n - Issue 44
io Festival Edit
March 2018
Festival Edition - Issue 44 | March 2018
EDITOR’S NOTE I was reading back some of my ‘Editor's Notes’ from past issues recently, and I noticed that I often seem to express what seems like great surprise at every milestone, as if I am shocked that the show has lasted as long as it has. Afropolitan Vibes is five years old now - we staged our first ever show on March 15th 2013. I always expected that the show would last, so it’s really been no surprise at all. We work hard to curate each show and we knew from the start what type of show we wanted it to be: inclusive, relaxed and totally LIVE. As we celebrate this latest milestone, we also continue on the road of another adventure that we started with our annual two-day music festival. We thank you all for coming on this crazy ride with us.
y bb A
Where it all began...
CONTACT US You can email us with your thoughts at info@afropolitanvibes.com. We also read all comments and respond to questions on all of our social media platforms.
MAGAZINE CREDITS Editor: Abby Ogunsanya Graphic Design: Ayomidotun Freeborn Cover Photo: Courtesy of artists Guest artists’ pictures: Courtesy of artists
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 +234-803-493-7094.
Contact and advertising enquiries: info@afropolitanvibes.com Tel: + 234-803-4937094
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Festival Edition - Issue 44 | March 2018
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 to rehearse and then perform with Bantucrew on stage. The show was held monthly at Freedom Park’s main stage for four years from March 2013 March 2017. The first of our now quarterly shows was held at Muri Okunola Park in Victoria Island on Friday 16th June. Show starts promptly from 8.00pm - 10.30/11.00pm. Afropolitan Vibes is co-produced by Ade Bantu and Abby Ogunsanya.
B.A.N.T.U
BANTU aka Brotherhood Alliance Navigating Towards Unity is a 13-piece Afro-funk Afro-hip-hop Afro-beat musical collective founded by Nigerian-German brothers AdĂŠ Bantu and Abiodun. The band features multi-instrumentalists 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 Sagamu 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 bar area where we encourage you all to come join us after the show for a drink and a chat.
Spread the word
If you love Afropolitan Vibes, spread the word - tweet about us, join our Facebook page at facebook.com/Afropolitanvibes, subscribe to our digital magazine at issuu.com/afropolitanvibes and invite your friends and family next time. 4
Festival Edition - Issue 44 | March 2018
: A G A B A I M f His Time Greatest o
olo bokhaevb ig ris A is r O By om @catcho fr ts e e tw d Lagos an Oris lives in
If MI Abaga is not the greatest rapper of his generation, the trouble is not with his incontestable greatness; it is with the amorphous definition of generation. Is a generation 25 years? Is it an age group? Is it the people you come up with? For Mister Incredible, born Jude Abaga, coming up meant Jos city, where as son to a clergyman from the Pyeri ethnic group of Taraba state, he was elder brother to two boys including Jesse Abaga, who would later be known as Jesse Jagz. It also meant finding friendship with Panshak Zamani, who these days we call Ice Prince. As kids going here and there in the Plateau capital, the trio were seen as talented. Recently a childhood friend of all three told me Jesse was thought of as the artistic one, Panshak was alright, and everybody knew Jude was destined for success. That success arrived quickly, upon the release of his debut album Talk About It in 2008. But it wasn’t too early for the impatient MI. As he later told American talk show host Wendy Williams, he felt he started late—that is, in his late 20s. Before then, he had gone to university in the US where he studied Business Administration and Economics. He also participated in rap shows, coming third place in one contest. Perhaps that was a sign. MI returned to Nigeria in 2003 and by 2006, one of his songs ‘Crowd Mentality’ won him a host of fans in Jos. But, not for the last time in his career, the man wanted 5
Festival Edition - Issue 44 | March 2018
more. And more in Nigerian pop music usually means Lagos—or, more specifically, acceptance in Lagos.
unauthorised samples, hence the title. These tapes, ending in 2016 with Illegal Music 3, were a gift to hip-hop heads. They were also gifts to lesser known rappers who got a chance to record with MI. At this stage he had become that strange thing: a god on the mic with vastly popular appeal—pretty much like one of his idols Jay-Z.
That would occur with his first major single ‘Safe’, a track that retains a significant part of its brilliance today. The working conceit was the use of words and phrases from popular songs from the period. Some of those songs are forgotten today but MI’s delivery—fluid, confident, urbane—is irresistible still.
MI released his third studio album The Chairman in 2014 and a year later, like Jay-Z, he took on the leadership of a record label. As head of Chocolate City, MI signed a few acts, some finding feature spots on MI’s own projects.
