Vanessa Obioha
For her debut concert, the self-acclaimed ‘Queen of AfroHouse threw all in the ring to give her fans an unforgettable experience. Over a thousand fans were given free entry to the Landmark Event Centre for the ‘Human Radio Concert’.
Indeed, the event hall was transformed to fit into the theme of the event. Against a backdrop of radio with two screens on each side of the hall, the stage was built like that of a runway.
Setting the mood for the night, hypeman Larry Foreman got the crowd rocking to great vibes from the DJ booth. For the night, DJ Crowd Kontroller and DJ DIPS provided an impressive mix of old and new school hits. Shody The Turn Up King was also on ground to enliven the ambience.
Both hypemen did an amazing job ensuring everyone’s energy was at optimum level as they introduced act after act. The opening acts were an interesting mix of voices in the industry such as Tyson Noir, Immaculate, Ric Hassani, Okiemute, GreyC, and heavy weights like Slimcase, L.A.X and Reminisce.
Some highlights of the opening segment of the evening were Teni the Entertainer doing a freestyle, Aramide playing the guitar and singing a new song for the audience, Godwin Strings’ brilliant violin renditions of popular songs, and Reminisce dancing on stage with Shody the Turn Up King.
With the crowd sufficiently hyped, it was time for the main act of the evening. Niniola’s entrance was as dramatic as it was majestic. Talking drums and a short play by her dancers welcomed the Queen of AfroHouse and vocal sensation unto the stage.
Niniola started her set by serenading the audience with some of her more famous love songs such as ’Oyin’, ’Moyo’, and ’Akara Oyibo’. She then eased into a fans favorite ’Start All Over’, the soulful duet featuring Johnny Drille. Following that, the audience was treated to a dance break that paid homage to Nigeria’s famous dance crazes.
Niniola returned to the stage ready to turn up with ‘Jigi Jigi’, cuing a few of her dance hits such as Soke, and Shaba, and a surprise appearance by Terry Apala who joined her in performing Bale.
For the finale, Niniola thrilled the audience with a Yoruba ceremony style performance, complete with talking drums, improvised lyrics, and traditional dances from Ekiti as she performed Gbowode. She followed this with Saro, Maradona, and Bana, inviting fans from the audience to join her on stage.
