by Wilfred Okiche

Eko the musical is a trifecta of dance, theatre and music put together by the Creative Nigeria Project as part of activities leading up to the grand full scale musical billed for March 2014. Sponsored mainly by First bank of Nigeria, the Eko music festival which held in November was an evening of drama, music, poetry and art. Held in the grand ballroom of the Oriental hotel Lekki, there were art works depicting the history, sights and sounds of Lagos at the entrance.

The show itself commenced with a dance number telling a musical and oral story of the big city. Colourful costumes on energetic dancers strived to hold audience interest but it went on some minutes too long.

The musical highlights had up and coming alternative acts like D’tone Martins and Aramide light up the stage with sizzling renditions of classics from the greats. A treasure trove of authentic Nigerian anthems from Jim Rex Lawson, Osita Osadebey, King Sunny Ade, Ebenezer Obey and Onyeka Onwenu were rendered for the appreciative audience.

There was a spoken word session with poet Sage Hasson reading excerpts from his new book ‘The dreamer’. Other young Lagosians and people influenced by the go getting thrill of the big city shared accounts of their Lagos  journey.

A rousing dance drama from the Crown troupe of Africa, a large musical ensemble had the audience enthralled as they rendered an engaging account of the daily struggles of Lagos living. Their humorist, everyman approach to the Lagos dream (or nightmare) put a vivid perspective to the evening’s proceedings.

The night ended with a jubilant rendition from the timeless archives of Sir Shina Peters and a foretaste of what to expect when the full musical comes around next year. The acoustics of the Grand ball room of the Oriental hotel aren’t the best for events of this nature but they make for a passable venue; large and almost intimidating. The seating arrangement for the show was not friendly to the back seaters who had to crane their necks to fully appreciate the going ons on stage.

Giving off the vibe of an intimate gathering for art lovers, the evening provided an engaging display of the sight, sounds and culture of Lagos; whetting the appetite for the full blown production in March.