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Spotlight
AFROBEATS TORCH BEARER 2FACE LAUDS THE EXPLOSION OF EXCITING YOUNG TALENTS ON THE SCENE A thirty-minute limo ride along the paved boulevards of Dubai can throw up a convoluted mix of emotions for the average Nigerian. One minute you’re basking in the splendour of vision-delivered magnificence, the next you’re battling the sinking feeling of pain and embarrassment evoked by the hedious picture of leadership back home. On this particular evening, Innocent Idibia is firmly focused on the beauty of the oriental sunset and the soothing caress of the gorgeous music seeping through the speakers of the black SUV. “Bad energy stay far away...” seems to be the soundtrack for this relaxing evening after a hectic schedule and stressful travel. Covid-19 protocols have literally squeezed the fun out of luxury travel, particularly the LagosDubai route but Africa’s leader of the pop renaissance remains boisterous. “A Guy! I’m loving this movement. These young dons dem tight die mehn” he blurts excitedly. “Structure, vocal delivery, production and lyrics all on point, song after song. And no be just say na one or two o. Dem many. Most of the new guys now are really solid and it gladdens my heart to no end man.” On this trip to the UAE where he is co-headlining the 2021 edition of OneAfricaFest, 2Baba had spent ample time discussing a bunch of exciting young talents with Efe Omorogbe, founder/CEO of his longtime management company.
“Efe was just telling me that his role as creative director for the just concluded AFRIMA awards opened him up to a lot of superb young talents, not just from Nigeria but the entire continent. He’s been gushing over the likes of Zinoleesky, Joeboy, Black Sherif, Yaw Tog, Nikita Kerring, Remy Adan, Platini P and Shanah Manjeru . It’s such a thing of joy. I’m a big fan of a good number of these guys myself - Omalay, Ruger, Oxlade, Ayra Star, AV, Fireboy to mention a few” he states. “One of the key things I’m most excited about is the quality of the songs and the songwriting. There was a time not too long ago when it seemed like one had to dumb down the music or be outright wack to score a big hit. Not anymore. Those days seem long gone and it makes many of those who spare an effort, those who work towards a self-enforced basic minimum acceptable standard of song crafting very happy. Ol boy, the thing been done dey look like jazz”. The man mostly credited with the rise of contemporary African pop music a.k.a Afrobeats has seen countless stars fade and trends die over the last two decades plus change. The success of the debut “Body and Soul”, the groundbreaking debut album of his boy band, Plantashun Boiz sparked a pop revolution and opened new vistas of players in the game.
