Efio-Ita Nyok|19 November 2016
I learnt earlier that daughters take after their mothers, while sons after their fathers. Did I learn well? Am I reproducing what I learnt accurately? But, we wouldn't deny the fact that fathers are expected to train their boys as mothers bring up the-would-be-ladies. Maybe, it's this traditional roles society assigned to them —mom and dad, that results in the inculcation of fatherly and motherly traits in their males and females wards respectively.
Albeit, the Dukes —Mr Donald Etim Duke, the former Executive Governor of Cross River State and his nuclear family seem to have defied this stereotype. We —Cross Riverians and Nigerians alike— all know that Mr Duke loves music. In fact, he is an adept in playing on the Saxophone. By now the reader should remember the Runway Jazz Weekend which held between 29-30 April this year where Mr Duke and Grammy winner Kirk Whalum thrilled the crowd at Lagos event to a collection of Jazz extraordinary performances. Again, beyond the usual popular profile picture of Mr Duke putting on dark sleek suit as Executive Governor, one of his lovely pictures is his blowing away on the Sax.
Today isn't for Mr Duke but his lovely daughter, Xerona. This beautiful lady who physically resembles his mother, Onari Duke has taken after the handsome dad with regards to the musical. Miss Duke affirms this when she recently said in New York at the ClearwaterWaterFestival that music is, 'in the blood'. In another occasion, Miss Duke probably engrossed in her music practice said that music is 'In My Head… Work in progress'.
While Mr Duke loves playing on the woodwind instrument, Sax; Miss Duke loves the guitar. So, as Sax is to Donald Duke, Guitar is to Xerona Duke!
Hmmmmm, blood must be thicker than water!
Efio-Ita Nyok
Is a Blogger, the Editor & Publisher of NegroidHaven.org
