Heavywind Wale Ojo Amaka Aramide Dabyna
Weird MC Akua Naru Abiodun
Sina Ayinde Bakare Dotun Bankole
Sehinde Jo Yinka Davies Funsho Seyi
Keziah Jones Shay Ogundipe Oranmiyan Olawale
Vector Adunni & Nefretiti Simi BANTU Nosa Vocal Slender Afrikan Boy Issue 17 // March 2015 Complimentary Issue
Geoffrey Odili
Show Dem Camp General Pype
Beautiful Nubia Isedale
Didier Awadi Ara Ekow Alabi Savage Ego Jairzhino Williams Fokn Bois Daddy Showkey Praiz Ebisan
What i s A f r o p o l i ta n Vi b es? Afropolitan Vibes is a monthly live music concert which exists as a platform for alternative music: a place where music lovers congregate to watch contemporary singer-songwriters and musicians perform mostly original works that are firmly rooted in African musical origins of Afro-beat, Afro-funk, Afro-hip-hop, Afro-pop and Highlife music. A host of talented artists gather each month to rehearse and then perform with Bantucrew on stage at Freedom Park’s Main Stage. The show is held every third Friday of each month. Show starts promptly from 8.00pm-10.30/11.00pm. Afropolitan Vibes is co-produced by Ade Bantu and Abby Ogunsanya.
Ba nt u
Pa l m Wi n e T r a di t io n
Bantu aka Brotherhood Alliance Navigating Towards Unity is a 12-piece Afro-funk-Afro-hip-hop-Afro-beat musical collective founded by Nigerian-German brothers Adé Bantu and Abiodun. The band features multi-instrumentalists and singers who perform as a collective.
Palm wine is now available at all our shows. As our palm wine is always freshly tapped in Badagry in the early hours of the morning of each show, this luscious white liquid is guaranteed to be sweet and only mildly intoxicating as it is yet unfermented. Our palm wine is served the traditional way: the wine is available to buy per gourd (to share with friends/family) or in individual calabashes. Alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks are also available for purchase at the Freedom Park bar area where we encourage you all to come join us after the show for a drink, chat and photographs.
O f f ic ia l ty A f t er Pa r
After each show, we have an after party gig at the Freedom Park bar area. This month to mark out 2nd Year anniversary, we have recruited several DJs to keep you dancing at our all night anniversary party. Please join us at the Freedom Park bar area after the show.
Sp r ea d t h e Wo r d
If you love Afropolitan Vibes, spread the word – tweet about us - @afropolitanvibe join our facebook page - facebook.com/Afropolitanvibes subscribe to our digital magazine - issuu.com/afropolitanvibes and invite your friends and family next time.
A N VI B ES SH O W N EXT A F R O P O L I T 1723T H 2015 WIL L B E O N A P R IL SEE YO U T H EN!
17
Afropolitan Vibes Magazine credits: Editor: Abby Ogunsanya
Graphic Design: Graeme Arendse
Guest artists profile: Dami Ajayi
Cover art design: Graeme Arendse
Review: Etobbe David Meres
Guest artists’ pictures: Courtesy of subjects
Contact and advertising enquiries: afropolitanvibes@gmail.com
Printing: John Bola
Tel: + 234-806788-1471
Edi t o r’s N o t es It is hard to believe that so much time has passed since our maiden edition of the Afropolitan Vibes Concert. In two years, we have had a great deal of highs and lows, a remarkable line-up of talented artists; we even switch ed stages from the amphitheatre to the main stage to accommodate our growing audience. Afropolitan Vibes has morphed from a monthly event to a cultural obsession. We have a lot of people to thank. Friends. Families. Sponso rs. The management of Freedom Park. Volunteers who share our fliers, perpetuate our hashtags, take snapshots of our events and make it become popular. The experience of compiling this edition of the magazi ne has been nostalgic. Poring over the memories of the show, the long list of featur ed artists, even the range of the different magazine covers makes us reflect on how much we have achieved. Whilst we are not quite where we want to be, we are proud of our presen t status. This edition is a tribute to the passage of time, a sort of scrapbook compiled to capture our journey so far. Hope you enjoy it.
In this i ssue
Dami Ajayi profiles all of our guest artistes for this month: Patrice, Waje and Brymo. Etobbe David Meres reflects on the cover of our May 2014 edition. Dami Ajayi writes a short review on all covers of our Magazines till date.
