When Femi Kuti, Jesse Jagz, others got Abuja rocking

Residents of Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, got full-load of Afrobeat and hip-hop music recently, as Afrobeat legend and four-time Grammy Awards nominee, Femi Kuti stormed the city for a live music concert. Packaged by Chocolate City Group in partnership with Etisalat, the gig also paraded the likes of Niniola and Jesse Jagz, as well as upcoming acts such as Dunnie, Keline, ArrowMafia, Ricky Sani, Cheso and Anderson Afrolover.

Held at the Sheraton Hotel Field, the evening began with performances from several upcoming stars like Anderson Afrolover, Ricky Sani, Cheso, Dunnie, Keline and ArrowMafia. With the ticking hours clawing the late evening hours steadily towards the midnight zone, the atmosphere became charged with the appearance of Niniola, who thrilled the expectant crowd.

Hip Hop crooner, Jesse Jagz needed not introduction, as vibes from his hit singles such as Murder Dem, Boom, Jaga Love, Bend Down Low, Bad Girl and Sugarcane Baby proved his popularity with the audience.

Having set tone for the night, members of the Femi Kuti’s Positive Force Band took control of the stage, ready to roll. Immediately Femi joined them on stage, the atmosphere became fully charged. In his usual energetic performance, Femi Kuti guided the audience through a musical journey, beginning with some of his smashing hits such as Wonder Wonder, Survival, Plenty Nonsense, Live for Today, Sorry Sorry, Truth Don Die, Bang Bang Bang, The World is Changing, No Place for my Dream and Changes.

The activism in him was let out intermittently, as he spoke out against social injustice, corruption and indeed any form of social vices bedeviling the Nigerian state, to the admiration of the fans, who sang along. However, One of the high moments of the night was Femi’s exhibition of his mastery of the saxophone. He played a long mono-note on this for over ten minutes without breaking, thus confirming his rating as one of the most sought after and best live performers in the world.

Some of the fans, who spoke about the Concert expressed delight at the opportunity to be part of the musical experience.

“Being in Abuja, we have always expected something like this. Coming here tonight is one of the happiest moments of the year to me because, most times that I have anything to do in Lagos, I always go to the Shrine. So, seeing Femi in Abuja is fantastic,” enthused Omar Lawal, a Civil Servant.

For Norwegian, Kaspark, the night was an opportunity to see Femi perform live.

“I have heard about Femi Kuti before now because he is very popular in Norway. I have also been to the Shrine in Lagos. I enjoyed myself,” he said.