Ade Bantu’s Afropolitan Vibes, held every last Friday of the month, is turning out to be Lagos’ biggest open party.
‘Ain’t no party like a Lagos party,’ goes a line from RnB artiste, Banky W’s ‘Lagos Party’ and this is exactly what Ade Bantu is proving with his monthly Afropolitan Vibes gig.
Freedom Park, the best go-to-spot on Lagos Island, is the venue of the groove that attracts the young, upwardly mobile and middle aged people. Now in its 10th month, the gig has become a platform for brilliant and thrilling live performances by artistes singing different genres.
Nneka, African China, Oranmiyan and Chinaza are some of the artistes that have graced the Freedom Park stage to entertain young professionals at the end of a hectic week.
The January edition of the gig on January 24th, commenced with Ade Bantu and his Afrobeat Academy Band, which he fondly calls Agbero International’, performing some of his funky hit tracks. Shortly into the event, the expansive amphi-theatre-like stage of Freedom Park was sold out -though free- as all the seats were occupied and thereafter became useless.
The brilliance of the performance got everyone on their feet dancing.
Though Bantu initially appealed to revellers to get up and dance at the gig which is becoming a viable alternative to the several over-hyped and ridiculously priced miming concerts that regularly holds in claustrophobic venues in the city, he needn’t have bothered. His eclectic hit track, ‘Lagos Jump’ did the trick.
Amaka, a Nigerian artiste based in Germany was the first guest performer and her sultry opening track which did not register with the audience made her mime Amy Winehouse’s ‘Valerie.’
The singer who had assumed the fun seekers comprising Asians, Caucasians and Africans but mostly Nigerians, might not know the track got a shocker.
“It is a song you might not know but it is a very popular song abroad and in Europe,” she said before launching into the song which to her surprise, the crowd sang along with her.
Ade Bantu described himself as a ‘proud father’ after her performance.
Up next was Olawale, winner of the 2013 MTN Project Fame Academy and the diminutive singer performed his name titled, debut single. The young singer revved up the excitement level with his retro performance of popular fuji tracks by K1 de Ultimate such as ‘Solo Makinde’ and ‘My Love’.
The excitement and participation that his fuji rendition commanded from the audience revealed why Wale was a popular choice during the reality TV show.
A seamless and exciting switch from Fuji to Afrobeat kept everyone on their feet with actor Wale Ojo, the revelation of the night.
The award winning actor famous for his role in Nigerian-UK sitcom, ‘Meet The Adebanjos’ turned out to be a superb Afrobeat artiste as he successfully reprised the legendary Fela Anikulapo Kuti on stage.
The actor who received rave reviews for his role in Kunle Afolayan’s ‘Phone Swap’ showed that he is not just a fantastic actor but also a talented multi-instrumentalist.
Donning the typical Fela tight fitting African print trousers, he flitted across the stage like the late artiste and beat the Conga drums so convincingly that the crowd applauded him.
His performance got TV presenter, Funmi Iyanda, who wore an alluring transparent top, competing with writer and radio presenter, Wana Udobang on the dance floor.
Wana Wana, Wale Ojo and Funmi Ojo gave it all to the dance floor
The trio then did some eye-popping dance moves that included twisting and turning their waists, sliding and gliding on their knees across the stage and vigorously shaking their other endowments to Ojo’s lively Afrobeat.
The very fit performer rounded off his energetic performance with a jump into the crowd like a very young Davido despite his grey hair.
On the evidence of his performance, one wonders why he was not chosen to play the late Abami Eda in the Broadway musical ‘Fela!’.
Mide, a sonorous voiced member of Bantu’s band took the night to a hipper level with creative live performance of tracks such as Flavour’s ‘Shake It’ and Davido’s ‘Skelewu’ and many other reining pop music.
Again, Udobang, better known as Wana Wana, didn’t let the music waste. She confidently shook what her Mama gave her to the track ‘Shake It’ as Mide called her out and she did not disappoint with her thrilling dance steps.
Ajegunle’s biggest musical export, Daddy Showkey, was the main guest performer of the night and the now beefy ‘Gala Gala’ dancer who rocked the airwaves in the late 90s to early 2000s, was absolutely stunned by the reception from the audience, majority of whom were still quite young when he bust onto the music scene in 1997.
He kicked off with ‘Fire Fire’, an apparent ode to the political crisis in our country and subsequently sang other great tracks of his including ‘If You See My Mama’ and ‘Somebody Call My Name.’
Impressed and happy with the warm reception from the audience despite the fact that his genre of music is not as popular as it used to be, the dreadlocked singer pledged to return for subsequent editions of the gig.
A symbolic treat at Afropolitan Vibes is the freshly tapped palm wine from Badagry always available and served in gourds and calabash for a token.
Some revellers bought the whole gourd while others had theirs served in calabash. The natural wine, no doubt, must have helped loosen some limbs as people danced their hearts out during the gig, which appears to have the heaven’s endorsment as the year’s first major rain fell a few hours after the vibe, inundating all the major roads in Lagos.
Happily, most guests were in the comfort of their homes when the heavens opened up.
The next edition of Afropolitian Vibes, held every last Friday of the month, will happen on February 21.
Make it a date and come party and network under the bright sparkling stars of a beautiful Lagos night.
