Amplify Bootcamp Live Showcase: A Tale of Four Dynamites

Yinka Olatunbosun

A prolonged soundcheck and an appreciative audience ushered in a night of spectacular music performances by the finalists of the Amplify Bootcamp Live Showcase. The event organised by the French embassy in Nigeria in collaboration with Creative Industries Initiatives for Africa (CIIFA) was held on Friday, 9th May, at Alliance Française de Lagos, featuring four Nigerian emerging music artists: Ife, Esoterica, Mannie Tseayo and Salako.

Ife was the opening act who left many spell-bound with her vocals and guitar skills. A graduate of music and performing arts, she serenaded the audience with cultural storytelling in her mother tongue blending alternative folklore, Afro-soul, highlife, and indigenous rhythms. Having collaborated with notable artists such as Smarty, ILLBliss, Zoro, and Rudeboy, her music has also gained many international recognition, featuring in global productions like Apple TV’s Ted Lasso.Offstage, Ifé is a passionate advocate for girls’ education across Africa.

Mannie Tseayo showed some dexterity in her showmanship with her ability to oscillate between a sweet, dreamy voice and a raspy, edgy one. This multidisciplinary creative whose sound fuses Afrobeats, R&B, and rap—what she proudly calls “Alternative-Pop” was born in Abuja and raised in the church choir, she recorded her first song at just eight years old. With five EPs and eight singles to her name, her standout track “Old Ways” features Odumodublvck. Mannie has opened for top Nigerian acts like Davido, Tems, and Rema, and in 2024, she won Best Female Artist at the Made in Abuja Awards. Mannie’s performance that evening brought goosebumps and tomboy energy to the stage. Her Tiv Rockstar persona was an easy sell and infectious as she fused storytelling with her backdrop images and unmatched stage presence.

Esoterica, who kept the meaning of her stage name as a mystery is a Lagos-based Nigerian indie artist known for her captivating blend of folk, soul, and afrobeats. Inspired by global artists such as Frank Ocean, Bon Iver, Lauryn Hill, Asa, Bill Withers, and Etta James, her music serves as a personal journal through which she explores her evolving relationship with herself and the divine. Her call-and-response technique was engaging, creating a mutually rewarding synergy between the artist and the audience.

Salako’s reputation must have travelled ahead of him. His anti-climactic approach was an attempt to ease his audience into his departure from the stage which lit up way before he started singing. This Afrojazz artist, arranger, producer and festival curator has solidified his position as a leading figure in the African jazz scene and he is the organiser of the Abuja International Afrojazz festival. As a performing artiste, Salako has shared the stage with renowned musicians and has performed at prestigious events, including the Lagos International Jazz Festival, Nigerian Presidential Inauguration 2019, and the European Union Day celebration, a sold-out show at The Fridge concert Series 35 in Dubai.

Salako’s music is a rich blend of jazz and African rhythms, showcasing his impressive 3-octave vocal range. With his strides in the music industry, many wondered if he needed a bootcamp. Of course, with undulating voice channeling the improvisation, Salako needed more than just a strong stage presence to capture his audience.

The night was a closing glee to a bootcamp held simultaneously in Lagos and Abuja to groom young music stars and prepare them for the global stage. Preceeded by an an open call that received over 200 applications, a jury comprising Made Kuti, Blessing Azubike, Godwin Tom, Margaux Demeerssemen and Adeola Akinyemi, selected 32 artists and managers based on their musicality, experience and motivation. Next was a 5-day bootcamp, in partnership with CCHub, learning various skills such as storytelling and pitching, legal aspects in the music industry, artistic communication and the use of social networks, as well as concepts such as artistic identity and career planning, among others.

The jury met a second time, and chose four outstanding artists and their managers among them, based on their deliverables. They then took take part in a 5-day Live Performance Training, in partnership with CIIFA. They were trained on topics such as stage design, media etiquette, vocal techniques, establishing a technical rider, and live contracts, with experts as Foza, Major Bangz, Ice Nweke, Osafile Oladotun, Shimmer Goddess, Dr. Bukky George Taylor, and had numerous talks with Godwin Tom.

Stage coached by Made Kuti, the son of the Afrobeat Legend, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, the artists got to perform a live showcase at Alliance Française de Lagos, to a welcoming audience. The Amplify Bootcamp is part of the wider Création Africa fund, an initiative of the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs designed to support and encourage African creation, artists and cultural industries through various programs implemented by the French Embassy in Nigeria.