The song was included on Talk About It, which sold in droves. And besides recording music, MI had a hand in two establishments, Loopy Records and Chocolate City. Based on the individual and collective work of the former Jos trio, now known as the Choc Boiz, the latter label would become a force in contemporary Nigerian music. In the meantime, Talk About It became a force of its own. Suddenly, it seemed Nigerian rap could be done seriously well and yet seriously sell. But MI wanted more. He wanted to make good rap music that would transcend the genre. Sales of Talk About It might have been popping, but MI wanted to go pop.
Earlier this year, a decade after Talk About It, MI released the collaborative project Rendezvous. Tagged a playlist, Rendezvous has MI once again employing a conceit. This time, the idea is a night out in Lagos. It starts with a guy heading out and ends with a girl calling the protagonist after getting home. There are guest appearances by Chocolate City associates Dice Ailes and CKay. Some new wave acts—Odunsi, Tomi Thomas, Nonso Amadi among them—also get spots. There is also Terry Apala and Wande Coal. Fair to say it is a new direction. But all of MI Abaga’s s projects are united by their creator’s playful love for words and a fidelity to music. This mix is the base and basis of his greatness. So while the problem of defining a generation continues, in the annals of Nigerian hip-hop, MI’s greatness is beyond debate.
He did just that with 2010’s MI2. MI’s second studio record had a title derived from the popular Hollywood flick starring Tom Cruise. The album itself used the conceit of an action movie, starting with the New Line Cinema sound and ending with a girl dozing off in a cinema hall after the credits. It even had a post-credits scene/ bonus track. And along the line, it produced the hit ‘Number 1’, where a not-very-known Flavour called MI the “Microphone Magician”. The album also featured Brymo on a song with the rather meta title ‘Action Film’. If these were samples of his comedic talent—MI actually considered a career in comedy—the song ‘Wild Wild West’ showed he could be serious, as he used rappoetry to address the Jos crisis of the time.
Already he has announced that this year will see the release of another album. During an interview for Music in Africa a few weeks ago, he told me the album, the much awaited Yung Denzel, will be more introspective, more intimate. As writer and music journalist, I was calm; as fan, inside I was dancing. Twitter/Instagram: @MI_Abaga
In between those studio albums, MI released the mixtape Illegal Music in 2009. It used 6
Festival Edition - Issue 44 | March 2018
T
he Nigerian pop renaissance of the late 1990s and early 2000s, was ushered in, in part, by boy bands. Prior to this time, Nigerian radio was home to foreign imports. A generation of Nigerian kids had been raised on a steady diet of Westlife, Boyz II Men and Backstreet Boyz. School parties and social events were filled with their songs and small booklets containing their lyrics were passed around like weed. Nigerian groups like Plantation Boyz and D’ Remedies mixed the R&B style of those boy bands with elements of hip hop and spiced the broth with local flavour in the form of pidgin or Yoruba lyrics. This formula led to widespread acclaim. Of the bands, there’s perhaps none more loved and adored than Styl-Plus. Shifi Emoefe, Tunde Akinsanmi,Yemi Akinwonmi, and Lanre Faneyi originally came together to form a gospel band with the name STYL, an acronym of the first letter of their first names. Emoefe and Akinsanmi were the first to meet as fresh students at the Federal University of Technology Akure in 1997. They
" d n a B y o B " e h T : S U STYL-PLways on our minds. that is al a Nihinlola e By IfeOluw nd editor from Lagos. H a r te inlola is a wri r musicinafrica.net IfeOluwa Nih t music fo writes abou
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Festival Edition - Issue 44 | March 2018
bonded over their mutual love for music and were later joined by Akinwonmi and Fadeyi. Together they performed covers of gospel songs, and remained part of the Rhema Campus Fellowship Choir. After returning from a strike-induced break that was typical of Nigerian universities, the group got news of Fadeyi’s death. This led to some apathy that was later overcome when they embarked on a project that involved four vocalists. Zeal Onyecheme became that fourth member, after the group found him singing Four Seasons of Loneliness by Boyz II Men, which is coincidentally the group to which they’ve drawn the most comparison.
is most indicative of their range. They had the ability to play as much as they loved. The success of their singles and first album led to awards and international recognition. “Call My Name” won the award for best R&B video at the 2005 Channel O Awards. The group performed with Femi Kuti and 2Baba among other stars, and opened for artists such as Wyclef Jean and Yvonne Chaka Chaka. Two years after the release of their debut, the group released their sophomore album, Back and Better, to relatively lukewarm reception. There were no tracks to match the height of “Imagine That” and the most popular was “Four Years”, a song that affirmed their commitment to stay together as group. “Four Years don waka, we still dey carry go / nobody waka, nobody go solo,” goes the hook, an assertion that proved too early. After years of denying rumours of a split, Akinsanmi finally embarked on a solo career in 2012.
Onyecheme’s addition led to the name Styl-Plus. But Akinwonmi quit the group in 2002, leaving the trio—Shifi, Tunde and Zeal—as members who formed the label STYL-PLUS in 2003. The group initially failed to garner support for their music because they were accused of sounding too foreign, so they reworked their songs to include Nigerian elements. This transformation led to the success of “Olufunmi”, their first single to attract massive support in the country.
