VIDEOS: How Asa, Adekunle Gold raised the bar on alternative music at Spice Lifestyle Honors

Bukola Elemide, best known as Asa, led a team of alternative musicians — Bez, Falana, and Adekunle Gold — in raising the bar of good music in Nigeria.

The quartet gave outstanding performances at the Spice Lifestyle Honors Awards held at Eko Convention Centre, Lagos on Wednesday.

The night started with an immaculate performance from Falana, the multitalented Nigerian-Canadian singer and song writer.

Despite starting the event — billed for 6pm — at about 10:40pm, Falana’s beautiful performance ensured the audience forgave the organisers as they cheered her on.

As Falana performed, Teni the entertainer, was invited up stage to perform but she had to return back stage as Falana continued her performance despite Teni’s entry.

Later on, the street-inspired ‘Ọba Orin’, Teni, took to the stage to get the posh audience screaming as she sang ‘Fargin’, ‘Case’ and some of her crowd-cheering sounds.

Bez Idakula, the multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter and composer, again, validated his genre of music, known as “alternative soul”, a hybrid of soul, rock, jazz and R&B.

He sent the audience crazy with his dexterity on the guitar, his alternative style, and his alternative single ‘You suppose know’.

There was a surprise performance by Lafiaji’s own son, Vector, who went beyond singing and rapping to delivering some sublime poetry.

He attempted to prick the conscience of the audience into seeing the problems with Nigeria.

Adekunle with the Cape! Adekunle Gold got the audience dancing, as he performed some of his alternative singles, from ‘Damn Delilah’ to ‘Call on me’ to ‘Ire’.

He ended his performance with an electrifying cover of the classic, ‘I feel good’.

The headliner, Asa, finally took the stage at past midnight, about 1am precisely.

She gave a performance so passionate that a large portion of the hall moved from their individual seats to the edge of the stage, dancing and singing along.

At the end of an angelic performance at past 2am, it was clear why everyone waited till the end to listen to Asa sing.

For over a decade, Asa has continued raising the bar on alternative music.