At Maiden Fiesta Pleasure Party, Oxlade, Ladipoe, Raybeka Deliver a Spectacle
Iyke Bede
The first edition of the Fiesta Pleasure Party can be best described as an intervention for young millennials and Gen Zs, to experience a potpourri of dance and musical expressions against the backdrop of attaining sexual education.
With the Landmark Event Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos playing host to the youth-centric event, the concert recorded a good turnout from fashion-forward and internet-savvy guests.
The event however didn’t kick off at the scheduled time, but when it commenced, it was worth the hour-long delay. For the next 45 minutes, a group of dancers engaged the audience with various dance styles from across the continent. Beautifully choreographed, they invited members of the audience to share the stage with them. Gleefully, a few people obliged, almost stealing the spotlight.
The concert, which was conceived by non-profit organisation DKT International Nigeria, showcased up-and-coming acts. One such person is Raybeka (born Rebecca Chinonso), who gained resonant applause following her adlibbed performances conveyed with pure vocals and strong stage presence.
Sandwiched between the opening and the headliners — rapper Ladipoe and singer Oxlade —exotic dancers transformed the theatre-in-the-round into a sensual space that showcased their femininity.
About an hour and a half later, the craze was turned up a notch with Ladipoe emerging on stage. Projected from an overhead panoramic LCD, the singer, who was dressed in all black and shades, engaged the audience in a call and response to some of his popular tracks, with the most notable being ‘Big Energy’ and ‘Feeling’.
Matching Ladipoe’s performance, Oxlade was accompanied by female dancers who accentuated his performance of the smash hit single ‘Away’, and recent Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs entry ‘Ku Lo Sa’. On the other hand, DJ Neptune took to the wheels of steel, achieving a crescendo in the wee hours.
Confetti sprays mixed with pyrotechnics, the evening was brilliantly infused with materials of sexual education using various media formats, as well as distributing products to protect against and detect HIV/AIDS. Impressed with the engagements, Commercial Director, DKT International Nigeria, Macaulay Gory explained the concept adopted to educate youths.
“There are many means of reaching out to the youths to pass information, however, entertainment will get you there faster,” Gory asserted.
He continued: “We know the older demographic would not be here, but the youths came up in good numbers. The best way to achieve the objectives is through word of mouth: those who will enjoy the night and listen to most of the things we say here will take this news out. It will go from the young ones to the elderly.”Organisers of the Fiesta Pleasure Party hinted at a biannual outing.
