Two weeks ago, as this year’s edition of Coachella kicked off, social media in Nigeria, particularly on X, whirred with impassioned commentary from music and pop culture enthusiasts who bemoaned Nigeria's supposed lack of events like Coachella. “I wish we had events like this where we can get to enjoy performances from our favorite artists,” one comment reads. One can almost picture the deflated look on the commenter’s face. Yet this genre of commentary, if quibbles, struck me as strange. Coachella is both peerless in scale and scope, and in many ways is emblematic of the mammoth scale of the American entertainment industry. But, Nigeria is also blessed with its array of shows that allow pop culture enthusiasts to relish performances from their favorite artists.
Our HOMECOMING™️—an annual festival founded by Grace Ladoja, in which music, fashion, sports, and arts become vehicles for cultural exchange and diasporic connection—is one such event. Nigeria’s increasingly hobbled economic situation coupled with Afrobeats’ dazzling outwards expansion means that the everyday Nigerian is largely prized out of access to their favorite music stars. And yet, since 2018, Our HOMECOMING™️ has consistently corralled some of the best and brightest music and pop culture personalities for their annual live show.
Keeping with tradition, this year’s event featured some of the most exciting voices in pop culture today—an eclectic mix of big names and fast-rising ones. Davido headlined the show. Wearing a white tee, cream-colored pants, a red jacket, and a green baseball cap to match his shoes, he thrilled fans with some of his biggest hits, as well as fresh cuts from his just-released fifth studio album “5ive.” Other heavyweights graced the stage. There was Teni, Lady Donli, Odumodublvck, Zerry DL, Cruel Santino, Minz, Odunsi, Llona, and Deto Black. But there was also a generous lineup of fast-rising acts. Zaylevelton—who is fast becoming a fixture in the Nigerian pop scene with his unique sound which intersperses Opium music with Nigerian slang—performed songs like “Yaad 2” and “Watching Me.” Deela, Shoday, LeoStayTrill, WannixHandi, DJ Obi, Smur Lee, MOJO AF, Valentino Rose, Kold AF, Rigo Kamp, and a host of others, also entertained fans with exciting performances.
I arrived at the venue—Harbor Point, Victoria Island—feeling a mix of excitement and worry. Excitement, because of the incredible lineup of performing artists the poster had advertised. But my heart mildly twitched with worry because I was running a little late. The event was scheduled to begin at “7PM sharp,” but I had arrived at the venue by 8:45pm. I quickly shuffled to the ticketing booth—a large white tent separated into four sections—where I got my tag without fuss. The attendant, a beautiful dark-skinned lady with brown eyes, typed my name into her computer, her back hunched over the computer as she carefully typed each letter with a single finger. “Chibuzo without the ‘R,’” I had told her. She lifted her head smiling and fastened a purple tag onto my wrist.
I ambled forward, through a maze of white tents interspersed with colorful HOMECOMING™️ branding. A security guard, who had probably noticed me looking around as I tried to locate the actual venue, pointed me in the right direction. “Straight ahead, then first turn to your right.” As I turned right, It felt as though I had stepped into a different location entirely. Contrasting the relatively quiet entrance, this section was swarming with people. Orange-colored tungsten lights lit up the area. Music from the main tent blared with boisterous intensity. A picturesque installation by Jameson was to my left. It was fitted with a green leather sofa, a talking drum hung on the wall, two sets of tables, and a true-to-life-sized barrel emblazoned with Jameson branding. The whole thing felt like it was beamed in from a movie set. I wasn’t the only one in awe of the installation. Other attendees, similarly taken by it, scurried around as they posed for picture
On my right was a labyrinth of food stalls. A supermassive tent was set up in this area. Here attendees could rest their feet, cozy up with friends, or simply enjoy their meal. I walked forward, through a maze of barricades designed to control the flow of traffic. I entered the venue, and lo and behold, it was empty (save for the production crew and the occasional attendee milling around). So much for my worrying. I scurried back to the food section and bought a plate of rice, turkey, and a salad, which I hurriedly gobbled up. It wasn't until almost midnight before the show started properly—a classic feature of every Lagos party.
DJ Obi’s set, one of the first performances, was exhilarating. Deploying a bubbly mix of Amapiano, Hip Hop, and Afrobeats, he got the entire hall dancing vigorously. One of my favorite things about the show was the production design. To be honest, it was nothing particularly spectacular. But the screens displayed an array of amazing animated drawings. I could make out Wase Taiwo’s art. I'm a huge fan of his work. Ayanfe’s work was also characteristically brilliant. But even the unfamiliar pieces reeled me in. And before long I found myself entranced by the rapidly mutating shapes and colors on the screen, as well as the loud music blaring from the speakers. It almost felt like a fever dream—or maybe it was just the weed, I had smoked a blunt and had a cup of Jameson.
Lady Donli’s set was at once soulful and electric, like a tight hug from your crush. The crowd erupted when she performed “Cash.” I screamed so hard that my throat started to hurt. Zaylevelten’s set was one of my favorites. He skulked onto the stage wearing a Bola PSD polo shirt, sagged pants, and a backpack, crooning and trilling as flames flared on the screen behind him. SiRaheem brought his stealth swag to the stage, performing “BB Syndrome” and “Credit Alert.” Qing Madi was dazzling as usual. The crowd went ham when she performed “Ali Bomaye.” I had no idea the song was that popular. She closed the show with her 2023 hit “Ole,” which the crowd couldn't get enough of.
Toye’s set was theatrical. In the middle of his performance, a gang of roguish-looking guys stormed the stage. My first thought was that something awfully wrong was about to happen. They turned out to be dancers. At some point, the DJ started playing Micheal Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal,” which Toye and his dancers choreographed to. Abruptly, the music cut to Toye’s “Faaji Jackson,” much to the glee of the crowd, who roared ecstatically. Kunmi performed his hit “Arike.” Mojo AF also thrilled fans with an energetic performance.
The show reached its climax with the arrival of Davido. Before he arrived, I half-expected him not to show up. The show had already gone great so far, and it was super late, almost 3am. If he didn't show up, it would be a bit of a bummer but at least I had had loads of fun. His arrival was however the cherry on a big beautiful cake. I was squeezing past the crowd, heading to the back to buy a cocktail, when I felt the atmosphere palpably shift. Something major was happening, after all, why else would the crowd be bellowing and hooting and screaming at this alarming frequency? I turned back and Davido was performing. I don't know how, but in a few minutes, I had squeezed past the crowd and was back at the front of the stage, phone in hand, filming the superstar, as I belted along at the top of my lungs. Davido is such an amazing performer. His performance carefully traversed the breath of his sprawling discography, treating fans to both his existing canon and his newly released 5ive album.
By the end of Davido’s performance, I felt like an overfed kid. But there was still more. Odumodublvck delivered stirring renditions of some of his biggest tracks. I found his performance of “Legolas” to be especially cathartic, it almost felt like a church worship session. Cruel Santino took the stage after Odumodublvck’s long-winded performance, elevating the energy. Teni performed her hit song “Money,” shifting the atmosphere to a contemplative register. I left after her performance. It was around 4:30am, and I had an incredibly busy day ahead. HOMECOMING™️ 25’ lived up to its reputation of excellence. This may feel a tad platitudinous, after all, aren't reviews supposed to come packed with at least a measure of critique? But the show was really incredible. My only misgiving is that the show started awfully late. Which if you ask me, is a topic for an essay: why do Lagos shows never keep to time? Is it simply a culture? Are attendees hedging against the potential lateness of the organizers or vice versa? What exactly are the mechanics of the punctuality problem that plagues events in Lagos?
