicians during the past. The CTCB Youth Director, Imtisunep Ozukum, while speaking on the sidelines of the festival, said that he has identified the music among the youths. It just needed to be ignited, he asserted, while adding that the festival was to refill the blessings of the forefathers ushered by the musical pioneers in the Changtongya area. The pastor of CTCB also asserted that the church is always behind the youths in the town and is ever willing to promote the youths and music in the church as part of the church ministry.
