Monkey Shoulder, Worldwide FM Celebrate Jazzhole’s Legacy, Grassroots Music Culture in Lagos

Recently, Monkey Shoulder and Worldwide FM hosted music lovers and patrons to an unforgettable celebration of music and culture at Waterside, Lekki, honouring Jazzhole, one of the five global winners of the Studio Monkey Sholulder initiative.

Jazzhole, a revered cultural institution in Lagos with over 30 years of history, was recognised for its immense contributions to preserving Nigerian music and its role in connecting local talent to the global cultural scene.

As part of the Studio Monkey Shoulder initiative, Jazzhole received £10,000 in funding and support from both Monkey Shoulder and Worldwide FM. The collaboration enabled the production and digitisation of two compilation LPs featuring previously unreleased recordings by prolific indigenous artists, covering iconic genres like Afro-Funk, Afrobeat, Palm Wine, JuJu, and Highlife.

“We are immensely grateful to Monkey Shoulder for their incredible support through the Studio Monkey Shoulder initiative,” said
Olakunle Tejuoso, founder of Jazzhole.
“This partnership has allowed us to breathe new life into rare and unreleased recordings that showcase Nigeria’s rich musical history, preserving the essence of African music for future generations and sharing this cultural treasure with the world.”

The event was not just a celebration of Jazzhole but also of the broader global grassroots music culture that Studio Monkey Shoulder champions. Attendees also included finalists from the Studio Monkey Shoulder competition.

There were also live performances from some of the artists featured on the compilation, alongside vibrant DJ sets from Nigerian talents such as Icey of Element House, DJ Tigran of Ekolektro, DJ Cam of Kevwe and Cam, Ayofawo of H Factor, Tobi Peter, Maze x Mxtreme, Y Pick, and DJ Baggio. A silent disco and thrilling dance-off added further excitement to the evening.

The event was also graced by some of the finest names in the Nigerian culture scene, including VJ Adams, Ike Onyema, Bizzle Osikoya, Joey Akan, Lord Sky, Chigozie Obi, Yetunde Kuti, Crowd Kontroller, Dope Caesar, and more.