MUSON Festival: Pop and jazz dance at Jazz Party

The Sharp Band opened the night with a combination of songs by Nigerian pop vocalists—including Asa’s ‘Bamidele’, Seyi Shay’s ‘Right Now’, and Tiwa Savage’s ‘Bad’—and foreign songs like Wyclef Jean’s ‘Two Wrongs’ and Alicia Keys’ ‘Fallin’’.

The band also performed classics like Etta James’ ‘At last’, which was impressive given the vocal dexterity required to pull it off. But its performance of ‘What a wonderful World’ lacked Louis Armstrong’s tonal definition. Different notes of the song were lost in the harshness of the rendition.

Trumpeter Jesse Taiwo Ibidun came on stage and, supported by members of the Sharp Band, performed jazz classics such as Ella Fitzgerald’s ‘Summertime’ and Charlie Parker’s ‘My Little Suede Shoes’. His delivery on the trumpet was controlled yet lively in its improvisations, and he found ways to involve the audience by welcoming them to clap the tempo and hum along to his play. He was later joined by renown trumpeter Etuk Ubong and vocalist Debbiesoul in a rendition of Fela Kuti’s ‘Water no get enemy’.

After Ibidun, the Winehouse Jazz Band performed an elevator music selection of jazz numbers, which were enthusiastically delivered by the lead saxophonist who did not stop dancing during his performance. Perhaps it was the charisma of the saxophonist or that wine had loosened the limbs of the audience as it is wont to, but nearly two hours after the start of the party, members of the audience finally stood to dance. The Winehouse Jazz Band was joined by Imole Ayo, who kept up the energy with his sax, performing Victor Uwaifo’s ‘Joromi' and a version of Maria Makeba’s ‘Pata Pata’ indigenised with the rhythms of the talking drum.

Debbiesoul returned to stage to perform ‘Ain’t No Sunshine’, ‘Sweetest Taboo’, ‘Agolo’, ‘Never Far Away’ and others, but struggled to get the audience to sing along. Afterwards, Phebean, a saxophonist, performed a set that included Fela Kuti’s ‘Lady’ and Runtown’s ‘Mad Over You’. She didn’t need to encourage the audience to dance to the latter.

The event was not the rollicking fun that mention of a jazz party promised. But for those in attendance, especially the older citizens, one of whom took the microphone after Phebean’s performance to chide the younger folks for not crowding the dance floor, the combination of old and new on display was exciting enough.