C o nta ct us
You can email us with your thoughts at afropolitanvibes@ gmail.com. We also read all comments and respond to questions on Facebook, and Twitter. We have a limited number of back issues of Afropolitan Vibes magazine. If you would like a copy, please contact us via email or on +234-806788-1471.
k r o W in Progress Dami Ajayi orks in progress often get better with time and this is true of Afropolitan Vibes (AV) Magazine’s covers. The magazine initially conceived to reflect and preserve the peculiarities of each month’s concert now has a life of its own, in cover art.
W
In sixteen months, an impressive body of cover arts experimenting with photography and digital imaging has been collected and the joy of these covers is that one can collect it one at a time, the only prerequisite being at Freedom Park every third Friday of the month. Covered by the graphically altered portrait of a stylish lady rendered in psychedelia, the first edition of the AV magazine was a fresh breath of air. The lady in the picture, carrying an immaculately trimmed Afro, had a blank stare and she was seemingly familiar too. She might be the Everywoman you see at the show leaping into the air save for hoop earrings. She is perhaps the woman subject of that Hugh Masekela song, Woman of the Sun, a modern woman who knows Gaborone as well as she knows Germany; who can do the Fire Dance to a medley of Fela’s Lady. The body of women is an abiding interest of popular art. The second edition features a woman too but not in an exclusive sense. It is adapted from Njideka Akunyili’s painting of a retro-house party with intimate dancers— males and females—all caught in the swing of jollity. The lady is in a short dress (this time with hoop ear-rings) and she is staring out of the cover, perhaps at every potential reader. Interestingly, the third edition’s cover skews the search for an enduring trope to which all the covers conform. It is a collage of physical gestures and popular figures, an embodiment of unsettling stares seeking a visceral reaction from the reader.
studio picture of the band members of BANTU collective lined in an unusual arc
surreal
!!!
My l persona e favourit
where are our girls!! !
the co mback A studio picture of the band members of BANTU collective lined in an unusual arc with the main vocalist, Ade Bantu, staring down at an empty chess board covers the fourth edition. The collective sense of the photograph is an uncanny presence of something unpredictable; their gestures seemed to be saying something was about to happen. And something does happen in the next cover, which is an almost surreal depiction of a concert in session. Two pairs of legs are caught mid-air on stage against the backdrop of an audience in different stages of ecstatic dance. My personal favourite is the cover of the sixth edition that brings back the single female model. The photographer staggers down to show her felt brown ankle boots, one foot resting against the mud blocks of what used to be a colonial prison on Lagos Island. A caveat peers down at the model. And the Afropolitan Vibes insignia is stamped into the picture, another caveat that cannibalizes the initial caveat. Simplistic renditions can be mired down by simple explanations, but not the cover of the seventh edition, which features seven birds on a line. The premise of this cover is to disabuse gravity to reflect on how being outstanding can also be perceived. The caveat to this is that birds can only defy gravity when they flap their wings. In retrospect, the eighth cover is a heart-wrenching one. Featuring the picture of three young faceless school-age girls in school uniform moving away from the camera lens, one must pause to reflect on the cultural relevance of such subtle protest. The Chibok girls are still at large and almost a year has passed. A parody of tattoo culture typifies the ninth cover: a hilarious picture of a man wearing only his trousers is at the mercy of his incompetent-looking tattoo artist. The picture is captioned, “Don’t copy. Create�. The tenth cover picture shares the collagist tendency of the third edition but instead of stares, there are thirty head busts of seemingly familiar faces with headphones on.
arty p e amb w O
The next cover art is a nostalgic ad spread that models itself after a page for weekend events in Mainland Lagos circa the Sixties. The band members made a comeback once again to grace the eleventh edition but the arrangement is more intimate and perhaps more realized. Next, there is the picture of an under-aged but enthusiastic boy newsvendor holding out a copy that says something about the Afropolitan Vibes. The best part of these cover arts is that they are carefully contemplated and often subtly impregnated with hidden meanings. Looking more has never been more rewarding. The Fourteenth cover art is a sketch of an Owambe party replete with a talking drummer and several assertive dancing `fingers pointing skywards. Dance is synonymous with this monthly concert that has gradually grown from an event into a culture. The treble clef installation art on the wall stands out in the fourteenth edition’s cover with a relaxed man in locs resting his head on beautiful woman’s laps. This says a lot about what music does to a man’s soul and a Bob Marley tune seems to lend itself to this assertion. The last cover depicts the band’s drummer playing in the middle of a Lagos street. As with other cover pictures, caveat presents themselves again, this time it is a crude handwritten one that says, “caution slow down”. As always, there is a woman, clearly distracted by a phone call in the picture. Three men are walking away from the drummer; their strides trapped a certain kind of psychic energy in them. One can only wait for the next cover to find out what this energy is about.