Following years of obscurity, the group finally made a return at Felabration 2014, performing before a welcoming crowd at the New Afrikan Shrine. The group signed with Eskimo records in December 2016 and have since released singles such as ‘Aso Ibora’. Styl-Plus is also back to performing at shows across the country. The group has changed, the industry is different, R&B is no longer the best vehicle for pop stardom, and boy bands have become punchlines. But as long as those who lived through the years of Styl-Plus’s success are alive, many who still consider the group’s songs the height of Nigerian R&B, they will always be on our minds.
“Olufunmi o, ma pamílékún o / Olufunmilola, má se fi mí sílè láíláí / dúrótìmí o, Olufunmi o,” goes the hook of the ballad. It is plea to a lover named Olufunmilola not to leave, rendered in Yoruba. This mix of local language with the usual sound of R&B, sung and performed with the earnestness typical of boy bands became the signature of Styl-Plus. Another single “Runaway” also became a hit, spreading from the Abuja base of the group to the rest of the country between 2004 and 2005. This led to the eventual release of their debut album, Expressions, which contained hit tracks like ‘Imagine that’, ‘Always on my mind’, and ‘Iya Basira’. The first two are typical love ballads. The third, “Iya Basira”, a comic story about a woman whose food has the powers to hoodwink her customers,
Twitter: Styl_Plus
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Festival Edition - Issue 44 | March 2018
E C N E U Q E S N O C J D Akeredolu Precious Pelumi, popularly known as DJ CONSEQUENCE is known for his creativity, professionalism and for his great sense of timing and co-ordination. He has a vast experience of working in clubs and as a mobile DJ. Having contributed to the immense growth of several clubs in Lagos, he is now a firm favourite amongst young people who often refer to him as ‘The Vibes Machine’. Consequence hails from Ondo State and was born and grew up in Lagos. He started DJing from secondary school days at school parties and other social gatherings. He was also the music prefect in his school. Since school days, he has gone on to DJ at many of the clubs around Lagos. His current work schedule includes his role as official DJ at Quilox Nightclub in Lagos, Official Tour DJ for the artist Falz and as Radio Dj on Soundcity 98.5FM. DJ Consequence has created over thirtyfive mix tapes that has gotten well over 300,000 downloads. His widespread popularity is evident in his huge and dedicated social media following of over 120,000 people on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, all of whom are fan of his ability to mix House, RNB/Hip Hop, Afro and Dancehall music to get the crowd excited. He has an album ‘The Vibes Mixtape’ with ten tracks and seven trending videos on local and cable TV stations. These tracks feature artists such as Olamide, Lil Kesh, Mayokun, Ycee and Reekado Banks.
Twitter: @dj_consequence Instagram: Djconsequence 9
Festival Edition - Issue 44 | March 2018
A V A J J D DJ Java is a talented music producer, Remixer and Disc Jockey(DJ). He first began producing songs in 2007. In 2009, Java left Nigeria for Northern Cyprus (TRNC) to study mechanical engineering but his passion for music never left him. He quickly became a fast rising sensation and gained a lot of popularity. He played at over a 100 events in Cyprus and organised parties that brought in a large crowd. One of which, was the biggest afro- Caribbean party titled “Wazobia”. He became his University’s official DJ and for four years in a row, he was the official DJ for the spring festival (the biggest event in Famagusta city), which involved a diverse crowd. On his return back to Nigeria, He has played in so many top shows in the country as well as with top alcohol brands like Moet Chandon, Hennesy, Belvedere,Vueve Clicquot, Martell, Ciroc e.t.c Has also been a resident DJ for Shiro Lagos which is one of the top restaurants in the country, played for Four points by Sheraton, Pinkberry VIP Party, Trace TV, Afriff, Beat fm, Maggi, Maison Fahrenheit hotel,Vellvett and so much more. Asides Deejaying he has also released four original singles featuring different artistes in the country with the latest been Tight Jeans which features Falzthebahdguy and Ozbeazy. All his DJ mixtapes and original productions can be found on his soundcloud page. soundcloud.com/ djjavaofficial. As a talented Disc Jockey with music production skills, Java brings a unique blend of the best sounds and mixes from around the world to light up any event. His exposure to sounds home and abroad makes him comfortable with any type of crowd. Specialised Genres - Lounge Music, House Music, Deep House Music, EDM, Afro-House, Afrobeats. Twitter/Instagram: Djjavaofficial 10
Festival Edition - Issue 44 | March 2018
