We don’t have enough hometown concerts. Seriously, we don’t. There’s hardly any artiste-driven concert that seeks to give back to the society in a large way. For the few cases where they have been announced, these concerts have been steeped in intense marketing, with the core focus shifted from altruistic ends to commercialism and the pursuit of financial gains.
Nigeria is blessed with a m any generations of stars who have impressive stories and beginnings. The hood, where they first walked the streets with just a prayer and belief forms a very important part of the success story. That hood and all its societal elements form the first ecosystem that nurtures the artistes, interacts with him, and provides the foundational elements upon which many great careers are built.
On many occasions, the star gets his first taste of success from the hood, where he grows into becoming a hometown hero, getting a mini-taste of what national and continental success is before exporting his art to other cities. When the applause becomes loudest and the star is shining its brightest, the hometown, the hood or the region has to be remembered and embraced. It has to be rewarded for the sheer fact that once upon a time, these streets taught you.
Concerts are one of the greatest ways to give back to your community because of its symbolism. You can invest in infrastructure, or visit countless homes for the less privileged to share your blessings. But a homecoming concert is more symbolic and does more to empower the community through inspiration. That child that has grown up in a small town where opportunities are limited can draw inspiration from watching you perform live, beat his chest and say, ‘because Phyno did it, I too can do it.’
Phyno is a very hometown-friendly artiste. He is from Enugu. A product of the city, it is in Enugu where the singer gained traction as a producer, and from there, his fame grew through the East. 2012’s ‘Ghostmode’ collaboration with Olamide signaled his arrival on the big stage and he has grown from strength to strength. At the moment he is one of the hottest pop stars, and he intends to give back to the region that birthed him.
He has become one of the most respected entertainers in Nigeria, admired and followed by many on a global scale. Since his debut with his distinct genre of music into the Nigerian music scene, Phyno is significantly one of those musicians who has successfully transformed the general outlook and perception of African music; this is profoundly evident in his music.
While Phyno continues to have lovers of Nigerian music step to his hit singles , ‘Fada Fada’, ‘Connect’, and most recently, ‘Pino Pino’, he has come into the news again. As part of his ways of giving back to his numerous fans, the seasoned rapper has put together a concert scheduled to rock the South-East of Nigeria.
This November, Penthauze, is holding Phyno Fest Concert 2016 as another opportunity for fans to watch Phyno weave his magic with his music. Other A-list artistes confirmed to perform are Olamide, P-Square, PatoRanking, Burna Boy, and many more surprises to come.
This one of a kind concert will take place at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium on 20th of November, 2016, starting at 1pm. The concert has been made affordable, with an entrance fee of N200 for regular tickets, and N500 for VIP. This is so, every Eastern fan who follows his music has the opportunity to meet with their favourite artiste in a venue boasting of enough space for a safe, explosive musical experience.
This year’s will be the second edition. The first held at the on Sunday November 29, 2015 at Chuba Ikpeazu Stadium, Akwa Road, Onitsha to much acclaim from music lovers and other fun seekers. Hosted by popular media personalities, Dod2un and Maria Okarende, the event had top Nigerian music stars in attendance.
Attendees at the event were popular music figures such as Illbliss, Phyno, Kcee, Flavour, Timaya, Chidinma, Lil Kesh, Bracket, Yaw, DJ Neptune, Runtown, Skuki, and many others. Guests and other onlookers were treated to good music after music stars present who took turns to deliver different exhilarating performances.
The highlight of the night was when Flavour and Chidinma capped a mind blowing performance of the collaborative effort, ‘Ololufe’ with a passionate kiss on stage which led to massive cheers from everyone present and further fueled their dating rumours.
The concert is a blessing to a region where the constant exodus of homegrown stars to South-Western Lagos has become a reality, a way of life, and an aspiration to many. Phyno went, did it, and with his success, anyone can too.
There should be more home-grown concerts in Nigeria. Everyone should be able to have a taste of their hometown heroes and experience first-hand the magic of all they have to offer. Phyno is on the right path on this one, but it is not enough. The streets need more.