Wizkid dazzles at Ghana Meets Naija concert

The euphoria with which his 'second coming' had been greeted (his first appearance was in 2013), remained at a sternum-rattling decibel. “Yo E, bring down the lights”, he said, panting. “Ghana, I have my brother with me tonight. Make some noise for the dancehall king!” 

If one thought the noise at the Fantasy Dome in Accra couldn’t get any louder, one would have been terribly wrong. Shatta Wale, of whom Wizkid spoke, is mayor of the city, and like Jesus Christ his entry is always triumphant. Donning a red tracksuit, his hair bleached, the controversial singer charged onto the stage and headed straight into the waiting arms of Wizkid for a brotherly embrace. Wale went on to perform two of his most notable hits recently, 'Freedom' and 'Gringo'. He also called Wizkid his “f*ck*ng blood”, which in regular English means "brother". It was pure chaos.

The gesture was a key highlight of the concert and marked the deflation of any fracas that existed between them – a situation which had been sparked by Wale’s November 2017 comment that he did not perceive the 'Ojuelegba' singer to be a superstar. The remark, when it was made, had generated friction between their countries. While some perceived Wale’s statement as a legitimate position by an artist confident in his craft, others called it blasphemy.

It is instructive that their 'reunion' happened at Ghana Meets Naija. For eight years running, the show has served as a battlefield to play out the sibling rivalry that exists between both nations. Put together by Bola Ray’s Empire, the concert is among the most significant on Africa’s music calendar. A major platform for anybody who is anybody, the show has been mounted by Davido, Tiwa Savage, Sarkodie, R2Bees, Naeto C, Don Jazzy's MAVIN crew, Falz and a host of others.

Because of his clout today, Wizkid is not only an aeronaut of the African sound but also an influential unifying force. Like his forebearer 2Baba, his running message for a long time has been “One Africa, One Love”. And though he’s been a darling of Ghanaian music lovers since the start of his career in 2011, bringing out Shatta Wale during his performance endeared the Nigerian to the Ghanaians.

There’s a disparity between 'best' and 'favourite'. Wizkid’s claim to the first adjective may be contested but there’s hardly any question about his legitimacy as the second. Often, while performing, he would boast that “the problem is, Wizkid got too many hits.”

It is founded because very few colleagues have as many lasting anthems in their catalogue. And when an artist has such a foundation, everything else falls in place. Wizkid’s stagecraft is effortless and the charming smile that vivified his face proved how much honest fun he was having. The man is loved! Every few seconds, a zealous fan would slip past the many muscled men who constituted WizKid’s onstage security, if only to touch the hem of his garment (a neat white sweater on whose chest the letter A was carried by a red heart symbol, over blue denim.)

Save for Ghana’s Patapaa, who earned widespread praise for his 'man of the match' performance, no other act was ceiling-shattering as anticipated – perhaps due to sound challenges. Perhaps due to how long the event dragged on for (4am, 10 June).

Best known for his 2017 breakout single 'One Corner', Patapaa’s big night was heralded by appellations from an eloquent young girl clad in colourful kente and traditional regalia. Via songs as 'Kumchacha', 'One Perma', 'That Thing', 'Akwaaba', among others, spirited dance moves, and the determination of a warrior, the man also known as Patapeezy left a lot of head scratching among his skeptics.

Many brushed Patapaa off as a flash in the pan, certain that after 'One Corner' his talents were incapable of securing him permanence in the music industry. When he lost out in the Most Popular Song of the Year category at the Ghana Music Awards months ago, it was expected to dispatch him into oblivion. But no. It turned out to give him momentum, which has had him appear on works by established colleagues as Medikal, Guilty Beatz, Article Wan, Shatta Wale and FlowKing Stone.

His thrilling set brought to mind the proverb, “The stone the builders rejected became the head cornerstone”.

The Fantasy Dome did witness a party for sure – a solid line-up as the one that was paraded on the night would guarantee that: Mayorkun, Dice Ailes, Mr Eazi, Fancy Gadam, Stonebwoy, Yaa Pono, Kuami Eugene, TIC, KiDi, Kurl Songx, Sista Afia, NanaYaa, Wisa, KME, Asamoah Gyan, Tiwa Savage, King Promise, Mugeez, etc.

The ultimate African playlist was on rotation, and it was a sumptuous buffet. DJ Nii Ayi Tagoe, DJ K Crakk, DJ Vyrusky, and Vision DJ were also efficient in holding the crowd; with timely interludes or as sidekicks for performing acts.

At this point, the Naija meets Ghana franchise is bigger, and has become an African affair. At this edition, themed the “rescue mission”, the show welcomed Gambian acts signed to Sierra Leonean record label Kabaka Multimedia and Entertainment (KME). A UK leg was also recently held, and organizers have announced European editions in coming months.

To musicians the continent over, Accra is a second home – testament of Ghana’s identity as a hospitality hub. The nation, while it holds firm its musical identity, is also welcoming of 'sounds from the other side'. It has constantly provided peripheral support for many acts on the continent and a bonding agent for music lovers across Africa. This solidarity was best witnessed at Ghana Meets Naija, in which, with a finger above his head, Wizkid proclaimed: “One love to Ghana, one love to Nigeria. Africans, we are one.”

A version of this piece was published by eNewsGH