Tenstrings’ Night of Vibes and Virtuosity

Yinka Olatunbosun 

Following a brief sound check, an avalanche of music performances took place at the iconic Freedom Park on Lagos Island. As a result, it became the go-to destination for a large crowd of young music enthusiasts, who gathered at the food court where music took centre stage on the evening of Wednesday, August 28.

It began like a music boat cruise across the African coast as different singers serenaded the calm audience. Blaq Ruby, Debbie, Spesh, and Kike were among the first set of musicians to thrill the audience. Kike’s chants added colour to her performance just as her African attire did. There was no better night to be proud to be an African. Musicians drawn from various parts of the continent brought ingenuity to the concert. From the heart-thumping drums to the scintillating vocals, the performers were natural, engaging, and irresistible.

One of the stars of the night was David Cash. Accompanied by his mother to the venue, Cash is a visually impaired music student at Tenstrings Music Institute. He opened up his session with a stupefying cover of Asake’s Yoga. 

With Tenstrings band on instrumentation, his voice range wove through staccato-vibrato style, perfecting each note with smoothness—making it almost better than the original. After the rousing applause that followed this stunning showmanship, the stage was set for yet another soulful song written by Akapo Emmanuel titled “Keep On, Keeping On.” Emmanuel is not new in talent discovery, having worked with the likes of Sound Sultan, Eva Alordiah, Bez, and Brymo. He discovered his own passion for music and began playing professionally as a pianist at the age of 17. 

As the years went by, he picked up more instruments one after the other, such as the violin, trumpet, and saxophone. After receiving several professional trainings and self-developments, Akapo began his music education career in Lagos in 2001 by picking up appointments as a part-time music instructor with a number of schools. That served as an eye opener for him on the need to create more institutions for learning music. He founded Tenstrings Music Institute, promoting Africa’s young music talents at every year’s concert.

That night, Akapo was delighted to introduce one of his students, David Cash, to the audience. “Regardless of the fact that he couldn’t see any of the colours that we’re wearing tonight, he was able to touch every heart tonight with his music,” he said. “I wrote the song about two months ago, and I felt like he was in the best position to deliver the song. He is one of the few students who have shown that regardless of his limitations, he would do well in life.

“His mother discovered his talent and brought him to us at Tenstrings. She has consistently pushed the dream.”

Like his colleagues, David Cash delivered a captivating performance across multiple music genres, earning thunderous applause that escorted him off stage. “Tonight, we are celebrating African music with the Joy of African Music (JOMA),” he continued. “It is not just a form of music but it’s therapeutic. It heals and it soothes the soul. 

“As a school, we see a lot of hippies who want to pursue careers in music. Our once-a-year programme which is the JOMA concert, reminds them of what they have, who they are, and how to harness it. It’s not just about music. You can see the culture in our costumes. We are reminding our students that this is who you are as Africans.”