night. In between by r te ri w d an y ctor by da i Dami Ajayi is a do witter: @damiaja T e. il ph io bl bi d le an he is a musicophi
o m B ry
Dami Ajayi
Twitter: @BrymOlawale .com Tumblr: Brymolawale.tumblr Instagram: Olawale Olofo’ro
rymo, born Olawale Ashimi, used to be many things. He used to be the flagship chorus crooner of the Chocolate City Record label. He used to be a college drop-out (zoo logy). He used to be a young boy liv ing in Okokomaiko, son of carpenter and petty trader mother. But more imp ortant is what he is: perhaps one of the most prolific award-winning singer/ songwriter in the blossomin g Nigerian musicscape. And what he will become: an internationally acclaimed male vocalist whose music will gar ner fans worldwide, whose discography will out live him.
B
With four albums under his belt, Brymo’s latest Tabula Rasa, was not only an underground success, it was recognized as one of the mos t influential albums of tha year. This is not withstand t ing that it was an independe nt production very much lik debut album, Brymstone, bef e his ore he was discovered by Jud e Abaga and adopted into the Chocolate family on whose lab el he released his middle two albums, TheSonOfaKapenta and Merchants, Dealers & Sla ves. Known for his trademark thr oaty voice that sufficient ly traps Fuji Yoruba inflections, Brymo has had some phenomenal hit songs in the past few years. His the first single on his sec Ara, ond album, was so digitally successful, it trended globall on Twitter. Good Morning, a y solemn and meditative love song, might not have peaked in the charts but it sure is a contemporary classic. His discerning ability to blend popular Yoruba rhythms wit h a slice of soul gives his music a rather distinct fee has not been successfully imi l that tated (not for lack of attemp ts!). His ingenious ability to spi n off sonorous choruses is reminiscent of American equivalents like late Nate Dogg and Akon. Even in spite of indie representation status, his music enjoys pop ular airplay and critical acc laim. He was recently announced as one of the ambassadors of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry alongside ent ertainment bigwigs like 2fa ce Idibia, Kunle Afolayan, Vector the Viper and Olisa Adibua. He is an expectant father.
WA JE
Dami Ajayi
W
ords Aren’t Just Enough. Pithy statement, yea?—but its acronym W.A.J.E is the stage name of one of the Nigeria’s well known female vocalists. From the seemingly distant days of vocal cameo appearances on P-Square’s global smash hit Do Me, Waje has morphed from an obscure studio act to a popular music act and performer. She is easily in the league of leading Nigerian female vocalists like Tiwa Savage, Seyi Shay and Yemi Alade. Born in Ondo state’s capital city, Akure, Waje moved with her parents to Benin where she lived for the most part of her formative years. She was better known during this period in the church choir for her promising vocal abilities. She even got a secondary school scholarship from the late charismatic Pentecostal bishop, Benson Idahosa. Waje, real name Aituaje Iruobe, is a graduate of Social Work of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Born to a father who hails from Sabongida-Ora, Edo state and an Igbo mother who hails from Onitsha, Waje whose native name means laughter, lived with her mother in the Eastern part of Nigeria following her parents’ divorce.
Website: wajeofficial.com Facebook: facebook.com/of ficialWAJE Twitter: @officialwaje
The 34 year old’s first single Kolo, a mild hit which launched her career, was recorded in South Africa during her participation in the MTV Base Advance Warning Competition for which she was the first runner up. Henceforth her career began its gradual trajectory to prominence but not before the problems of severing ties with her record label, Dome Records that she was signed on to for years without releasing a studio album. In the interim, she collaborated with popular artists such as the duo P-Square (Omoge mi), Banky W (Thief My Kele) and the popular hit love song with Chocolate City’s M.I, One Naira, which had a sonorous hook rendered in flawless Igbo. In 2013, Waje finally released her self-titled debut album, Words Are Not Just Enough, which featured hits like “I Wish” and “Oko Mi”. The album was received with warm reviews and enjoys fair radio and video play. Waje, a social change advocate and philanthropist when she is not hitting one of her three octaves, is proudly a single mother of one.
