What Osikoya’s docu-series does skillfully is to tell the Afrobeats story from a fresh, contemporary perspective.
By Seyi Lasisi
On 11th August 2024, Wonu Osikoya, Nigerian A&R and host of the music podcast, Osikoya Speaks, invited Nigerians to the premiere of Grime, Glory & Afropop, her three-part documentary series that curates and details the history of Afrobeats and Afro-Pop from a nuanced perspective
Held in Lagos, Nigeria, at the exclusive Alliance Francaise, the premiere attracted music enthusiasts, artists, industry heads, DJs, stylists, and music journalists. By the time Osikoya’s docu-series ended and guests were leaving the moderately cool and packed theatre, she remarked, “I’m documenting the culture from a new perspective because I’m living in the now.”
As I left the hall with Abimbola Akiode, Afrocritik’s social media manager, heading towards the DJ playing drum-heavy Afrobeats songs and the cocktail station, Osikoya’s words kept resonating, unfolding into different layers of meaning.
The three-part documentary series, Grime, Glory & Afropop, spanning about 50 minutes, features Nigerian music executives with impressive portfolios and significant influence on the country’s music landscape.
The partly autobiographical documentary series features three talent managers: Bizzle Osikoya, co-founder of The Plug and The Block Party Series; Asa Asika, best known as Davido’s manager and co-founder of The Plug and The Block Party Series; and Osagie Osarenkhoe, who formerly managed Wizkid and currently serves as the Director of African Operations at OneRPM, a full-service data-driven music business solutions provider.
In a short span, the docu-series delves into the three music executives’ earliest relationships with music and how their passion for it evolved into credible careers. Prior to Osikoya’s docu-series, a few documentaries have attempted, with varying degrees of success, to chronicle and establish a clear timeline for the development of the sound and the key players involved.
One such documentary is Ayo Shonaiya’s 12-part Afrobeats: The Backstory (2021). Another is Obi Asika and Rogba Aromiro’s Journey To The Beats (2022). These docu-series feature artists and music executives who have dedicated their time, money, and lives to building Afrobeats. Through the lens of music historians and notable Nigerian artists like Kenny Ogungbe, Dayo “D1” Adeneye, Paul “Play” Dairo, P-Square, Onyeka Onwenu, Daddy Showkey, Flavour, and D’Banj, both series trace the origins of Afrobeats.
What Osikoya’s docu-series does skillfully is to tell the Afrobeats story from a fresh, contemporary perspective. While Asika, Aromiro, and Shonaiya’s documentaries adopt a more historical framing, interviewing historians, critics, commissioners of culture, and veteran artists, Osikoya’s series takes on a nuanced, journalistic tone.
Rewatching the series, now streaming on YouTube, Osikoya’s words about documenting the culture from a contemporary perspective hold even more significance. Told in a narrative and engaging tone, the documentary series captures the current Afrobeats story through the lens of these music executives.
With Osikoya as the interviewer, her subjects respond to her questions with a delightful countenance. These responses offer valuable insights for young artists and music enthusiasts looking to grasp key information about the Nigerian music industry. Additionally, the discussion touches on the future of the Nigerian music scene, providing thoughtful perspectives on its direction.
Viewers might leave the documentary series with a renewed curiosity about the music business, behind-the-scenes conversations, and, importantly, the urgent need to build structures in Africa for the continued survival of the Nigerian and, by extension, African music industry. Nigerian and African acts have often taken pride in performing at prestigious venues and events such as Times Square, the O2 Arena, OVO Wembley, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, the BET Awards, the Grammys, Afro Nation, Wireless Festival, Coachella, Yardland Festival, and Dreamville Festival.
However, the music executives agreed on the need to focus on establishing similar structures on African soil that can host international guests. There’s a pressing need to invest in building an actual industry, complete with venues and infrastructures, right here in Africa.
Besides the industry-heavy discussions, the documentary series also offers valuable advice from the music executives interviewed: to stay relevant, one must continuously reinvent oneself and stay updated with trends; embrace the monotonous task of listening to music repeatedly; identify one’s purpose; and learn to separate work life from personal life. These nuggets of wisdom serve as sage advice for young and aspiring music enthusiasts.
While the documentary series is filled with moments of insight and valuable information, it occasionally veers into redundant scenes and footage that add little depth to the main conversation. For example, the behind-the-scenes recording of Omah Lay’s rehearsal and other inconsequential scenes and dialogues feel out of place. Although these scenes may offer a glimpse into the rigorous preparation that goes into organising a musical concert, their relevance to the broader narrative of the documentary remains unclear. These brief, somewhat irrelevant dialogues and footage align with the breezy and relaxed tone of the series, but they ultimately fail to contribute meaningfully to the overarching conversation.
Despite its redundant parts, the documentary series can still be seen as a manual or blueprint for those looking to make inroads into the Nigerian music industry.
Seyi Lasisi is a Nigerian creative with an obsessive interest in Nigerian and African films as an art form. His film criticism aspires to engage the subtle and apparent politics, sentiments, and opinions of the filmmaker to see how they align with reality. He tweets @SeyiVortex. Email: seyi.lasisi@afrocritik.com.