By Ejiogu Obinna

On the evening of the 27^th of April, hundreds of diverse guests with an appetite for traditional music visited the Backyard bar and grill for O Live, a colourful concert featuring live instrumentals. From 8:30 pm attendees settled in to appreciate contemporary music from artistes such as Ruby Gyang, Kaline, Temmie Ovwasa and instrumentalists The Cavemen, who provided backup for every musician on the card.

Among this very impressive list were our very own Accountability Lab breakout acts, ‘Celeste’ Ojatula, Chioma ‘Cill Soul’ Ogbonna and Arowolo Sharon. The Voice2Rep finalists, all gifted with the use of the guitar, proceeded to dazzle the crowd of over 250 people with song, in their simple and yet elegant attires. The event, co-hosted by Accountability Lab, also featured sponsorship from top brands and media houses such as Heineken, Showgear, Max FM, TVC Television station and Chocolate City Music Group. In attendance was contemporary Music star Bez, alongside a slew of local and foreign dignitaries.

Long before getting in any performances of her own, show host Ruby Gyang introduced Accountability Lab to the guests as “Young changemakers doing something unique for our nation. Fighting for Accountability.” In an event that featured exclusively females, save for the Live Band, Celeste, Cill Soul and Sharon gave memorable performances to the attendees, who responded in kind with Raucous applause and cheers. It was an event that celebrated women, cuisine and serenity as well as culture and talent. Speaking with Cill Soul, she stated that the only gripe she had with the show was she wasn’t given more time. “I did not want to leave the stage.” She said.

Accountability Lab has been steadily creating buzz through music, with said artists having performed at concerts in two states within the space of two months. A variety of young musicians have started to show genuine interest in the platform, with Voice2Rep acts making a major case for Socially Conscious music.