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Abuja Stands Still For Star Mega Jam ’09

By Cletus Nwachukwu
18 December 2009   |   10:00 pm
  MANY music lovers and observers of the industry were concerned over how this year's Star Mega Jam would turn out to be. But the organisers of the prestigious music event did not disappoint.

For several reasons, Star Mega Jam ’09, would remain evergreen in the minds of thousands of music lovers who witnessed the musical concert sponsored yearly by Nigerian Breweries Plc, makers of the top-quality Star lager beer at the Old Parade Ground, Abuja.The show, which was held in Lagos on Friday, December 11, climaxed in Abuja. It paraded several top Nigerian music stars such as 9ice, P-Square, D’Banj, Faze, Timaya, M1, Bracket, Wande Coal, Jesse Jagz and Djinee Also on the bill were past Star Quest winners, KC Presh, Diamond and The Pulse. The main attractions of Star Mega Jam ’09 were American music stars, Ludacris and Busta Rhymes. Expectedly they showed the stuff they are made of.

 

The Abuja leg of the show which was compered by leading comedian Gbenga Adeyinka the 1st, was perhaps the most successful considering the huge crowd that attended it. When Adeyinka introduced Ludacris, the mammoth crowd at the Old Parade Ground roared with thunderous applause. They waived their hands, jumped and screamed themselves hoarse in delirious excitement.

The American rap star did not disappoint the expectant crowd as he thoroughly thrilled and mesmerized them. He got the fans singing and dancing along with him as he rendered some of his hit and Grammy- award-winning songs.

Another interesting aspect of Ludacris’s performance was the unbelievable skills of his DJ on the wheels of steel. The skilful DJ twisted, whinned and even used his lips to mix sounds to the bewilderment of the excited crowd. The response of the crowd to Ludacris’s performance confirmed that his fan-base in Nigeria is huge.

Busta Rhymes was indeed the act the crowd was waiting for as he virtually exploded on stage. Dressed in black T-shirt and black Jeans trousers, he held the crowd spellbound as he got virtually everybody dancing, delivering the best set of the night and getting overwhelming thumbs up from over 20,000 fans, the organisers and indeed all the Nigerian performers.

Wande Coal, M1, Djinee and several others Nigerian star watched Busta Rhymes performance with imbrpoken attention, as if taking lessons from a professor of performance. Busta Rhymes and his hypesman, Spliff Star, dug deep into their pouch of hits and thrilled with past and present songs that kept the excited fans whistling, chanting and humming.

Perhaps the highpoint of the concert was the collabo performance of Busta Rhymes and the current winners of Star Quest 2009, The Pulse. They jointly performed the song, ‘So Te,’ with Busta Rhymes adding spice to the song. It was really an act to behold.

The song ‘So Te,’ which is gradually turning out to be a hit, is one of the several potential hit songs in the forthcoming album of The Pulse.

Some music observers and concerned individuals who spoke to Weekend Beats praised the Nigerian Breweries Plc for the successful show, saying that it would go a long way in boosting the confidence of subsequent participants and eventual winners of Star Quest.

“Let me commend the organisers of Star Quest and this show (Star Mega Jam) for this wonderful initiative,” said Solomon Okeluze. The music entrepreneur continued: “By this initiative, they have definitely boosted the dreams and aspirations of several young Nigerians out there. They will now believe in their dreams that they can do it and share world stage with world class musicians anywhere in the world. More than anything, this collaboration with award-winning Busta Rhymes would surely lift those young guns higher and help their fledgling music career in no small ways”.

On his part, veteran journalist-cum-music -critic, Aloysius Ibabuchi, said: “No doubt, that joint performance would help to raise the hopes of the group and put them in a good stead. However, I would advise the organisers of the show to continue to monitor the careers of Star Quest winners and continue to encourage them. Such laudable initiative should not be a one-off stuff”.

Some of the music fans who spoke to Weekend Beats during the show, urged the organisers to bring more of such shows to the capital city. Some even advised that they make it a monthly event.

“Firstly, we’re grateful to Nigerian Breweries Plc for bringing the Star Mega Jam to Abuja,” said Ismaila Audu. “We thank them and expect them to keep it up”.

Johnson Bala, a businessman and music lover who was at the concert disclosed that he travelled from Jos to Abuja to watch the event. “It’s a great joy to be able to watch Busta Rhymes and Ludacris perform live. They are my favourite music stars. When I saw the advert on TV, I thought it was not true. But here we are seeing them live. I’m happy to witness the show and surely it is worth every effort I took all the way from Jos to be here. It’s great”

Another fan, Musa Mohammed, an undergraduate of University of Abuja, enthused: “If I had missed this show, the Xmas would have been empty for me because this is the biggest event in the history of concerts in Nigeria. In fact, the organisers have done wonderfully well. As you can see, I’m here with my pregnant wife because there’s no wahala.

“Busta Rhymes is a great artiste and so is Ludacris. Today, they are in Africa to perform. I must thank NB Plc for this wonderful Xmas gift to us, the loyal consumers of their products.”

Music observers and aficionados, while commended the organisers of the musical concert for the water-tight security at the venues which made it possible for families to come to the shows without fear of violence, advised that subsequent Star Mega Jam concerts should feature more female stars.

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