Indigenous artist Eastern Vybz is hosting a free concert in the commercial city of Onitsha ahead of the yuletide celebrations, helping to jump-start the city into a festive mood.
The free concert on 21st December at the Gathering event centre, No 10 Ridge Road, GRA, Onitsha, opposite EEDC Onitsha, will feature Eastern Vybz as the headline act, along with other supporting acts.
The concert is supported by a host of homegrown brands as well as national players looking to get into the Southeastern market. Headline sponsors include Funz App, Voice of the East, Decency Spices, Lamphills, and Igbo History and facts.
The Eastern Vybz concert follows other music concerts and events happening in the eastern region, as it prepares for an explosive end of the year. The free concert aims to address challenges in the showbiz scene in this part of the country, often posed by high ticket prices that lead to low turnout.
In Enugu, the Eastern Machines Concert, headlined by Tochukwu Ojogwu aka Odumodublvck and Jeremiah Ani aka Jeriq, drew thousands of music lovers to the coal city. The state is expected to host leading Igbo rapper and artist, Phyno, in the coming days, as well as other smaller acts, including Kolaboy, Evado, and others.
Live performances in neighbourhood bars previously dominated the showbiz scene in eastern Nigeria, as well as stand-up comedy. The coming-of-age of large music concerts, drawing thousands, marks the maturity of the entertainment market in the region.
This new development is powered by a class of homegrown artists honing their craft and connecting with their fanbase. Artists like Jeriq, Evado, Kolaboy, Highstarlavista, Dre Ice, Stahgee, Bkay Eastgaad, Aguero Banks and others make up these ranks. They are pulling weight in the Nigerian music industry from eastern Nigeria.
This breaks the pattern of artists leaving the eastern music scene for Lagos in search of stardom, as did the previous generation. As it stands today, Enugu, Awka, Asaba, Owerri and Aba are all emerging hotspots for music incubation in eastern Nigeria.
