Zedfest 2023: A Critical Review of Drtonez Live Music Curation, Artistic Direction and Musical Direction

By Ismaila Adeyanju

Event Date: 27 December 2023
Venue: Terra Kulture, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria

Introduction

Live music festivals are complex artistic productions in which curation, musical interpretation, performance sequencing and stage presentation must work together to create a coherent audience experience. Zedfest 2023 provides an opportunity to examine these dimensions through the work of Tolu Ogunleye, professionally known as Drtonez, who served as the festival’s Curator, Artistic Director and Music Director.

Featuring multiple performing artists and headlined by Zed1st, Zedfest 2023 brought together different musical identities within a shared live performance environment. Drtonez responsibilities extended across the selection and sequencing of performances, the creative direction of the festival and the musical coordination of the accompanying ensemble. These overlapping roles placed Drtonez at the centre of the festival’s artistic organisation.

An assessment of the contribution reveals the importance of the creative decisions behind a live event, particularly the relationship between performers, the band, musical arrangements and the audience. At Zedfest 2023, these elements offered a practical illustration of how artistic direction and musical leadership can shape the identity and progression of a live music festival.

Live Music Curation and Performance Sequencing

One of the defining responsibilities of a festival curator is to establish a programme in which individual performances contribute to a broader artistic experience. At Zedfest 2023, the participation of multiple artists required careful coordination to maintain continuity while allowing each performer to express an individual musical identity.

The role of Drtonez as Curator involved shaping the relationship between the different performances and the festival’s overall progression. The sequence of appearances contributed to the development of the event, building towards the headline performance by Zed1st.

Effective live music curation goes beyond assembling a list of performers. It requires an understanding of performance dynamics, audience engagement, musical variety and the relationship between individual acts. The artistic value lies in creating a programme in which the different performances complement the wider event rather than exist as disconnected appearances.

The sequencing at Zedfest 2023 demonstrated the importance of this curatorial perspective. The performances formed part of a larger programme whose progression depended on the coordination of artists and the maintenance of audience interest. This relationship between individual expression and collective experience was central to the festival’s artistic structure.

Artistic Direction and the Coherence of Performance

As Artistic Director, Drtonez was responsible for the broader creative framework within which the festival’s performances unfolded. This role required an understanding of how stage presentation, performance transitions, musical identity and audience experience could be brought together to support the festival’s overall character.

Each performer brought a distinct identity to the programme, while the event required an overarching sense of direction. Achieving this balance is a significant aspect of artistic leadership, particularly in a live festival environment where multiple creative expressions must coexist within a defined programme.

The connection between performance sequencing and artistic coherence was evident in the progression towards the headline appearance by Zed1st. The festival’s structure provided a framework through which the participating artists contributed to a developing live experience.

The combined curatorial and artistic responsibilities of Drtonez connected the programme’s organisation with the creative decisions that shaped its presentation. This demonstrated how artistic direction functions as both a conceptual responsibility and a practical discipline.

Musical Direction, Arrangement and Live Interpretation

The musical dimension of Zedfest 2023 offered further insight into the contribution of Drtonez. The live performances of the Zed1st musical catalogue and the repertoire of other participating artists involved the interaction of vocalists, instrumentalists, rhythmic patterns and harmonic structures.

Translating recorded music into a live setting requires more than reproducing the original arrangement. It involves decisions about rhythmic interpretation, melodic phrasing, instrumental accompaniment and the dynamic relationship between the performer and the band. These decisions can give a familiar composition a distinct live character while preserving its recognisable musical identity.

At Zedfest 2023, variations in rhythmic and melodic structure provided an important dimension of the live interpretations. The instrumental arrangements and the band’s accompaniment helped shape how the musical material was presented in the festival environment.

The use of syncopation was particularly relevant to the rhythmic character of the performances. By placing emphasis on unexpected beats or subdivisions, syncopation can introduce movement, tension and rhythmic interest. When integrated effectively with harmonic support and instrumental interplay, it can enrich a live arrangement without distracting from the central musical idea.

The band’s accompaniment, harmonic structure and instrumental coordination were important considerations in assessing the quality of the musical direction. These elements required the musicians to work collectively while remaining responsive to the needs of the featured performers.

The role of Drtonez as Music Director placed the creative practice at the intersection of these musical relationships. The responsibilities involved connecting the intentions of the performing artists with the ensemble’s execution, ensuring that the instrumental arrangements served the performances and contributed to the festival’s musical identity.

This dimension of the event highlights the technical and interpretative demands of musical direction. A music director must understand not only how musical parts function individually, but also how rhythm, harmony, melody and dynamics interact to support an effective live performance.

Audience Participation and the Closing Performance

The closing sequence of a festival often represents the culmination of its artistic and emotional progression. At Zedfest 2023, the approach to the final appearance by Zed1st provided a notable example of audience participation and live musical coordination.

Before the headline performance reached its peak, Drtonez led the audience and the band ensemble in a call-and-response sequence. This participatory approach encouraged the audience to become active contributors to the musical experience rather than remain passive spectators.

Call and response has a longstanding place in African musical traditions, where exchanges between a lead voice and a responding group establish rhythmic continuity, collective expression and audience involvement. In a contemporary festival setting, it can also strengthen the connection between performers and spectators, transforming a performance into a shared experience.

The sequence demonstrated the importance of timing, audience awareness and ensemble coordination. The band needed to maintain the musical foundation while responding to the developing interaction between the audience and the person leading the sequence.

A further challenge emerged as the band’s accompaniment risked competing with the featured performance. The ensemble subsequently adjusted its accompaniment, allowing the music to support the command performance more effectively and contributing to a stronger ending under the direction of Drtonez.

This moment illustrates an important principle of live musical leadership: instrumental proficiency must serve the performance as a whole. The accompanying ensemble should provide energy, harmonic support and rhythmic stability without overshadowing the featured artist.

The adjustment also demonstrates the responsive nature of live performance. Although arrangements and rehearsals provide a framework, effective musical direction requires awareness of changing dynamics and the ability to respond to the needs of the moment.

The closing sequence brought together audience participation, instrumental coordination and the headline artist’s performance, reinforcing the relationship between musical direction and the overall audience experience.

Conclusion

Zedfest 2023 offers a valuable case study in the relationship between live music curation, artistic direction and musical direction. Through the combined responsibilities of Drtonez in these areas, the festival’s performers, musical arrangements and audience experience were connected within a shared artistic framework.

The live interpretation of the Zed1st musical catalogue, the band’s instrumental accompaniment, the use of syncopation and the sequencing of performances demonstrate the range of considerations involved in directing a multi-artist festival. The closing call-and-response sequence further highlights the importance of audience engagement, dynamic awareness and the ability to adjust musical accompaniment in support of a featured performer.

From a critical perspective, the significance of the contribution of Drtonez lies in the integration of these responsibilities. Curation shaped the programme, artistic direction established its broader creative coherence, and musical direction connected the performers and instrumentalists through live interpretation and coordination.

Zedfest 2023 demonstrates that the artistic identity of a music festival is shaped not only by the artists who appear on stage but also by the creative decisions that bring their performances together. Through the work of Drtonez as Curator, Artistic Director and Music Director, the festival demonstrated the multidisciplinary demands of live music leadership and the importance of coordinated artistic vision in creating a unified festival experience.

Reviewer’s Credentials

Wing Commander Adesola Ismaila Adeyanju
Deputy Director of Music, Headquarters, Nigerian Air Force
NCE, BA Music, MA Music, MIADS
PhD (in view), Music