Music Stars Rock Felabration
Over 200 artistes participated in this year’s Felabration which has come and gone with headline act, Third World, Sandra Iszadore, London Afrobeat Collective and NEWEN, the Afrobeat band from Chile performing amidst pomp and pageantry. The entertainers ranged from the ridiculous to the skilled.
Felabration is the annual music and entertainment concert dedicated to the ideals of Fela. The weeklong celebration which was partsponsored by 7Up took place mainly inside the African Shrine, Ikeja, Lagos.
There were many activities within the week like a debate for Senior Secondary Schools titled ‘ Poverty is Not an Accident like Slavery and Apartheid’, a symposium and a drama titled ‘ Fela Son of Kuti’.
Felabration 2015 was tagged ‘Just Like That’. The show attracted famous Nigerian artistes like Seyi Shay, Yemi Alade, Seun Kuti, General Pype, Majek Fashek, Tuface Idibia, the ‘ Chairman’ MI; Daddy Showkey and Femi Kuti.
One of the highlights of the festival was the return of Majek Fashek who did not disappoint teeming fans as they screamed with excitement with every tune the legend sang.
Head of Marketing, SevenUp Bottling Company, Mr. Norden Thurston, said, ” Fela is an international brand who made a difference in this world with his music and 7Up is an international brand that continues to make a difference in the lives and passion of people globally through music, education and sports.”
WHEN FASHION MEETS ART
There is an impressive and upbeat aura in the fashion industry as the second leg of the Fashion Art Fusion kicks off next Sunday, November 1, at Oriental Hotels, Lekki, Lagos.
Preparations are in full swing to ensure that the fashion show will keep the glossy covers of magazines and the online community gushing with details of the show for weeks. With appearances from big players in the industry and entertainment sector, Fashion Art Fusion is setting a stage for an explosive climax between the runway and performing arts.
Flying under the theme ‘ Roots Inspired’, the runway will be lit with designs that reflect our cultural heritage. Moreover, the main designer on the runway, Luzol has unveiled plans to set the runway on fire with his impeccable designs.
The fashion show, a brainchild of lawyer- cum-designer Austin Aimankhu had its debut last year. His impressionable signature appliqué on fabric received a resounding feedback from the audience at the event. For this edition, Luzol will be showcasing new lines: Luzol Sounds and Black and Bold. He
is enthusiastic about the latter because of the inspiration behind the line. The former was earlier showcased at the Lagos International Jazz Festival.
At a press conference to announce the main event, the programme coordinator, Rosemary Aimankhu revealed that the fashion show would feature three fashion students from Yaba College of Technology. According to her, the decision to feature the students was part of the show’s corporate social responsibility.
Aimankhu explained further that “there are amazing talents in our fashion schools but after they graduate, they disappear. What we are trying to do is to give them the platforms to showcase their works. However, in subsequent editions, we will spread our tentacles to other fashion schools across the country.”
He also mentioned that the fashion event would also be tied to a cause, while the proceeds of the event would be given to a sickle cell foundation to help create awareness on the ailment.
Exhibiting their products are Ayo Van Elmar, and Ejiro Amos Tafiri. There will also be special performances by Nefetiti, Ijodee, Squad 1, Ranti and Ivori.
Also speaking at the press briefing, executive director of GAC Motors, Khadijah Junaid expressed excitement at the company’s participation in the event.
“GAC Motors is about lifestyle and trends. Gone are the days when cars are manufactured for their functional use. Today’s cars are tailored to meet the lifestyle of their users and this is why we are throwing our weight behind Fashion Art Fusion.”
For OAP Freeze who is an ambassador of the automobile company “Fashion has definitely come of age and there is no better way to celebrate it than to celebrate our own. With a lawyer as a fashion designer, you can be assured that anything he does is legal.”
TEKNO WOWS ESUT STUDENTS
The sterling performance from the Nigerian artist, Tekno at the ongoing Sprite Triple Slam which recently held at the Enugu State University of Technology will not be forgotten in a hurry.
Against the backdrop of strong collaborations with Nigerian pop artists such as Iyanya, Bracket and Amarachi, Tekno is a fast rising star. His popular tracks ‘ Alleluyah’, ‘ Anything’, ‘ Holiday’, and ‘ Duro’ roused the audience who partied hard to his vibes.
On his part, he commended Sprite for connecting him to his fans through the Sprite Triple Slam, describing the platform as unique and original. Sharing his sentiment about the show was the President, Students’ Union Government, ESUT, Chinonso Amanoh, who expressed their delight at having Sprite Triple Slam visit the university again.
“The initiative is a laudable one and we look forward to it every year. As you can see, the students are having fun expressing themselves in Basketball, Music and Dance. We have missed this and we are super excited that Sprite has brought back the platform to spark up our creativity,” he said.
Reaffirming Sprite’s commitment to creatively engage its target audience consistently, the Senior Brand Manager, Flavours, Coca- Cola Nigeria, Toyin Nnodi stated that the Sprite Triple Slam activation was designed to bring out fresh and out- ofthe- box thinking, as well as empower Nigerian youths especially the teens to express themselves, while exploring the high level of ingenuity embedded in them.
Nnodi expressed satisfaction at the huge success recorded so far with the activation, stating that, “We are happy that through the Sprite Triple Slam, a lot of talents have been discovered. One of such talents is Otse John, who now plays professionally for Dodan Warriors Basketball. We will continue to do more in the area of talent discovery.”
In the game of Basketball, a 22 - year- old student, Olivia Lawson, emerged as one of the top players in the female category. Recalling his experience with the activation, Odohchukwu Ebuka, a 300 level undergraduate of Anthropology who topped the Rap category said he had participated in 2010 in Abuja as a first year student at the institution.