O B M A L DJ OLAWUNMI OKERAYI, also known as DJ Lambo is signed to Loopy Music and is the personal DJ for Africa’s Number One Rapper MI. Her passion to mix sounds started as a child when she was introduced to a wide range of music; from Kool and the Gang to African Bamabata, Naughty by Nature, Public Enemy, DJ Premier and numerous other styles. She recalls that her main inspiration, with whom she “always had parties”, was her father, the famous DJ Tony Lewis, who laid the footsteps for her to follow in. She started out her career as an On Air Personality in Ray Power 100.5FM and then moved on to Rhthym 94.7 FM and Love 104.5 FM in Abuja before her career as a DJ. She taught herself how to DJ and started out professionally in 2009 performing at California lounge, Aramis and Oxygen club in Abuja and at other events and shows in Lagos. As her success and popularity increased, she was introduced to the rapper MI who appreciated and valued her sound so much that he employed her as his personal DJ. DJ Lambo’s sound is a blend of house, techno, afro pop and hip-hop – all of which she blends in her own unique way. She has been nominated for Best Female DJ in Africa in the African Global DJ Awards AGDA, ELOY awards 2014 and won the TAWA Awards for the Most Outstanding DJ in 2014. In 2017, She was appointed as the President of Choc Boi Nation (CBN) making her the first female executive at Chocolate City Music to hold the coveted position of Label president. Since then, she has gone on to push the brand and help to further establish the Choc Boi Nation with the launch of its official merchandise. Twitter & Instagram: @DJlambo_
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L E I R B A G DJ SAN Born, raised and living in Berlin, DJ San Gabriel aka Deejay Brother G started his DJ career in 1989, performing at clubs and events all over Europe. San Gabriel represents an eclectic music philosophy which has matured over the last 28 years. His long-lasting career enables him to draw from a massive reservoir abundant with manifold styles. On his turntables, you’ll find the best from HipHop, Reggae, Dancehall, Latin, RareGroove, Disco, Funk, House, Garage, Electro, Grime, Bashment, Dubstep, Drum & Bass, Agrobeats & Afrohouse. Although San Gabriel’s concept meets today’s crossover attitude of Berlin’s clubs, it is firmly rooted in his own experiences and performances. DJ San Gabriel is a “crowd-friendly” DJ, who creates an atmosphere for the people out there. His sound follows the vibe of the crowd and creates the flow. Great stories for a grand night out! His outstanding individual style gained San Gabriel recognition and success. He’s at home in the clubs of Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, Düsseldorf, Wuppertal, Würzburg, Stuttgart, Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich, Prague, Budapest, Copenhagen, Sicily, Amsterdam, New York, Buenos, Aires, Casablanca, Dakar, Accra, Capetown,Miami and Tel Aviv. And he also played at events like Berlin Love Parade, Zurich Street Parade and Miami Winter Music Conference. Among the highlights of his DJ career are gigs at Berlin Film Festival (“Berlinale”), German Film Award (“Deutscher Filmpreis”), German Echo Award and the Film Festival in Cannes. Apart from his activities as DJ and producer, San Gabriel must also be considered an experienced event and music manager. Since 2007 he runs the monthly Party called Hiphop Don't Stop in Berlin, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Wuppertal, Düsseldorf, Munich & Tel Aviv www.hiphopdontstop.net Since January 2011 he hosts the weekly Hiphop Don't Stop Radio Show on 93.6 JAM FM RADIO in Germany. Since October 2013 he DJs and is Musical Director (booking and programming) for DEAN Club Berlin (AMANO HOTEL GROUP). Since March 2014 he manages booking and programming for YAAM Berlin. https://soundcloud.com/djsangabriel instagram.com/djsangabriel
Issue 43 | December 2017
E N U T P E DJ N D J Neptune is a successful disc jockey and powerful brand. He is renowned for his ability to spin different genres of music from hip-hop to R &B, house, dance hall and afrobeats and is one of Nigeria’s most recognized DJs. Born Imohosien Patrick, DJ Neptune is a native of Edo State but was born and brought up in Lagos. His focus on music began in the late 90”s when, at the age of 10 years old, he began entertaining friends and neighbours by playing music. He spent time watching online DJ Tutorials and began to develop his craft as a disc jockey. He soon moved on to from neighbourhood parties to DJing at school parties and then, when he was old enough, he began DJing at fast foot outlets, house parties and nightclubs. He became a full time DJ began in 2001 when he was hired by Ray Power 100.5FM, Nigeria’s first private radio station, to work as one of their in-house DJs. He remained in the role until 2010. In that time, he became a favourite with listeners and soon became a popular household name. Work with artists started with his collaboration with Nigerian rapper Naeto C who signed Neptune as his official DJ/Hype man at his concerts. He has since one on to work with virtually all of the major artists in Nigeria. In an effort to expand his brand, Neptune started to release promotional mix tapes online for free downloads. These proved very popular so he went a step further to produce his own DJ Album and later released the audio and visuals for singles such as ‘123 (Remix)’ featuring MI, Naeto