THEWILL DOWNTOWN APR 11, 2022 EDITION by THEWILL NEWSPAPER

SPECIAL EDITION • MONDAY APRIL 11 – 16, 2022

Fruits To Help You Stay Hydrated This

Ramadan

Under Pressure?

Discover The Healing Power Of Sound Baths

Bye-Bye Racoon Eyes

5 Easy Steps to Reduce The Appearance of Dark Circles

What You Should Know About

Austism Spectrum Disorder

THIS SOUND CONNOISSEUR WAS BORN FOR MUSIC

SPECIAL EDITION • MONDAY APRIL 11 - 16, 2022

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EDITOR’S NOTE

SPECIAL EDITION • MONDAY APRIL 11 - 16, 2022

CONTENTS 16

Mai Atafo

Onah Nwachukwu

Photo: Gift Eghator @graphedbyblue Onah Nwachukwu's Makeup: Zaron Mai Atafo's Wardrobe: ATAFO

COVER OBI ASIKA THIS SOUND CONNOISSEUR WAS BORN FOR MUSIC

his week, we are excited to welcome tailor extraordinaire, Ohimai Atafo to the team as our Guest Editor. Mai, as he is fondly called, is equally thrilled to be with us; this much I gathered from his comment about joining the team for the next four issues, “I am excited to be your Guest Editor alongside resident Editor, Onah Nwachukwu. This is also a scary venture, as I have never done this before except for my stint at Genevieve Magazine as Fashion Editor... From the introduction meeting with the team, it shows the amount of work that goes into every issue." Together, we have some amazing content coming your way. It’s Autism Awareness Month this April, and I must be the only person in the world who didn’t know that the great Albert Einstein was autistic. What really is the cause of autism? Speculations such as parental age and genetic factors have been listed among the causes, while some people believe that infant vaccines play a major role. I can’t help but worry about the vaccines, especially after a conversation with a lady in the organic beauty industry in which she opened up about her son being autistic, and how looking for natural remedies to help him heal, led her to start a vegan beauty business.

REVIEW MORBIUS

WEBSIGHTS DOWNTOWN THE GOAT CONVERSATION

04-05 FASHION SOME OF OUR FAVOURITE LOOKS FROM THE 2022 GRAMMYS

LIVING

Photography: Gift Eghator @graphedbyblue Styling: Aina Fayosola @fayo_thr Double Breasted Black Suit: Rogue @rogue_ng White Jacket: Obi Asika’s Wardrobe Shirt: Sheels Urbane @sheelsurbane Shawl: Sheels Urbane @sheelsurbane Accessories: @lefunktaccessories Shoes: Mathias @mathiasfootwears

4 FRUITS TO HELP YOU STAY HYDRATED THIS RAMADAN

Special Thanks to M-Net/Africa Magic @africamagic

ODDBOD & THE CITY FLOATING ON A SOUND CLOUD

DOWNTOWN CONFIDENTIAL PAIN SERIES: LITERAL STROKES

BEAUTY EFFECTIVE REMEDIES FOR DARK CIRCLES

What’s very interesting about the story she told is that her son was normal before he took a certain vaccine. According to her, he made eye contact; spoke to people, played with other kids, and responded to his name, prior to taking the vaccine. While pharmaceutical companies have debunked this notion, the question is: Are there other such cases of children who were developing normally until they took a vaccine? Also in this week's issue, we speak to our cover personality, Obi Asika, and draw information about the music industry from his fountain of knowledge. All I’ll say is, you have to read this interview; I promise you, you will lap up every word you read about the music industry in Nigeria, from its origin to NFTs. Don’t miss our other pages; we have amazing content on fashion, beauty, movie reviews, and lots more. Until next week, enjoy your read.

