VOICE2REP FEEDBACK FROM THE WILLIS GIVE DEM FESTIVAL
By Ejiogu Obinna
The Willis Give Dem festival was a live concert that held on the 14th of July at Central Park, Abuja. The event, convened by popular young music producer, Yung Willis, featured partnerships with Accountability Lab on the Voice2Rep project; alongside popular brands and media houses such as Pepsi, Cool FM 96.9 Abuja, Wazobia FM, Sandralia Hotels, Afropush , Moesha Koncept, Yazi Laundry, Trove and Moscow Underground among others.
Initially scheduled for a 2pm start, heavy rains ensured the event ran well into the evening, ceasing to interfere at about 6pm to the delight of the crowd of about 1000 vibrant youths in attendance. Among a packed roster of over 20 performing artistes, 3 Voice2Rep finalists were featured on the card. Celeste Ojatula, Adebanjo “Bliizzy” Boluwatife and “Joel Prodigee” Nwabuisi gave well-received renditions of their songs on Integrity and Positive social change. Here is some of the feedback obtained on their performances at the event.
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Christiana (F)
What did you think of the performance?
“I think she (Celeste) has a lot of potential, she actually gives me Asa (music artist) vibes, so I think she can go far.
Would you like to see more Nigerians doing socially conscious music?
“I do think we need those kinds of songs because a lot of people are doing the same old thing right now, but if we can have more artists like her and Asa, I think it would be a good recipe for the society.”
Do you think such music can make any difference in the society?
“That’s a complex question because it involves every individual and I can’t talk for everybody. These kinds of songs make you reflect a lot so if people can get to reflect on the lyrics of the song it can push people to do better and make a lot of positive changes in the society.”
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Benji (M)
What did you think of the performance?
“Man, Initially I thought it was Blessing Tangban, because that’s the only Abuja artist I know that plays the guitar; but when I heard her (Celeste) voice it was different. She has a very soft texture to her voice and I liked her confidence on stage. I felt like she was new, as I have never seen her perform before; but she handled it properly. The falsetto was crazy. I will be sure to check her out later.”
Would you like to see more Nigerians doing socially conscious music?
“Yea. I’m a music producer myself and I’ve heard all sorts. I’m looking for something more actually, something that will appeal- not just for the sake of dancing and vague, vain stuff. I know we’re not many that would want that kind of music but she should roll with that.
Do you think such music can make any difference in the society?
*Laughs* That question tough. Man, I’m a realist and to be honest, looking at Nigeria the way it is now, it will take a lot of effort and a lot of money to push something like this. Because on a normal day, people don’t want to just hear socially conscious music, so you have to do something extra.
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Chisom (F)
What did you think of the (Celeste’s) performance?
“It was very cool.”
Would you like to see more Nigerians doing socially conscious music?
“Yea. Sure.”
Do you think such music can make any difference in the society?
“Not really.”
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Dare Osuneye (M)
What did you think of the performance?
“They (Joel Prodigee and Bliizzy) were able to carry the crowd along. They created an experience when they performed. They sang well.”
Would you like to see more Nigerians doing socially conscious music?
“I think that’s what we need; it shouldn’t only be foreign artistes trending, we need naija guys to also come out there for us to hear their voice.”
Do you think such music can make any difference in the society?
“I think it can but we should be able to create a blend so it’s not too serious. Everywhere (the economy) is hard right now and social life is important as well. We need music to take us out of this depression that we have found ourselves in.”
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Miles (M)
What did you think of the (Joel and Bliizzy’s) performance?
“Not bad.”
Would you like to see more Nigerians doing socially conscious music?
“The more diverse the better.”
Do you think such music can make any difference in the society?
“Well, music is a language so some people might relate to it, some people might not but as long as people like it, it might.”
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Jehodah (M)
What did you think of the performance?
“I loved her (Celeste) performance because it was peaceful and it’s a unique style because you don’t really see a lot of Nigerians doing music like that.”
Would you like to see more Nigerians doing socially conscious music?
“Yes, because our generation is more focused on parties and stuff but it would be nice to see the youths talking about what is happening in society. That would be good.”
Do you think such music can make any difference in the society?
“I feel like they can, but at the same time it would be difficult because of the way the society is already like. Music has been programmed to focus on women, drugs, trap and such; but it really depends on how the music is presented to the world.”
