It was vibes and fun on Saturday night, as Dede Mabiaku and the Kalafrika Band entertained the crowd to various melodies non-stop till early hours of Sunday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Dede Mabiaku is a singer and instrumentalist, who was mentored by Fela Anikulapo Kuti, the Afrobeat originator and maestro.
He was a judge on Nigerian Idol, Season 5 and was popular for his liking for originality, culture and candid views on contestants’ talents and performances.
A Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), who was at the event, which took place at The Hook Lounge, Victoria Island, Lagos, reports that it was filled to the brim as the crowd enjoyed the thrilling performances by Dede Mabiaku and his band.
Mabiaku and his band performed songs with his dancers performing dancing moves, which marveled the crowd.
Some of the funseekers expressed excitement about the event when they spoke to NAN.
Mr Olumide Sumi, who was there with his wife, said he was excited about the event and commended the organisers for the initiative.
“I have never really had the opportunity to see Dede performing live before, so as soon as a friend told me about this, I jumped on the opportunity to see him.
“His performance has sent shivers through my spin, as there is this different feeling you get when you attend live performances.” he said.
Mr Yomi Talabi, who came in the company of his friends, said he was thrilled with the performance, urging artistes to learn the act of live performances.
“The performances by Dede has been so wonderful as you can see by yourself that the crowd is so excited and all of us have been dancing from the beginning till this moment.
“Nigerian artists should cultivate the habit of performing live at shows, as this gives a different feeling and creates a special bond with the audience,” he said.
Mrs Busola Balogun, who attended the event with her female friends, said that newer artists should ensure that music passed the right message to their audiences.
“The wonderful thing about music from the older generation is that they always pass the right messages to their audiences, like talking about challenges being faced in different sectors of life.
“Unfortunately, we don’t have that with the present generation as their music are just basic and they also pass the wrong messages, which shouldn’t be the case,” she said.
Mr Michael Alhasan, who said he is single, said he was glad to witness a glorious performance, noting that it was uplifting for his spirit.
“To be honest, this week has been a really terrible week for me but witnessing this performance has been uplifting for my spirit.
“Good music has a way of healing the soul and I can tell you categorically that this performance has done a lot to ease off the stressful week that I have had,” he said.
Mrs Seun Abanida, a member of the audience, who went to the stage to dance, said performance was elevating and urged newer artistes to learn from the older ones.
“Dede’s performance has been a great one and this is something that the newer artists should learn from, as music can be a powerful tool.
“Some of the music that we hear now do not send the right messages and that shouldn’t be the case, it should be used an an empowerment tool for the voiceless,” she said.
Lolar Shon, who runs the Fashion Fusion Show in Lagos, said that the thrill of the show for her was the feeling of the Fela vibes.
She also pointed out the fact that there were more expatriates at the show, than Nigerians.
” We should cash in on the entertainment industry to redeem Nigeria’s image and economy.
” We have exportable talents, government and the private sector should begin to think ‘outside the box’ .
“Nigeria can turn our talents into foreign exchange earners, to improve our economy,” she said.
