Prince Eji Oyewole Makes Stellar Performance at Bogobiri House

By Emmanuel Daraloye

Bogobiri House in Ikoyi has long been the heartbeat of Lagos nightlife, a place where rhythm and culture meet. With its intimate setting and African-inspired décor, it feels less like a venue and more like a cultural living room. On Friday, 27 August 2021, the space came alive with jazz, highlife, and Afro sounds led by Prince Eji Oyewole.

At 80, the saxophonist, flautist, and composer still played with the verve of a man half his age, drawing from a catalogue that stretches back decades. From his early release Charity Begins at Home in 1973 to Transition of Life in 2019, Oyewole’s music has carried the story of highlife and jazz into every generation willing to listen.

With his six-man Afrobars band, Oyewole stepped out dressed in flowing Yoruba attire, his agbada draped elegantly and his abeti-aja cap angled with quiet authority, which has become part of his identity. The band mirrored his aesthetic, clad in native wear that gave the stage a visual unity, grounding the performance in tradition before a single note was played.

The night drew heavily from his 2019 album, Transition of Life. Afro Vibe opened the set, with tenor and alto horns blasting across the room while the bass guitar held down a steady groove. Oyewole’s saxophone soared above it all, his notes sharp and sonorous, cutting through the humid Lagos air. Dancers on stage moved in sync with the beat, hips and shoulders finding every accent, pulling the audience into the current of sound.

When Honest Politicians came, it was more than music. It was a statement. Whistles pierced the night at intervals, punctuating the bassline and saxophone riffs that looped into a heady Afro-jazz mix. The song’s theme resonated with the crowd, some nodding in agreement, others clapping along as if to underline its urgency. The Afrobars carried the track with precision, every transition seamless, every groove unshaken.

Later, Oyewole shifted the mood with Have a Good Time. The horns opened brightly before he leaned into the microphone, telling the audience to cast off sorrow and embrace joy. His delivery was as much sermon as song, a gentle command that the crowd obeyed instantly. Laughter rose, shoulders swayed, and by the time the dancers translated his message into movement, the room had dissolved into celebration.

The chemistry on stage was undeniable. The Afrobars played as if tethered by instinct, guitars and percussion moving like a single heartbeat. Oyewole switched between sax and flute with ease, his sound carrying both nostalgia and freshness.

In between sets, Nigerian DJ Simzéa brought her own fire, her Afrohouse selections lifting the energy into another space.

By the end, Bogobiri House felt less like a venue and more like a gathering of spirits, traditions, and futures. The audience, dressed as colorfully as the performers, clapped, cheered, and danced until the final note. In that room, jazz and highlife weren’t old forms. They were alive, breathing, and joyous, carried forward by a legend who refuses to slow down.