The Beats of Good Fortune
At Afropolitan Vibes’ latest night of live music stars, it was Beautiful Nubia and Jesse Jagz who shone the brightest, Ayodeji Rotinwa reports
It’snotoftenthatmorningmeetsthenightassciencewouldbethefirsttotellusbutleaveittomusic, scionofthearts,science’soppositenumbertoturnthis improbabilitytotruth.OnFriday,April17, inthedark ofaswelteringevening,likethesunhadn’tclosed shopfortheday,contemporaryfolksingerBeautiful Nubiaandrapclassact,JesseJagzbroughtafresh, newdawntomonthly-heldliveAfrobeat,highlife andjazzconcert,AfropolitanVibes.
Theconcerthasgatheredsteamasthegoodtime destinationtobeat,everythirdFridayofthemonth butitsheadlineactsforthepastfeweditions(withthe exceptionofBrymo)havenotbeenlivinguptothe loftystandardsitsetforitself.Makenomistake,the musichasbeengood,butAfropolitanVibeshasn’t becomethesuccessstoryitnowisbymakingjust goodmusic.Itsgreatesteditionwasarguablythatof August2014whentheheadlineactwasAfro-hip-pop maestro,WeirdMC.Atthistime,WeirdMCwasin hitsongwildernessandnolongerrankedamongst thechart-toppingactsofthemoment.However,in herheydayshecreatedamonsterhit,“IjoYa”that dominatedairwavesacrossthecountryformonths onend.Ofcourse,mosthadnotforgotten.When shetooktheAfropolitanVibesstage,shegave theexpectantaudienceexactlywhatitwanted. Sheperformed“IjoYa”todeafeningscreamsof appreciation.Thishasalwaysbeenthecaseatthe concertwhentheperformingactwasdeliveringa dishofgoodtuneswithageneroussideoffering ofnostalgia.Forawhilethough,nighthadfallen onthisformulauntillastFriday-thecomingof BeautifulNubiaandJesseJagz.BeautifulNubia, acriticallysuccessfulsinger, andbandleadfor theRootsRenaissanceBand,hasbeenperformingoffthecommercialandpopularcircuitfor years.Hissongsarehardlyheardontheradio. Hedoesn’taggressivelypromotehisalbums. Allthesenotwithstanding,hisdecades-oldhit songsremainevergreen.Mostnotableofthem is“OwuroL’ojo”(HowDoYouDo)offhisthird album,Jangbalajugbureleasedin2002.Thealbum reportedlysoldinexcessofonemillioncopies anditisestimatedmorethan50millionNigerians wokeuptohissongplayingontheradio.Thefirst lineofthechorus,whichisinYoruba(asismost ofthesong)translatesto“Itisinthemorningthat apersonseesgoodfortune”anditwasthisline andothersofthechorusthattheconcertaudience chantedpassionatelyalongwithBeautifulNubiaashe performedit,guitarinhand,inhissoothingsoftdrawl; invokingflashbacksfrom13yearsago,ofwhatone wasdoinginthemorningwhenthesongcameon.The AdeBantu-ledAfropolitanVibeswasn’tdonewithits nostalgiaspecialforthenight.
ClosingtheshowwasJesseJagz,whowasina somewhatsimilarpositionasBeautifulNubia.In June2013,helefthislabelChocolateCityMusicand hassincereleasedtwocriticallywell-receivedalbums, JagzNation,Vol.1:ThyNationComeandVol.2:The RoyalNigerCompanythatunfortunatelydidnot havethepopularreachandcommercialmileagethat greatreviewsusuallyputinmotion,withthecrucial firepowerofamusiclabel’spromotionefforts.When hetooktheMic,itwasatfirstperformsomethingnew, Sex&Scotchfromhissecondalbum,settingthestage forhisnextnumber,somethingold,“WetinDey” fromhisdebutalbum,‘JagzofAllTrades’.Ahappy, nearsatedaudienceonceagainkeenlysangalong, dancing;onewiththeartistandhismusic.Someraised uptheirredcups,bottlesofpalmwineandbeerin salutation.Othersclapped,eyesallthewhilefixatedon themanwiththemicrophone.Inbetweenhisset,Jesse Jagzbroughtonhisbrotherandex-labelmateM.I.to announcethathewasreturningtotheChocolateCity Musicfold.Ear-splittingcheersensued.Alsoperformingonthenightwerepercussionist,SeyiOlagunju, whosedrumsetwasmusicforthefeetandNiniola, anup&comingR&Bsongstresswhosehasthevoice ofaningénuebuttheseductivebodylanguageofthe worldly-wise.
Withthisquartet,especiallyBeautifulNubia andJagz,anothergreatAfropolitanVibeswashad. Theconcert’sfaithfulswilldefinitelybewaiting impatientlyforthenextinstalmentwhenhopefully thesunofgreatmusicwillriseonceagainontheFriday nightconcert.