Cecil Hammond’s Rhythm Unplugged 2016

By Azuka Ogujiuba

Rhythm Unplugged with Pepsi, as its headline sponsor, has become one of the biggest and consistent entertainment events in the country in the past 12 years. The show keeps waxing stronger by the day, as the stars performed to the pleasure of their eager fans and guests who waited patiently, even when the show started a bit late.

No doubt, the crowd was so excited, as the stars came out, one after another, to perform to their delight. It is billed as the biggest  annual concert every year, and year, ardent music lovers look forward to the show and as always, trust Cecil Hammond not to disappoint his guests.

The 2016 edition of Pepsi Rhythm Unplugged delivered a night of extreme excitement that proved that it was possible to have an array of stars and fuse them in a way that didn’t cloy the audience. Rather, they kept asking for more until the sun came up.

Every year, with the massive success of Rhythm Unplugged, Cecil Hammond keeps turning up as one of Nigeria’s big music promoters, because the big stars in Nigeria always perform at his show and nobody goes home disappointed.

Wizkid is one of the biggest acts on the African continent presently, and he is Nigeria’s finest. Wizkid has been on the international scene this year. A song with Drake, MTV awards wins, various collaborations and a Grammy nomination is the summary of his year, before medical advice from his doctors made him cancel all of his holiday concerts.

But he defied his doctors’ orders, as he took to the stage, paid respect to Cecil Hammond, the organiser of the concert, before delving into a set that contained a selected number of his hit songs. He was backed by DJ Xclusive, who cued in ‘Jeje’, ‘The Matter’, ‘Jaiye Jaiye’, ‘Caro’, ‘In my bed’, and many more.

Other superstars were on ground too, from Olamide, Davido, Runtown, Koker, Lola Rae, DJ Cuppy, Obi and XClusive, P-Square, Tekno, Reekado Banks, Asekunle Gold, Seyi Shay, Waje, Omawunmi, among others.