Entertainment

FIRSTBANK’S SPONSORSHIP OF DAVIDO’S TIMELESS CONCERT REINFORCES ITS IMPACT ON THE ART AND ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY

Published

2 years ago

April 25, 2023

The much-anticipated timeless concert by David “Davido” Adeleke, unarguably one of Nigeria’s biggest music exports of all time, was an electrifying music showpiece that further reiterated the lofty height and growth that has defined the Nigerian Music industry in recent years as Nigeria’s premier banking giant, FirstBank once again, threw its weight behind Davido.

The Timeless Concert in Lagos was the climax to the treble of concerts to complement the 31 March 2023 launch of his fourth studio album, ‘Timeless’. Before the Lagos concert, Davido performed at the Irvine Plaza in New York on 2 April 2023 and in London on 5 April 2023.

The 17-track project album has topped several charts, breaking and setting several records. Big amongst these was the recognition of the Timeless album as the first African album to hit Number 1, topping the US iTunes Albums Chart which is credited to be the world’s biggest music market.

Davido the Timeless Concert in Lagos was indeed more than music, as it unified individuals from all works of lives, irrespective of tradition, culture, economic strata and nationalities. Fans and music lovers trooped to the venue, the historical Tafawa Balewa Square, from far and wide to show their love and support for Davido, have fun, relax, connect and reunite.

A show without a well-constructed stage is a no show as staging promotes the interaction and connection between the artistes and fans.

The Timeless stage, the biggest in West Africa and second biggest in Africa, was groundbreaking in both design and aesthetics.

The beauty of the stage was reminiscent of the words of Canadian international bestseller, Yann Marte: “Nature can put on a thrilling show. The stage is vast, the lighting is dramatic, the extras are innumerable, and the budget for special effects is unlimited”.

These words simply depicted the nature, class and details applied to the construction of the Timeless stage as its exquisiteness was conspicuous during the day well ahead of the fall into the night when the concert took centre stage at Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial nerve centre.

The hosts of the night, celebrity skit makers and comedians, KieKie and Mr Macaroni added spice to the event, as they thrilled fans to a more than music experience, whetting their appetite for the grand performance of the evening; who else but Davido.

Timeless Concert was lit with a sensational performance by several leading artistes including, Asake, Mayorkun, Skiibii, Iyanya, B-Red, Pheelz, Fave, Spyro, Iyanya, Khaid.

Other artistes that added spark to the night include Peruzzi, The Cavemen, Majeeed, Odumodublvck, Starboy Terri and May D, amongst many others.

Expectedly, Davido’s entrance received a never-ending ovation as fans could not hold back their excitement of seeing him perform yet again. The Nigerian music legend and globally acclaimed music sensation’s well over two-hour electrifying performance on stage had his fans spellbound on several classical hits from previous albums and those from his most recent album, Timeless.

The hits performed from his previous and most recent albums included, Skelewu, Dami Duro, Gobe, Aye, Unavailable, Over Dem All and Feel.

Davido also performed Electricity, a duet with Pheelz, a smash hit in 2022.

A déjà vu of some sort to Davido fans, as FirstBank was the headline sponsor of Davido 30 billion concert in 2017.

Also, as part of its yearly DecemberIssaVybe fiesta and supported events in 2021, the Bank sponsored ‘A Decade of Davido’ Concert, organised to celebrate 10 years of achievement of the Nigerian American pop singer and global music sensation. Fast forward to the Timeless concert in 2023, the Bank’s yearly DecemberIssavybe fiesta, no doubt came pretty early much as it is a long road to December from this month, April.

The bank’s dedication to going beyond functional products and benefits for its stakeholders and providing these types of enabling experiences sets it apart in the industry and solidifies its position as a leader in not just directly supporting the arts and entertainment industry but economically impacting its value chain.

Anyone not following the Bank is surely on a long thing but hey, it is never too late as there are still many exciting moments the Bank creates on its social media ecosystem via @firstbanknigeria (Instagram); @FirstBankngr (Twitter) and First Bank of Nigeria Limited (Facebook).

FirstBank’s support of Davido’s Timeless Concert is undoubtedly a curtain raiser as the bar has been raised for another back-to-back hit for the financial giant to create more memorable experience for its customers and social media followers in 2023 as the year fast edges into DecemberIssavybe due to hold in some 9 months’ time.

