There is no doubt that the musical community both within and outside Africa will for a long time to come look up to the finesse and dynamism showcased at the just concluded Human Radio Concert, presented by the Queen of Afro-House, Niniola.
Unsurprisingly, the energy had been at its all-time high in the days leading up to the concert as there was plenty of chatter on social media, radio and TV. The Balmoral Hall within the Federal Palace Hotel Victoria Island Lagos was the venue set to host Niniola, the Queen of Afro-House, and all her musical tricks on the 8th of November 2019, in a concert like never seen before.
You might recall that Niniola had just released a radio-heavy single titled Omo Rapala in October.
Guests who had secured their tickets were welcomed with an unusual exclusive experience on arrival at the venue. There was a special walk-through tunnel, one of musical fashion history especially dedicated to Niniola! Guests got to see on display, some of the finest costumes Niniola had worn in the past to major performances as well as some fans’ favorites.
While some costumes were carefully placed on the tunnel walls, the others were worn by attractive models dressed as Niniola, who showed them off while interacting with guests as they walked through. A live interactive museum of sorts. Incredible!
The show kicked off with hype maestro Sheye Banks getting the crowd pumped with some energetic sounds from the wheels of steel delivered by DJ Dips. Shody the Turn-up King and Do2dtun followed successively, taking hold of the microphone and doing what they do best. At this point the crowd was already emphatic as tunes from DJs Kaywise and Kraizee blasted through the arena.
Performances by Becca, Tems, Tyson Noir, Mz Kiss, Seyi Shay, DJ Spinall, Dj CrowdKontroller and Falz the Bahd Guy set the stage for Niniola’s grand entrance, which was a true display of unrefined Yoruba pop culture; From sounds and fashion to dance and charisma. An entrance arguably taken out of a playbook enshrined in centuries of tradition and heritage.
The ambiance! Oh, the ambiance! The sounds of local talking drums, and vocal accolades from the band in rare traditional style rented the air in a truly infectious manner. Dressed in local Aso-Oke regalia adorned with glittering beads and frills, Niniola surrounded by her host of impressively dressed dancers serenaded the audience with stagecraft akin to displays by the likes of veteran King Sunny Ade.
Jazz sensation Ed Izycs also executed his performance perfectly. The classical music community wasn’t left out either,as there was a powerful strings-heavy orchestral performance. Unveiling herself for the second time in the night and dressed in a head-turning long flowing pink ball gown and pink avant garde style hair, Niniola latched on to the orchestral performance to showcase her soft melodious side with a beautiful and emotional rendition of her 2015 RnB smash hit, the love song titled “Akara Oyibo”.
Niniola spent the entirety of the performance not at the center stage, but on platforms lifted and brilliantly placed to get both through and around sections of the crowd. The fireworks and spotlights illuminated the entire platform while the live feed jumbo screens allowed guests far back in the crowd to experience all the action without missing anything.
Niniola also performed some of her hit singles including Sicker, Bana, Maradona and Designer. It’s all exceedingly dense — listening to Niniola can sometimes feel like homework especially with all the nuances — but in the live setting one can at least appreciate the musicianship chugging behind such opuses.
Even more impressive, though, was Niniola’s finesse ability on the drums, which had been previously touted on social media but was certainly best showcased during the concert. The Queen of Afro-House turned up similarly dressed as other members of a marching parade drum corps and banged away at the tenor snare drum in grand style.
Super acts Joeboy, DJ Crowd Kontroller, DJ Dips and DJ Kraizee joined in thrilling the crowd to spectacular performances in a night to be remembered for a very long time.
In familiar style, Niniola had at certain times during the concert brought up some individuals from the crowd to join her to dance. They absolutely loved it. On the other hand, fans were thrilled and met with unexpected joy when Niniola handed fully loaded gift bags to a number of those who were identified to be loyal streamers of her music. The bags contained high-end mobile phones among other steals!
Following that, Niniola appreciated the crowd with casual endearing speech and ended the show on a high note with a spree a dance performances with her prolific and well-coordinated team of dancers.
The 2019 edition of Niniola’s The Human Radio concert was a true musical experience.