C and the late Da Grin, ‘This Gbedu’ featuring Ice Prince,YQ and Shank, ‘Skoobi Doo’ featuring Jesse Jagz, ‘Baddest’ featuring Olamide, Stonebwoy and BOJ, amongst others. In 2013, he was selected as one of Nokia Nigeria’s brand ambassadors due to his huge online presence and popularity. He has also partnered with numerous other major corporate brands including MTN Nigeria, Nigeria Breweries and Hennessy. Industry accolades that he has received include a 2009 win at the Nigeria Entertainment Awards as Best World DJ, the award as Best International DJ at the Africa Entertainment Awards in 2010 and Best Non-Ghanaian International DJ at the Ghana Awards in 2015. His registered company Neptune Entertainment Limited regularly provides entertainment services at corporate events, concerts and social events. For always taking time out of his busy schedule, DJ Neptune is very widely respected for his work in helping to raise awareness and money for Cancer research, having lost his own father to Lung Cancer. He also regularly mentors underprivileged kids who have an interest in the entertainment industry. He is currently producing his new album, which will feature collaborations with several top artists from the African continent Twitter & Instagram: @Deejayneptune
Festival Edition - Issue 44 | March 2018
BRYMO Brymo was born Olawale Ashimi in 1986. The singer, songwriter and composer began his musical career in 1999, while still in secondary school. In 2007, he released a single titled “Shawdy”, and signed a record deal with Chocolate City in 2010. His debut album, Brymstone, was released in 2007, followed by TheSonOfaKapenta, in 2012. Brymo’s fame grew with the release of the single “Oleku” from label mate Ice Prince’s debut album. His hook made the song. Brymo left the label in 2013, and started his independent career with the release of “Down” on October 1, 2013. His third album Merchants, Dealers & Slaves was released on October 20, 2013. In 2014, he released Tabula Rasa, his fourth album, to popular and critical acclaim and was named Songwriter of the Year at the 2014 All Africa Music Awards. With the release of Tabula Rasa, Brymo sealed his reputation as one of Nigeria’s most contemplative artists. Klitoris, Brymo’s fifth studio album, was released on May 9, 2016. He also released an International album titled Trance, a compilation of songs from his third and fourth albums, under American record label TMG. His new album Osó (the wizard) will be released on March 27, 2018. www.theosoproject.com Twitter: @BrymOlawale
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BEZ Bez is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and instrumentalist. His alternative sound blends pop, soul, rock and afro to create a unique groove. His debut album ‘Super Sun’ has achieved international critical acclaim; listed as one of hot Soul/R&B album on iTunes USA and was rated among the Top 10 World Music Albums by the US Boston Globe. This has propelled Bez to other first-rate features in Vogue, Essence.com, Rolling Stone Magazine, BBC, MTV Iggy Hall of Fame and many more. Bez has performed in a wide array of venues in Africa, USA and the UK. He debuted in the US to an eager crowd waiting in line around the block at the SXSW music festival in Austin, TX and scored major showcases at iTunes stores in New York and Los Angeles. With the November 2016 release of his sophomore album ‘Gbagyi Child’, Bez takes you on a journey of love, life and growing up in northern Nigeria. While he continues to write new music showcasing his ever changing ability to create, he is set to take on the world stage with his four man band. From Festival circuits to intimate sets, Bez showcases his masterful guitar playing and energetic performances that make him a delightful act to experience LIVE.
www.bezworld.com Twitter: @BEZidakula
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Salami Oluwasesan , better known as “Sess” is a Nigerian singer-songwriter and multiple award winning music producer. Popularly known for his tagline “Sess, The Problem Kid” on beats he produces, Sess is renowned for his proficiency with Hip-Hop, AfroBeats, R&B and Afro House. He isn’t however a producer to be boxed as he’s served hits across all genres of music.
a major collaborator on all Falz’s albums including the latest ‘27’. In addition to Falz, Sess has had the opportunity to produce and work with artistes like Shaydee, Superstar Ace, Show dem camp, Poe, Terry Apala, Simi, Dremo, Adekunle Gold, Reminisce, Moelogo, Chip, MI, Ice-Prince, Mz Kiss,Yemisi Fancy, iLLBliss, Reekado Banks, Olamide, Davido and Yemi Alade.
Salami Oluwasesan Abbas hails from Offa, Kwara State, His dad is a retired Oil Executive and his mum an Educationist. He studied law at the University of Ilorin, and was called to the Nigerian Bar November 2012.
In 2016 Sess was nominated by SoundCity as the African producer of the year alongside DJ Maphorisa, Gospel and Young John. He was also nominated by Scream Awards as Producer of the year and went on to gain two more nomination by Beatz Awards for Producer of the year alongside others such as Masterkraft, DJ Altims and Gospel.