Entertainment

AFRIMA partners stakeholders to actualise AU’s vision on creative economy at PACC6 in Moroni, Comoros

Published

1 month ago

October 12, 2024

august24admin

AFRIMA partners stakeholders to actualise AU’s vision on creative economy at PACC6 in Moroni, Comoros

AJAGBE ADEYEMI TESLIM

SPONSORED BY: H&H

As one of the institutions championing positive change in the global entertainment industry, All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) has reaffirmed its commitment to the growth of Africa’s creative economy by partnering with critical stakeholders to align with the African Union’s vision for cultural and creative development, as outlined during the recently concluded 6th Pan-African Cultural Congress (AU/PACC6) in Moroni, Union of Comoros.

Cross section of participants including AFRIMA’s Director of Stakeholders Engagement, Media, and Communications (Global), Sola Dada during the recently concluded 6th Pan-African Cultural Congress (AU/PACC6) with the theme “Arts, Culture, Heritage, and Education: Levers for Buildings Africa We Want” held in Moroni, Union of Comoros

It was a gathering of key stakeholders, including Pan-African cultural institutions, artists, cultural workers, and policymakers in the East African country, at an epoch-making event held between September 25 and 27, 2024. At this event, a framework for action aligning national and continental policies was developed, emphasizing the development of arts and heritage as crucial to achieving the AU’s Agenda 2063 vision.

In a presentation at the event, Sola Dada, AFRIMA’s Director of Stakeholders Engagement, Media, and Communications (Global), took the audience through the organisation’s activities since its inception in 2014, tailored towards promoting music, arts, and culture on the continent and the sustained effort to collaborate with other industry institutions to deepen the entertainment ecosystem in Africa.

“AFRIMA has successfully collaborated with policymakers, governments, African artistes, producers, record labels, promoters, publishing companies, media and the African Union Commission (AUC) to celebrate and promote African music globally,” Dada told the conference. “Through our seven core pillars, namely Music Awards, Music Festivals, Music Business Hub, Talent Discovery and Promotion, AFRIMA Creative Academy, Advisory and Policy Debates, Corporate Social Responsibility and Advocacy, we have positioned African music as a tool for integration, inclusivity, economic prosperity, and world peace.”

He said as the longest-running African music award platform with a global reach, AFRIMA plays a critical role in enhancing the visibility of African music.

AFRIMA’s Director of Stakeholders Engagement, Media, and Communications (Global), Sola Dada(with cap), giving a speech at the recently concluded 6th Pan-African Cultural Congress (AU/PACC6) with the theme “Arts, Culture, Heritage, and Education: Levers for Buildings Africa We Want” held in Moroni, Union of Comoros

Dada added that. ” AFRIMA’s events bring together thousands of music artistes, actors, celebrities, governments, and professionals from around the world to continent’s cultural significance on the global stage.

“Through our partnership with the AU and other stakeholders, AFRIMA is well-positioned to support the implementation of policies that will drive the growth of Africa’s creative economy. With a focus on integration, innovation, and cultural preservation, AFRIMA and the AU are set to make significant strides toward the Africa We Want as envisioned in Agenda 2063.”

The AU/PACC6, held under the theme “Arts, Culture, Heritage, and Education: Levers for Buildings Africa We Want,” served as a platform for Pan-African cultural institutions, cultural workers, and experts to engage in discussions on how to leverage these sectors to build a stronger African identity.

The congress concluded with a framework for action designed to guide cultural and educational development across the continent.

The congress resulted in several key resolutions aimed at strengthening Africa’s cultural sectors, including support for national cultural policies, engagement of youth and women, heritage preservation, promotion of African languages, and cultural exchange programmes that allow African youth to collaborate, showcase their work, and learn from one another.

In her opening remarks, Mrs. Angela Martins, Acting Director for Social Development, Culture, and Sport at the African Union Commission (AUC), highlighted the rapid growth of Africa’s cultural and creative industries, referring to them as the continent’s “new crude oil” due to their increasing global economic influence. Martins called for greater investment in the sector, citing AU Assembly Decision 772, which advocates for allocating at least 1% of national budgets to arts, culture, and heritage.

As part of the AU’s efforts, she announced the development of an arts education policy aimed at integrating arts education into school curriculums across Member States.

“This policy aligns with the AU’s theme of the year for 2024 and aims to nurture young talent from an early age,” she said.

Martins praised the efforts of key institutions in the entertainment, art and cultural space including AFRIMA which she described as “Africa’s global music awards and longest-running music award platform, with a huge global appeal, diaspora audience, and youthful fans.”

The main events of AFRIMA are usually broadcast live to over 84 countries around the world after a continental and global roadshow, with thousands of music artists, actors, celebrities, members of the diplomatic corps, professionals in the creative space, tourists, media and fans from all over the world converging on the host country.