PAT R IC E Website: www.patrice.net Facebook: facebook.com/pa triceofficial Twitter: @Patricemusic
Dami Ajayi
atrice Bart-Williams, named a, for Congo’s Patrice Lumumb an erm n-G nea is a Sierra Leo a singer/song writer. Born of a and her fat r ake Sierra Leonean film-m e, nam le midd e’s German mother, Patric the Yoruba Babatunde, is premised on is his he t tha cultural phenomenon ated. arn inc repaternal grandfather
P
therhood A founding member of the Bro Unity s ard Alliance Navigating Tow sojourn e’s ric (BANTU) collective, Pat years, e nag tee into music began in his Reggae and at obe playing a fusion of Afr 9, he had 199 By gs. and writing his own son album, y Pla ed end released his debut Ext Lions. ckly A major record label deal qui ngth album -le full followed and his first ed by eas rel was called Ancient Spirit l, folk, sou nds ble Sony. Patrice’s music ate par dis in ae funk, hip-hop and regg s thm rhy mpo proportions with low-te steeped in melancholia. to promise and album was a rich testimonial His classic Ancient spirit Patrice’s voice t echoes an old soul. While declaration of new voice tha angement tilts inflections, his musical arr catches the Jamaican patois which his influences ll that gaping mesh through towards soul but there is sti drix, Robert Nesta Anikulapo-Kuti, Jimmy Hen are channeled. Think Fela g Spear. Marley, Bob Dylan and Burnin Ain’t Got No and Soulstorm, Walking Alone, With hit songs like Sunshine, r career, Patrice itively eventful fifteen yea Nothing Better spanning a pos every few years. His enting his signature sound has become a genius at re-inv which have topped albums to his credit many of industry has paid off: eight international charts. ming his music live career on the stage, perfor Patrice also has a vibrant Youssou N’Dour. the likes of Lauryn Hill and alongside music super stars ple when Obama visited med in front of 200,000 peo His band, Supowers, perfor Berlin. out of Cologne in ording studio called Supow Patrice also operates a rec Curse and Cody ed the likes of Keziah Jones, Germany where he has record Chestnutt. ntary about Africa. He a film-maker with a docume Like his father, he is also e My love. for her latest single, My lov also directed Nneka’s video
Afropolitan Vibes is the shit. Don’t pardon my French. it is Lagos with a capital L. It is life writ large. It is family and community. It is a smorgasbord of fun, the big masquerade; egungun free of its rein. Afropolitan Vibes is what it is: the universe of fun circumscribed but not encompassed, it is freedom, verve, Êlan, and life shorn off all pretenses. It is Afropolitan Vibes. Toni Kan
E H T M RO F
oncert. n a music c ha t e r o m n Vibes is ve met a lot Afropolita ering . I ha h t y ga y l i m a riends ever Is like a f e are now f w 3 d e n h a T e . t er h y the bes l p m of people t i s is c ngs the . Musi . Bantu bri d oo third Friday g s y wa l ointed ts are a t be disapp ' n guest artis ca u o Y . h artist ar the best in eac u need to he yo d here is n a b will know t u with Bantu yo n e h t lists, instrumenta ia. sic in Niger u m d oo g ll sti ph Kutojo Jose
Afropolitan Vibes has become a melting point for good music; the complete oeuvre of BANTU is played to the delight of the audience. Sam Umukoro
Afropolitan vibes is a down to earth 'communion space' where the fun is real. You don't leave the shows feeling short changed. You feel the heartbeat of how it was done when things were normal and musicality was generous. Segun Adefila
FANS
A great idea successfully ex ecuted. The monthly hi ghlight Lagos had been waiting for. Kudos to Ade & Abby. Owo yin Afropolitan vibes is the a ma r'oke o! biggest and most content Aman Junaid filled monthly show in Lagos. The performances have been awesome... At times I wish I could wait for the after party too. Raymond Bola Browne
Afropolitan Vibes promotes unity, th ere is this one love fee ling amongst ever yone present at the even t and that is what we need in Nigeria ri ght now. Thumbs up ! Gbenle David Adeyin ka
Afropolitan vibes is an explosive em bodiment of Lagos, it's crazy, it's abandon, litt le bit wanton and complete down-toearth-ness. It's just totally, slight unhinged, uninhibited fun. Absolutely love it ! Chinyere Ogwuegbu -Terzi I have had the absolute pleasure of watching Afropolitan Vibes grow from a humble idea to a grand event. And over the Afropolitan Vibes last two years, it has become a wonderful represents the best of highlight that I look forward to every what Lagos is becoming. month. No two events have been the same, Bringing together an and every concert has been a beautiful eclectic mix of young experience. Thank you BANTU and thanks to creative professionals, everyone that makes Afropolitan the best Afropolitan Vibes is place to be every 3rd Friday of the month. growing to be one of the Bode Michaels best gigs in town Wunika Mukan
