The first Lagos Jazz Series, held at three Lagos venues from November 5 to 7, lived up to its billing. Jazz aficionados savoured performances from great artists including Karen Patterson, Jimmy Dludlu, Somi, Chinaza, Bez, and Morrie Louden at The Sofitel Morehouse, Ikoyi, on Friday; Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, on Saturday; and Muri Okunola Park on Sunday.
Conceived by Oti Bazunu to give Lagosians a unique experience of live outdoor Jazz performances, the crowd that attended the three shows couldn’t have wished for more. It was bliss soaring on the wings of great Jazz.
A natural
Patterson, Somi, Chinaza, and Louden opened the series on Friday at The Sofitel Morehouse. They took turns to entertain the guests, most of whom defied that evening’s rain to attend the show.
The artists allowed their music to speak for them, for the most part. They strummed their guitars; blew the horns in soulful tunes; beat the drums; played the piano, cello, and other instruments to create mellifluous sounds that warmed the crowd.
Enamoured by Friday’s opening event, guests returned early on Saturday to share in the fun at Federal Palace Hotel. Somi, the first act who was outstanding the previous day, didn’t disappoint. By the time the Ugandan-Rwandan singer and her four-piece backing band finished, the audience couldn’t resist applauding.
“Somi is a natural,” said Tomiwa Aladekomo, one of the Lagos Jazz Series team. “I so looked forward to this, and am happy Nigerians are easily connecting with her.”
“This is a good start already. And I have no doubt that this will become West Africa’s answer to the Cape Town Jazz Festival,” noted a guest after Somi’s performance. “It’s unbelievable that this is happening in Lagos.”
Saxophonist, Mike Aremu, is a toast of Nigerian music fans and they duly applauded when he came on after Somi. Aremu confirmed himself an excellent stage performer with his delivery. Feet shorn of shoes, he sang hits from his albums and engaged his three back-up singers in a call and response routine to the saxophone. He also exchanged banters with the audience and invited two guests to a ‘dance duel’ in the heat of the performance.
The 50-year-old Louden was next. The star of the New York Jazz scene took over Lagos the rest of the night together with his band, cleverly using horns and strings to serve a sound that made many marvel.
Fusion
Ayetoro, led by returnee musician, Funsho Ogundipe, was the opening act on the last day of the Jazz series. The band, which has played well received gigs at Lagos venues including the Oriental Hotel, proved its class on the big stage in Muri Okunola. Television presenter, Oyiza Adaba, a major enthusiast of the band, watched the performance from the audience at the al fresco concert.
Adaba said of Ogundipe and Co, “Being the first band in Nigeria to fuse Hip-Hop with Jazz in 1996 with the track, ‘JT’s Tale’ (with the late JT West), Ayetoro’s performance at the Lagos Jazz Series demonstrates the maturity of the band’s music over the last 10 years.”
She observed that the appearance was indicative of the next level for the band: “a fusion of certain elements in different genres on their upcoming album.”
Award-winning South African guitarist, Dludlu, was also on the bill at the well attended series. The artist, who featured in the MUSON Jazz concert last year, joined Ayetoro and others at Muri Okunola Park on Sunday to give Jazz fans a memorable parting gift.
Up and coming act, Bez, closed the show. For those who had seen him bring the house down singing Fela’s ‘Water No Get Enemy’ at Keziah Jones’ Terra Kulture gig months back, it would have been no surprise that Bez held his own after Dludlu’s electrifying performance.
New ground
“We hope the success of Lagos Jazz Series at Muri Okunola Park paints a different picture on security in Africa’s most populous city,” said Bazunu.
Though security is a major concern in Lagos, the Muri Okunola Park segment of the Jazz Series ran from Sunday night into the early hours of Monday morning without any incident. The successful mounting of the show out in the open air, turned out to be an endorsement of the park as a viable entertainment venue.
On air personality, Gbemi Olateru-Olagbegi of Beat FM, praised the concert in the park. “We keep complaining that there are not enough concert venues in Lagos, but I think the organisers have just shown us that we need to be more creative with how we choose our venues,” she said.
Mike Aremu was one of those who gave the artist’s viewpoint at the end of the show: “Our artists keep looking for big stages to display their talents at different festivals in Europe, America, and even South Africa. I’m so glad that events like the Lagos Jazz Series are happening. This is similar to any standard you’ll find anywhere in the world.”
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