by Eric Nwanso

I was very excited to attend  the  much publicised AY Live Show at The New Expo Hall  of Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos. The event kicked off at the exactly 5pm with the arrival of guests – young and old, celebrities and corporate professionals – on  the  green  carpet. The hall was filled beyond capacity, and some even sat on the floor, but this reporter was one of the lucky few who had an all access pass and was able to go backstage to get a glimpse of all the acts, performers and celebrities (I know you are dying of envy)! The was a bevy of dignitaries and celebrities in attendance, including wife of the Governor-Elect, Mrs. Abimbola  Fashola,  ex-football star  JJ Okocha, Sammie Okposo, Funke  Akindele, Susan Peters, Desmond Elliot and many pthers.

The show was hosted by Cool FM’s Freeze, and it started off with a fresh talent who loosened guests up with the performance of his  single “Damilola”, followed by a duo  by the name SG – reminiscent of PSquare in their early days. Following them was another comedic act performed. Former Idol contestant, Jodie came on to perform, followed by Emeka Smith, winner of the AY Open Mic competition. Next came Skuki, who gave an electrifying performance and then the hilarious MC Shakara got the crowd laughing once again. A short film featuring Nollywood’s, Aki and Paw Paw, and Omotola Jalade as well as Ghana’s Majid Michael and Yvonne Nelson got the audience rolling with laughter.

As if that wasn’t enough, guests were treated to a fashion show featuring Yomi Casual embroidered tunics on Gbenro Ajibade, Kenneth Okolie, Uti Nwachukwu and others. With a mix of music, comedy and dance performances from Kaffy, 8 year old Kemsin (Nigeria’s own Justin Bieber), Yemi Sax, Olamide, KAZ, 9ice, Duncan Mighty, YQ, 2face,Helen Paul, Princess, The Don, Pencil, Timi Dakolo  and a brilliant show from AY himself, the event was more than a success!

In all, AY Live was well worth the fee, and even surpassed its hype. Who needs a cosmetic operation to look younger? AY Live will give you that for a lot less!

Photos: Coco for YNaija