Inspired by the likes of Michael Jackson, Chris brown and Prince, he seeks to create a genre of music that consists of a mixture of Soul, RnB, Hip Hop with a huge hint of Afro Trap. Sess is very popular for his productions with Falz The Bahd Guy, their mutually beneficial collaboration has birthed many hits, helping both artists to become a Music PowerHouse combination in the Nigerian Music industry and beyond. ‘Ello Bae’ was the first official song with Falz and was released in 2014. Also in 2014, Sess produced Karashika, Falz’s breakout song, earning Falz great recognition and various award nominations. He went ahead to produce Falz’s popular club banger ‘Clap’ which had popular rapper Reminisce on it, the song was a huge success. Soft work by Falz was a great point for Sess as it’s largely perceived as Falz’s most commercially successful single. He continues tobe
2017 has been a great year for Sess as he went ahead to produce Falz’s major hit singles to include Street Anthem ‘Wehdone Sir’ and “BabyBoy for Life’. He capped off the year in style having having produced tracks off both Simi’s album ‘Simisola’, widely acclaimed as the best album of 2017m and Yemi Alade’s ‘Black Magic’ Album. Sess is also presently working on his body of work that is set for release in early 2018. Twitter & Instagram @Sessbeats
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Festival Edition - Issue 44 | March 2018
DEL B
then proceeded a year after to Playground Entertainment to understudy ace Producer/Musician Paul Play Dairo as sound engineer, playing active role in the productions done at Playground Studios. In 2006 he connected with the defunct (then budding) Mo’ Hits camp and was engaged as recording/mixing engineer for D’ Banj’s smash hit ‘Why Me’ and their Mo’ Hits All Stars CV album.
Ayodele Joseph Basil, the Music Producer, Singer and Songwriter professionally known as Del’ B became certified as one of Nigeria’s top music producers after the release of massive “Limpopo” hit by Kcee and the runaway follow up “Pull Over” featuring WizKid in 2013.
Around this time he had become exposed to working with some of Nigeria’s foremost artistes, both on stage and in the studio and also working with corporate agencies on jingles and various musical projects.
He has since ingrained his imprint in Nigeria’s music scene producing hits for Wizkid, Seyishay, Flavour, Orezi, Harrysong, Runtown and many others. His production more recently helped birth the smash hit ‘Mad Over You’ by Runtown and Mr Eazi’s ‘Tilapia’.
In 2009, he signed with Soul Muzik (now Live Spot Ent.) as resident Producer/Engineer, working on Darey’s Double Dare (Rhythm and Beat) albums, Love Like A Movie 1 and other projects.
Born on April 22 in the 80’s in Kano State, Nigeria, his mother is from Edo and his father from Delta State. The name Del’ B is an acronym from his first and last names and he is of a strong musical pedigree as his parents, grandparents, and great grand-parents were all musicians of some sort. Del’B’s father was the guitarist and music director of a local church choir, which he and his siblings were a part of. At the tender age of 11, Del’ B was already playing the Bass Guitar and he soon grew to master the piano and the acoustic guitar. Following in his father’s footstep, he also became choir director in his secondary school and the church in Kano.
In 2011 he struck out on his own, working on a stream of projects with various record labels and indie artists, delivering hits with tracks like Flavour's 'Shake' and 'Sweet Tomatoes' on his "Blessed" album released in 2012, and continuing the streak on Kcee’s ‘Take Over’, Wizkid’s ‘Ayo’ and many more. In 2013 and 2014, he was nominated as Best Producer at the Headies awards and won in the same category at the NEA awards held in Houston, USA in 2014. After feedback from putting out experimental singles of his own in 2012 (Too Proud, Anywhere you dey) and featuring on hot singles with top Nigerian acts over the years to buzzy single by DJ Neptune ‘So Nice’ w/ Davido in 2015, he repeated the feat on banger by DJ Spinall “Package” w/ Davido in 2016. Del’ B has gone a step further to make more solo music as well as collaborate with some of Africa’s best to release mainstream hits. He has also entered into a creative partnership with Ultraviolet Media, run by Ugo Mordi a long-time friend, to better manage business and development of other projects, while he does what he does best, create musical magic.
Back Home, young Ayodele took part in various recordings and became very interested in music production and audio engineering. In 1998, he decided to make the move to Lagos to pursue his dreams. He started out playing keyboards and guitar in different live bands and continued as choir director in the Lagos branch of his church. The passing of his mom in late 2001 reinforced his desire to succeed in his music dreams (as she had been his earliest encourager) and by 2002, Del’B already had a few recordings credited to him as Producer.
Del’ B has drawn inspiration from idols as Quincy Jones, Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins, Teddy Reilly, R. Kelly, Ryan Leslie, Kanye West and many others though his artistic influence crosses cultural lines and genres. All of that plus his industry experience has made him nothing short of a seasoned to the core music maker.