“Several-hu ndred swea ting, foot-sto cheering fa mping, ns watched Bantu open UK Guardian a show” Newspaper
P R ESS
C L I P PI N G S rica’s ene in Af c s l a ic s “The mu rgoing y is unde it c t s e g lar e” resurgenc a fresh Magazine Lufthansa
Listed amongst the top cultural events in Lagos . The Africa Report and 00 young “Over 30 nce ie ixed aud sassily m ns, Asian, of Nigeria ean and Europ American FP es throng of all ag d Friday to every thir Adebantu” Jump with r Newspape Guardian
to find a a place ’s e r e th “if s, it is in st in Lago li ve no g in litan twerk an Afropo n o k r Pa r Freedom ewspape his Day N T ” ht g ni Vibes
s is l highlight in Lago “A major musica ow at politan Vibes sh the monthly Afro for It is a chance Freedom Park. icial, music – no artif lovers of live ow es here – to bl auto-tuned voic the option of a off steam with BBC esh palm wine”. calabash of fr News Africa
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Remembering
April
Etobbe David Meres
secondary school Sometime in April 2014, 276 o Haram in Chibok girls were kidnapped by Bok Borno State. , on a pitch black A month after the kidnapping Afropolitan Vibes May night, I held a copy of t and identified with magazine during the concer with Afropolitan the picture and by extension ls in school Vibes. The image of three gir a field, took on uniforms, sauntering across e, on this magazine a meaning of defiance. Her to school, defying cover, were girls walking terrorists. tain sentiment to the The sepia toning lends a cer their faces, us worry less about seeing es the three girls are image of the girls. It makes gine that without these fac ima ld wou we ed, lin inc so ever, differentiate them. and if we were n face. Their uniforms how now unk the of y nit tri e really one—th rstyle a chuku with l wears a pinafore, her hai gir h lis sty e mor the ht: ond girl has on a From left to rig on the left parting); the sec e ibl vis on ribb k pin (a g ned, her chuku partings two-side partin rt appear starched and iro ski her of ats ple the , use a sense of the skirt and blo l’s billowy skirt that we get gir rd thi the m fro is it ; are unadorned weather. ws is the pause what the picture really sho but g, kin wal are ls gir the We infer that captures. pause that the photographer before toe-off. It is this e transforms the is in colour. This polychrom di Oso rge Geo by e tur pic background. Without The original kids visibly running in the er oth d; oun ygr pla t dan di picture. His field to a ver the solemnity of a George Oso ks lac it ia sep es Vib an an swimming the Afropolit t the odds. A picture of a wom ins aga will an hum pit y all chest looks to photographs usu h his hands folded across his wit boy A er. wat y mudd in e ks like coal from for her dear lif ns. People scooping what loo bur him und aro g hin ryt eve the sky, while rivers in the Niger-Delta. in comparison to es night, is sometimes solemn Vib an lit opo Afr an on e, engagement of The atmospher r songs because of the social ula pop y iall erc comm for med. Ade Bantu, comusical shows reason why the show was for one is s thi e, cas any In eriment and push the BANTU’s music. for musicians wanting to exp t tle “ou an ted wan w sho founder of the cover songs.” radio friendly pop tunes or boundaries of music beyond se generations and treated to songs that traver be can ce ien aud the ht, iah Jones perform On a single nig Olaiya, Poe, Kaline, and Kez tor Vic Dr. e hav will ts cer all these artistic genre. Few con iMike on another night. But and mi Wun e, ank Sol i Jim on a night; or in African music.” nds that are “firmly rooted variations coalesce into sou home, and ‘Lagos Jump’— es songs—‘Ile’, Yoruba for Vib an lit opo Afr ple sta ns the last line There are two d’s main vocalist always croo ban the tu, Ban Ade . gic for the 219 Chibok both are nostal from home. And by extension , way g lon g, lon a s it’ : of Ile’s chorus girls who remain at large.
Etobbe David Meres lives in
Lagos. Twitter: @Etobbe
Victor Olaiya Oyemi
Breis
Ajebutter 22 Sagay
Siji
Kaline BEZ Nneka Seun Kuti BOJ
Chris Ajilo
African China
Ras Kimono Ebo Taylor Adetoun RUBY GYANG
Gaise
Etubom Rex
Abeni
Jimi Solanke
Salawa
Williams
Yetunde Omo Ibadan
iMike Sound Sultan
Edaoto Orlando Lord of Ajasa Aduke POE Julius Eko Brass
Ed Keazor
Band Akin Kongi
Chinaza Diana Bada
Temi Dollface
Wunmi