What is Afropolitan Vibes?
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.
Bantu
Bantu aka Brotherhood Alliance Navigating Towards Unity is a 12-piece Afro-funk-Afro-hip-hop-Afro-beat musical collective founded by NigerianGerman brothers Adé Bantu and Abiodun. The band features multiinstrumentalists and singers who perform as a collective.
Palm Wine Tradition
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.
Official After Party
After each show, we have an after party gig at the Freedom Park bar area. We have different special guest DJs who make an appearance alongside Raymond Bola Browne aka DJraybeeBrowne of Igroove Radio who is our resident DJ. Our special guest DJ at our August edition after party will be DJ Bally [Twitter: @OgaBally; Soundcloud: soundcloud.com/OgaBally Join us at the Freedom Park bar immediately after the show to party and hangout with friends.
Spread the Word
If you love Afropolitan Vibes, spread the word – tweet about us - @afropolitanvibe join our facebook page - facebook.com/Afropolitanvibes subscribe tour digital magazine - issuu.com/afropolitanvibes and invite your friends and family next time.
NEXT AFROPOLITAN VIBES SHOW WILL BE ON SEPTEMBER 18TH, 2015 SEE YOU THEN! Afropolitan Vibes Magazine credits: Editor: Abby Ogunsanya
Printing: John Bola
Contact and advertising enquiries:
Guest artists profiles: Dami Ajayi and Abby Ogunsanya
Graphic Design: Graeme Arendse
afropolitanvibes@gmail.com
Guest artists’ pictures: Courtesy of subjects
Tel: + 234-803-4937094
Cover image: Graeme Arendse
Show pictures: Aderemi Adegbite
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Issue 22 // August 2015
Editor’s Notes
We have an exciting few weeks ahead in the Afropolitan Vibes camp. First off the August show which features three very talented and very different artists - Waje, The Venus Bushfires and Nomoreloss. We are particularly happy that Waje will at last perform after the April performance had to be rescheduled. Shortly after the show, the BANTU collective will head off to Germany to perform at two concerts - Bürgerfestes des Bundespräsidenten on 12th September 2015, in Berlin and a solo performance at Lido on 13th September 2015, also in Berlin. We will be sure to include pictures from the shows in next month‘s edition of the magazine. Be sure to subscribe to our mailing list so we can keep you up to date with this as well as all the latest Afropolitan Vibes news and developments. Enjoy the show!
In this issue
We profile our three guest artists: Waje, The Venus Bushfires and Nomoreloss.
Contact 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 +234-803-4937094.
We feature some of our favourite pictures from 26th edition of Afropolitan Vibes, which was held on July 17, 2015.
Afropolitan Vibes
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Issue 22 // August 2015
WAJE
Dami Ajayi
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.
Words 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.
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.
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.
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, 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.
Waje, a social change advocate and philanthropist when she is not hitting one of her three octaves, is proudly a single mother of one. www.wajeofficial.com Facebook: facebook.com/officialWAJE Twitter: @officialwaje
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Afropolitan Vibes
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Issue 22 // August 2015
NOMORELOSS Abby Ogunsanya
OLUMIUYIWA OSINUGA aka NOMORELOSS was born in Lagos in the 70’s.
Nomeloss draws his inspiration from people who have made a great impact in the Nigerian entertainment industry. These role models include Ebenezer Obey, King Sunny Ade, FELA Anikulapo-Kuti, Orlando Owoh, Orlando Juliis, IK Dairo and King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal (KWAM1).
He started out in the world of entertainment as a rapper while in high school. From there he went on to study the rudiments of music from one of Nigeria’s greatest instrumentalist and jazz saxophonist KUNLE AJAYI. Armed with a sound background in music, he decided after high school to broaden his repertoire further by trying his hand working as a master of ceremony at social events. It was a natural progression at the time because of his flair for comedy. He soon became well known on the circuit for his myriad of skills as an accomplished stand-up comedian, musician, MC, musical video director as well as a television host.
With a fusion of R&B, pop, jazz, reggae and jazz with an underlying tone of west African high life, his conviction that art must take material from its environment has led him to create a style that is unique in its appeal and soulful in its delivery. He refers to his music as NEW- HIGH-LIFE.
www.mrnomoreloss.com Twitter: @Mr_nomoreloss
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Afropolitan Vibes
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Issue 22 // August 2015
The
VENUS BUSHFIRES
Abby Ogunsanya
The Venus Bushfires is a collective of one and many, of which Helen Parker-Jayne Isibor is the only constant member. The other members of the band are not always musicians, sometimes they are sound or performance artists that Helen meets and invites to perform with her.
world’s first ever ‘hang flash gig’ at the Lovebox festival which was broadcasted on national television in the UK. She is currently making waves for writing and composing the first ever pidgin opera called ‘Song Queen: A Pidgin Opera’ – a tale of Mami Wata, Africa’s answer to the mythical mermaids and sirens that lure men to their deaths. ‘Song Queen: A Pidgin Opera’ debuted in London this summer and will be performed in Lagos in December 2015. In addition to performing at concerts around the world from Brazil to Benin, Helen has also created music for Christian Dior, Sony PlayStation, Disney, Oxfam and British Asian Trust (one of HRH Prince Charles’ personal charities) and her songs have featured in several French television and documentary films.
The Nigerian born singer-songwriter, composer and performance artist explores the ethereal sounds of the hang, the power of the talking drum and the quirks of children’s toys and cross- fertilizes multiple visual and musical styles. Helen harnesses influences from avant-garde, psychedelic, tribal and meditative arts and draws inspiration from 70’s musical pioneers such as Fela Kuti and Can, creating music and stories that explore the sensual and the spiritual. She describes her music as ‘Cinematic Afro-Folk’.
Her debut EP “The Venus Bushfires”, was released in February 2013 (available for sale on her website). She is currently working on an immersive exhibition exploring synæsthesia (union of the senses) and composing contemporary hybrid African folk songs that will serve as the stimulus for the sensorial experience. The exhibition opens in spring this year.
Helen is widely regarded for her captivating and trance inducing live sets, immersive performance art shows and impromptu sound journey displays in unusual spaces. Her innovation with music has made her renowned for many firsts. In 2008 she orchestrated the
www.thevenusbushfires.com Facebook: facebook.com/thevenusbushfires Twitter: @Venusbushfires
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JULY 2015 Edition