He went on to hone his skill in audio engineering at MidiCorp Studios at 2004,
Twitter/Instagram: @Iamdelb
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Festival Edition - Issue 44 | March 2018
OSCAR H A K C A HEMAN Oscar Heman-Ackah is an award-winning music producer, songwriter, sound designer, music arranger and vocal instructor He has worked in widely varying facets of the music industry: from working closely with artists, composing orchestral music, creating jingles and adverts for companies, coordinating choirs, to providing scores and soundtracks for movies and feature films. He founded his content solution agency, Soltracka
Productions in 2011. The company specialises in music production, jingles and commercials, advertising campaigns, copyright development and catch phrases, voice training and live band services as well as the provision of state-of-theart recording and rehearsal studio facilities. Oscar has written and produced music for a number of talented Nigerian artists such as such Simi, Omawunmi, 2face, Praiz, Darey, Bez, Psquare, Niyola, Banky W, Chidinma, ReYa, Phyno, to name a few. He has lent his musical ingenuity to multinationals and corporate bodies by creating jingles and adverts for them. Some of these companies include MTN, E-salat, Glo, Diamond Bank, Interswitch, GTB, DSTV and BAT. In 2011, he entered into a publishing partnership with Buvision, which resulted in publishing with DefJam/Buvision.Via this platform, he has had the opportunity to expand his work beyond the shores of Nigeria to work with numerous international artists such as Akon, Miranda Brookes, Skylar Gray, Leona Lewis, Chris Brown and Rihanna. His music production credits include ‘Pray For Me’ (Darey & Soweto Gospel Choir), ‘Collabo’ (PSquare & Don Jazzy), ‘Toh Badt’ (Niyola), ‘Tiff and Jamb Question’ (Simi) and ‘Orente’ (Adekunle Gold) amongst many others. Twitter: @oscarmusic_
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URBAN S N O I S S SE
TEEZEE
YINKA BERNIE
Teezee DRB is rapper/ song writer and founding member of DRB las gidi (Afro beat group) that includes Boj and Fresh L. DRB are viewed as pioneers of the new generation sound in today's music industry in Nigeria. Teezee released his solo project in 2014 #Freshprinceoflasgidi with acclaimed singles like ‘Story Man’, ‘High Roller’ and crossover song ‘Crooked Love Story’ featuring Efya. He also released singles ‘Fashionista’ and ‘Swagga Mi Gbono’ that got radio rotation both abroad and locally. Teezee is also the Jameson brand ambassador. Having been on a music break for about 2 years, Teezee will officially make his come back with his performance at ‘Urban Session’, a part of Afropolitan Vibes Music Festival. Twitter & Instagram: @TeezeeDRB
Onaduja Yinka aka Yinka Bernie started his musical career in 2014 as a producer learning on the FL studio software, with his music output greatly influenced by Fela so much so that he released his first EP collection titled ‘Fela Obsessions. From then on, it’s been a rather interesting journey for the young musician who once lost an entire project he had recorded over a long period on his laptop when it suddenly crashed. Thinking all was not lost, he sought out a friend on whose system he had backed up the songs only to find it too has been deleting because of a “misunderstanding” they had! This experience fuelled his drive to succeed as a musician and led to the eventual release of his ‘19 & Over” EP in August 2017. He is currently working on another project. Twitter: @yinkabernie
Buki is an Afro jazz/soul singer- songwriter from Lagos, Nigeria who grew up in a musical home that was heavily influence by the gospel music for which her mother was famous in the 1970s-1990s. Buki grew up singing in church then continued singing at university whenever gigs were available. Her musical influences include artistes such as Jill Scott, India Aire, Julie London, Sade Adu and Asa and these influence, mixed with her preference for jazz combines with her velvety & soulful voice to create a great sound that can be heard in her recent singles 'Brave’ and ‘Miracle’ Buki is currently working on her first ever EP. Twitter: @officialBuki Instagram:Buki.music
BUKI
Tori Amos amongst her musical influences. Joyce Olong has been active on Soundcloud for almost two years, releasing songs sporadically; ORE MI in 2015, GOLD (featuring Cecilia Olong) in 2016, BABY’S GOT THE BLUES in 2017 which appeared on a PGM Vol.1(Push Good Music) project organized by Muyiwa Akhigbe’s Olma Records, an independent music label which had a collection of songs from various artistes like Tim Lyre, Paula B, Jable Ossai, Chidi, Mykkle and Fizzy K. Joyce Olong released her first official single SHEKELS on April 14th, 2017 an Anti-war & Anti-violence themed song and she released her second single STAY ANOTHER DAY on the 4th of July of the same year which is centred on mental health (depression) and staying positive, which received positive reviews from online magazines like Native Mag, Seun Badejo, kobining, morebranches, and SoulCeity. She has also worked on a few songs with Tim Lyre,YinkaBernie doing verses and also backup vocals.
