By Chinazam Ikechi-Uko.
“I have drank multiple shots of vodka, and I am still bored.”
I must admit I have outdone myself with this title, taking a lighthearted jab while reinforcing nostalgia bias in one sentence. Christmas really brings out the best in us; however, the focal point of the title is the least obvious- the year. The importance is it aids in preventing miscommunication about the topics yet to be discussed. NATIVELAND’s history is not without blemishes, and for reasons unknown to me, the internet is trying to use the fourth edition of NATIVELAND (2019) as a defence to why attendees of NATIVELAND (2023) should not complain about the separate and unrelated events that occurred at the event. NATIVELAND (2019) has crossed into the territory of urban legends, where the tales have spun into larger-than-life fiction that has the actual victims confused.
NATIVELAND is an annual music festival held in Lagos, Nigeria. It aims to celebrate African music, art, fashion, and culture, featuring a lineup of local and international artists across various genres such as Afrobeat, Afropop, hip-hop, R&B, and more. Once annually held at Muri Okunola Park, the 6-year-old festival decided to move its location after a tragic event occurred during its 4th edition. Only a day after Fader had named the festival “The go-to platform for African youth culture.” The macabre series of events began when the Afrobeats artiste Fireboy DML performed his hit song “Scatter”. The first string of misfortune involved the VIP lounge scattering; the metal bars which had been set up fell apart. This resulted in many injuries and it led to a ghastly domino effect- a stampede.
THE NATIVELAND (2019) FIASCO:
Despite the security’s attempt (this included physical assault) to sustain a sense of order, it was all futile, and kids began scaling the Muri Okunola fences to escape the panicked audience. It is important to note that the security staff made almost every attempt in the book to control a concert filled with athletic young adults. But the chaos became biblical once people in the vicinity realised NATIVELAND was in shambles; people tried to force their way in, some because they had a hero complex and others because their complexes were a diluted form of kleptomania. This struggle of people trying to get in and people trying to get out ended with the Muri Okunola gate falling, and more casualties. No one died, many were hospitalised, and NATIVE dropped a statement which was shredded on Twitter and #NATIVELAND19 was the number one topic on Twitter for 2 days.
There were theories on what really happened. Nigerians for their love of occult stories floated a few “Illuminati” conspiracies because they could have sworn we were doing sacrifices and in some versions, we were the sacrifices. Another theory also included an anti-Christian value- Greed. The theory was NATIVE got greedy and oversold more tickets than Muri Okunola could contain. NATIVE has denied this; then there was the theory that Nairabox oversold the tickets. Nevertheless, all this happened before 3 am, and the main performers were on the stage from 10 pm.
NATIVELAND is an independent organisation, and I find it easier to forgive young adults who have their hearts in the right place but not the experience or funding. So of course, I gave them a second chance and they made a comeback with the 5th edition called NATIVE5. No casualties and no conspiracies, a fun time and a secured location- Harbour Point; NATIVELAND had almost redeemed itself…
NATIVELAND (2023):
Good things come in threes; however, 3 am is not associated with good things. According to Christian folklore, Jesus died by 3 pm, and hence it is colloquially referred to as the witching hour or the demonic hour if you are dramatic. So how did NATIVELAND think it would be a grand idea to have kids out on a beach past 3 am? This kicks off the first problem:
THE WITCHES ARE DANCING BUT AYRA IS NOT:
We are all sabi girls and boys; even those who tried to fight it, caved in once Ayra hit the stage. The clock hand was racing towards 5 am by the time this happened. A huge amount of attendees came for Ayra, and this was evident by the number of people who left right after her set. Before Ayra came to the stage, the crowd had already turned sour, with people openly cussing out the organisers and themselves for trusting the organisers. For the first time since the pandemic, NATIVELAND was doing numbers on Twitter but the tweets were not good.
ABOUT THE PERFORMERS:
NATIVELAND charged a hefty amount for General admission tickets (excluding the birthday discount); the tickets were above the minimum wage so a level of entitlement is expected, after all, you paid for the entertainment.
The lineup for NATIVELAND was amazing… on the poster. However, beloved artistes such as Cruel Santino, Bloody Civilian (solo set), and Odunsi The Engine never performed. It is very unsettling that people were at the site from 8 pm to 7 am, and a few of NATIVELAND’s big acts did not have a set. Of course, there were theories and the crowd got antsy. One theory was that Sol Beach paid NATIVE to run the concert extremely late so people would keep buying food and drinks from the stalls.
ABOUT THE PERFORMANCES:
By the time, big acts came on, everyone was trying to salvage what was left of their energy and subconsciously decided to save it for Ayra. So a lot of performances were met with couch lint recipients. Also, there is the gamble with smaller artistes; NATIVELAND has always been a great platform for emerging singers. However, small acts often lack the confidence or experience required to own a stage. So they can come off as lacklustre which was one of the plethora of adjectives attendees used to describe most of the performances, with Chi Virgo, Deto Black, Kold Af, and Rigo Kamp being outliers. Plus there was the sound issue, where the tracks were all over the place.
THE HIGHLIGHT:
Now, Ayra Starr is an amazing performer and I enjoyed a few shows but by the time the other headliners showed up, only a qua rter of the audience was left. Another quarter was passed out spread out across Sol Beach (the Venue). Only a minute amount, maybe 0.2% of the crowd knew where the real party was at, the Sweat It Out Stage.
Sweat It Out is a community immersed in Lagos’ electronic music scene, engaging in organizing events, attending gatherings, creating, and enjoying music. Many stalls across the main NATIVELAND stage, there was a tent playing music, this tent was called Sweat It Out stage. I stumbled on the location while surveying the guests of the festival. Small talk might be irritating but it makes for a great article and someone directed me to the real party. My experience in the Sweat It Out tent was blissful, I ended up spreading the gospel of Sweat It Out and now I know a squad of converts.
NATIVELAND has put their fans in a difficult position. They can forgive an attempt on their lives, explain it as a stampede is no one’s fault, and it is human to panic but Shallipopi not being on stage by 6:30 am? Now someone has to be held accountable.
NATIVELAND (2023) reopened the festival’s past shadows but struggled to fully redeem itself. Expectations were high, yet disappointments lingered as anticipated acts failed to perform. The event saw lacklustre performances and an exodus before headliners took the stage. Amidst this chaos, the hidden gem emerged: the Sweat It Out stage, a sanctuary for electronic music lovers. Though the festival stumbled, this enclave sparkled with the fervour of music and community. As the echoes of NATIVELAND (2023) fade, it leaves behind a tale of mixed experiences, highlighting the festival’s resilience amid ongoing challenges. Will NATIVELAND’s devout fans forgive them and give them a third chance? We will have to wait till 2024 to find out.