Lagos Jazz Series 2016 with Omar

Omar at Lagos Jazz Series 2016

End of November came the new edition of Lagos Jazz Series in Muri Okunola Park in Victoria Island. The music event organised by Oti Bazunu. Same setting as the year before, a lawn with individual mats to enjoy live music in a picnic mood. Food, wine and a new concoction called Catuma (Riesling wine infused with natural extract of guarana) which is claimed to be a mild aphrodisiac for ladies. In other words a sweet sparkling wine to be had on ice.

Catuma girl

The show started a little later than advertised, 20.30 instead of 18 which even by Nigerian standards is fairly late. Some people came and left before the start of the music as a result. But it was well worth the wait for those who wanted to discover some new nigerian talents like Maka or Evelle who played accompanied by the Lagos Jazz Quintet turned into a septet for the occasion.

Evelle and Sandro joining forces

Then the mood turned to Cabo Verde with three artists playing either brazilian sounding acoustic pop (Sandro), reggae (Lito Coolio) and more melancholic songs (Lizenda da Cruz) in a style called morna. They were then followed by Hamish Stuart of the Average White Band who has had a very long career composing and playing songs with his now red guitar that nearly got lost by British Airways.

black Maka: dress lipstick and glasses frames

Finally Omar came on stage bring all the crowd on their feet to dance at his soulful classic tunes.

the Cabo Verde crew

A chic-er version of the event took place in a hotel, the Moorhouse, the next day in a more polished setting.

Lizenda da Cruz

Amaka, Omar and Hamish Stuart on his guitar

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