JOYCE OLONG Joyce Anigo Olong (October 6, 1995 in Ikeja, Lagos) is a singer-songwriter. At the young age of 8 she started learning to play piano and drums and at the age of 10 added alto saxophone to the list of instruments she learned how to play. Her musical influences cover a wide range of genres; hip-hop, indie, folk, reggae, country-pop, Gregorian chants, Motown and traditional world music She also lists artistes like Lauryn Hill, Frank Ocean, Bob Marley, Asa and
Twitter:Joyce_Olong
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Festival Edition - Issue 44 | March 2018
The male vocalist best pioneering the new school rhythm in Nigeria is Funbi - a soul singer and storyteller whose essence captures the past, highlights the present, and sets the standard for the next generation of Afrobeat sounds. Funbi made his solo debut with the first official single from his upcoming project, a reflective track titled “Hallelujah”. The tune, written by Funbi and Sir Dauda, Speaking on the inspiration behind the Song, Funbi said, “‘Hallelujah’ is like opening the gate. It speaks about having been through some difficult times and being able to pull through. It’s a thanksgiving song, and I was able to connect with it a lot.”
FUNBI
His soon to be released project will delve deeper into the Funbi ether. From funk to soul, folk and alternative, with this debut the singer looks forward to enticing more listeners to his brand of cool. Social media: @funbimusic
If you threw R&B, Hip-Hop, and alternative Jazz into an earthy wooden bowl, and crushed them to bits with airy, raspy vocals, you might make Lady Donli. Zainab, her government name, is a 21 year-old Neo-Soul singer from Kaduna State, Nigeria. She’s a melting pot of experiences, a mashup of different cultures (American by birth, Nigerian by immersion, with an undergraduate degree in Law from the University of Surrey (UK), and in the same way, her music is influenced by a wide array of artists -Andre 3000, Erykah Badu, Asa, Nneka. In the past 5 years, Lady Donli has released one mixtape and three EPs, punctuated with singles, each project sounding more refined, and reaching more people than the last. Complex Magazine describes her as having “a bohemian, poetic flavor, […] which could really find a broad audience with the right exposure.” Twitter: @ladydonli 21
LADY DONLI
Festival Edition - Issue 44 | March 2018
Jason Derulo, Justin Beiber, Flavour, Fally Ipupa, and Wizkid. While studying at Covenant University, he would regularly be seen performing on stage as ‘Rico Slim’. After graduating from Covenant in 2009, he left Nigeria for to attend the University of Surrey, England to study Energy Economics and Policy. After graduating with a masters degree in 2013, he relocated to Nigeria to pursue his music career fulltime, moving between Port-Harcourt, and Lagos State. His first single ‘Dance Dance Baby Dance’ was released in 2012. He then released a follow up single ‘Double Double’ produced by A-List Nigerian music producer, Dj Coublon. In September 2015, he became the first Nigerian Artist to headline the Lake Of Stars Festival in Lilongwe Malawi, along-side Uhuru and Toya Delazy. Since then, he has begun to gain more and more recognition in the music industry.
RIC HASSANI Ikechukwu Eric Ahiauzu (born January 6, 1989), known professionally as Ric Hassani, is a Nigerian born Pop-African singer and songwriter. Ric was born in Port Harcourt, Rivers State to Blessing Ahiauzu, a University Librarian, and Augustine Ahiauzu, a Nigerian academic. Ric grew up in Port-harcourt, where his father was a professor of Management sciences at the Rivers State University of science and technology. The name ‘Ikechuku’ in his native Ogba language means ‘the power of God’.
In September 2015, He released his first Album Compilation called; African Tour Select Singles 2015. The following month, he release an EP tagged; Ric Hassani - The Acoustic EP, a five-track compilation of acoustic versions of his pre-recorded music including fan favourites like Joy, Stay, and Depression.
As both parents were academics and worked in the same university, the family lived on the campus. Ric grew up in an academic environment and either as a function of that, or being that both parents where academics, he grew up to become what he himself describes as a ‘serious geek’. He also loved music. Ric Hassani stated that his major influences include
His latest single ‘Believe’ features rapper Olamide. www.richassani.com Twitter & instagram: @Richassani.
Adeniyi Oluwatimilehin aka Timzil, was born in the early 90’s, and like virtually all musicians, developed his love for music whilst he was very young. As a child, he enjoyed singing along to the Bournvita advert on television and belting out the national anthem. He was always singing. He formed a group with his school mates when he was 9 years old and impressively, they made an album to help raise funds for their school. Since then, he has forged ahead on his own as a solo artist and is currently developing his own style of music.
TIMZIL
Twitter: @Timzil 22
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