Afropolitan Vibes: Bright Chimezie, Omawumi and Johnny Drille deliver golden performances at 50th edition

The 50th edition of the popular music festival, Afropolitan Vibes was very much a vibe with grand showing from Bright Chimezie, Omawumi and Johnny Drille.

Afropolitan Vibes marked its 50th edition on Friday night, September 21 with epic performances from the legendary Bright Chimezie, Omawumi and Johnny Drille.

Indeed Friday night was a night that promised much and delivered accordingly. The music festival created by Alternative Band, Bantu started its journey in 2016 and has consistently created a fun hub for music lovers to gather quarterly and have a taste of good music provided by its vibrant live band.

The founder of the event Ade Bantu alongside members of his band were on stage right on time welcoming the crowd who had started to gather in their numbers under the dark clouds.

 

The mood began very lightly, but as the little hundreds buoyed into thousands, it set off a signal to take things a bit higher and the band duly heeded.

Performing a number of songs from their catalog, which had now become very familiar to regular attendees of the festival, Bantu held it down with songs like 'Jeje'.

Then came the first guest performance of the night in the person of Johnny Drille, who spotted a interesting jacket with the Eminem 'Rap devil' image, the Mavin act wasted no time as he belted out his hit single, 'My Beautiful Love.'

 

Johnny Drille then stopped mid-way into his performance and invited Ade Bantu to join him on stage.

The singer had been a housemate in the music reality TV show, Project Fame in 2013, where Ade Bantu was a judge and he told the crowd, ''I can remember one time, he [Ade Bantu] told me that the performance I just did was very boring, so I came here to settle a score and I hope this performance impresses you.''

He then went ahead to serenade the crowd with 'Romeo and Juliet'.

Bantu provided regular intervals of the perfect blend of music with songs like 'Makobami' and 'Lagos Jump' and a medley of traditional songs, with the night also witnessing a dedication to the late Aretha Franklin with the band delivering two of her songs including the hit record, 'Respect.'

Omawumi was exceptional on the night with her energetic dance moves, commanding display and vocal prowess performing songs like 'Me Ke', 'Megbele' and 'Bottom Belle' which was a special request from the crowd.

 

The loudest cheer of the night however belonged to the legendary high-life musician, Bright Chimezie who rolled back the years with his set.

''Everybody say ice water'' was his clarion call, as he stepped on stage, to which the crowd responded loudly. It was riveting to see the man close to his sixties command an audience of young and culturally mixed crowd in such a way he did, covering every inch of the stage, interacting with the crowd and dancing as he ensured everyone felt his groove.

 

He performed a number of his old and new songs, ending the night with the classic 'African Style', as we all sang to ''The black man wey dey here is committing suicide o'', indeed it was an edition worthy of its golden anniversary and even the heavens opening up could not wash away the fun as the crowd partied on under the rain.

The night was special in every ramification. From the music to the Palmwine, the crowd spirit to the sounds, Afropolitan vibes at 50 was special.