There is nothing quite like headlining your first concert, is there? The feeling of knowing a number of people, be it ten or ten thousand, genuinely appreciate your talent is something every creative lives for and thrives on. On the 24th of July, Gemma Ofili had one of those special, unforgettable days that will be burned in her memory – and indeed the memory of those in attendance – as she hosted her debut concert titled “Through My Skin: Up Close and Personal with Gemma Ofili.
Of course, the concert did not just happen out of nowhere. It was a culmination of years of hard work, personal development, and determination to follow her passion. Or, more accurately, passions, because she is something of a jack of multiple trades. Her areas of artistic interest include music, modelling, acting, writing and advertising. Prior to March 2019 when she officially ventured into music, Gemma had walked fashion show runways and modelled for major photographers, appeared in a critically-acclaimed short film titled “Hello, Rain!”, and written several brilliant pieces for The Lady’s Room NG. Being multi-talented can be a burden for many, but her due diligence means she is close to mastering all her crafts. Especially the music, as evidenced by the electrifying, spine-tingling performances she delivered at her show.
About fifty people were seated in the Untitled Art Gallery, Ikoyi, and about the same number of people joined virtually. The stage was beautifully set to match the soothingly blissful music that she served the enraptured audience. She opened with her beautiful debut single “Use My Love Song”, a track inspired by her late husband and followed up with songs from her debut EP “Through My Skin” before serving up some unreleased music as a hint of what to come. The main idea behind the concert was to create an intimate experience with her listeners, have them feeling the every note and melody of the soul music she sang, and in the process transmit the emotions that drove her songwriting to the men, women and children that sat and stood round the stage. If the feedback from the concert-goers is anything to go by, it worked perfectly. The audience clearly experienced her pain, her joy, and hope with every song she performed, a credit to her immense stage presence and vocal prowess.
Perhaps that should come as no surprise to anyone who has given her music a chance in the past. The quality is undeniably high and every song on her debut project is an emotional journey that does not lose its intensity on repeated listens. It takes quite a lot of skill and practice to achieve such vocal and lyrical excellence, and Gemma Ofili is certainly not lacking in any of those departments. Thus, it only makes sense that Through My Skin: Up Close and Personal turned out to be a massive success in its own right. Surely there is more to come from the exciting Gemma Ofili in the coming months, and on the evidence of the preceding music and the performance at her concert, it’s going to be nothing but amazing music.