Onah Nwachukwu @onahluciaa

AUSTYN OGANNAH

PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Editor: Onah Nwachukwu @onahluciaa Editor-at-Large: Chalya Shagaya Writers: Kehindé Fagbule, Tilewa Kazeem Interns: Sophia Edisi, Abdul Auwal Graphics/Layout: Olaniyan John ‘Blake’ Digital Media: Oladimeji Balogun Guest Art Director: Sunny Hughes ‘ SunZA’ www.thewilldowntown.com thewilldowntown thewilldowntown

Odun Ogunbiyi @oddbodandthecity

- Contributing Editor Odunayo Ogunbiyi is an ex pharmacist with a passion for food and pampering. Writing about her exploits wherever in the world she may find herself is just her way of staying sane in this zany world.

Boluwatife Adesina @bolugramm - Contributing Writer Boluwatife Adesina is a media writer and the helmer of the Downtown Review page. He’s probably in a cinema near you.

HEALTH AUTISTIC AND THRIVING ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER

WHAT YOU SAID INSTAGRAM @parjaysflavour

Always Interesting to read

Uzo Orimalade @uzosfoodlabs

- Contributing Writer Uzo Orimalade has a background in Law and Business and spent over a decade working in Corporate America and Nigeria in the management consulting and investment banking sectors. She switched careers to pursue her passion for baking, cooking and home entertaining. She is content creator and host of shows in various media platforms. She has been recognised by local and international media outlets including a feature on CNN’s African Voices.

@thisisdmj

Another wonderful cover!

@shollycutie

Efua Oyofo @efuastar

- Contributing Writer Efua has always enjoyed telling stories. A writer and cultural storyteller, Efua Oyofo helps clients tell their most compelling story. She focuses on social impact storytelling, and hosts a podcast: This African Love, exploring the culture of dating - and helping people develop more effective ways to navigate relationships in today’s world.

Love to see it

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SPECIAL EDITION • MONDAY APRIL 11 - 16, 2022

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FASHION

Some Of Our

Favourite Looks FROM THE

BY ABDUL AUWAL

he Grammy Awards is known for being a fashion free zone, and last week Sunday, A-list musicians from a variety of genres and nationalities walked the red carpet at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas for the 64th edition. The biggest night in music features a red carpet procession of racy outfits, tongue-in-cheek attires, and viral efforts. Its strange attitude made for an entertaining pre-show, but the guests of 2022 looked eager to leave viewers gobsmacked. Beauty and bizarreness all combined to create entertaining looks. These are our favourites from the red carpet.

Solani Imani Rowe AKA SZA

Giveon Dezmann Evans

Chloe Bailey

Chrissy Teigan

Tiffany Haddish

PAGE 4 Billy Potter

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FASHION

Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson AKA H.E.R

Megan Thee Stallion Montero Lamar Hill AKA Lil Nas X

Diamonté Quiava Valentin Harper AKA Saweetie

Lenny Kravitz

Cynthia Erivo

Ahmir Thomson

LADIPOE

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SPECIAL EDITION • MONDAY APRIL 11 - 16, 2022

ODUN OGUNBIYI

THEWILL DOWNTOWN • www.thewilldowntown.com

ODDBOD & THE CITY

Floating On A SOUND CLOUD I

t has never been harder to maintain your bubble of calm and tranquillity. Outside is on fire. I am not going to elaborate; I am fed up with complaining but suffice to say, everyone is running around with a short fuse. What I am trying to focus on right now is how to keep sane. Lagos living seems determined to break me. The pressure keeps mounting, and it would be foolish to assume that one does not need to focus and adapt coping mechanisms to compensate. I was minding my business when I got a message from my friends at 16/16. I say friends because due to a slight obsession with chicken green curry, I am a regular patron of their sister company Thai Thai. I digress. I get a voice note from Tushar, and he is telling me they have organised a sound bath and tea ceremony on a Sunday afternoon at their interactive space. They were looking for 8-10 interested bodies to take part. He had me at “if you are stressed at the price of onions…” Sound bath, you ask? It is a meditative experience where the healing power of sound waves is used to relieve stress and even physical ailments if done right. The practice is over 2000 years old, so there is nothing “new age” about it. It was not so far-fetched to me that sound could be used in this manner as I am just on the other side of using ultrasound treatment to great effects at the physiotherapist to heal the split meniscus in my knee, so even as an ex-pharmacist, I went with an open mind for the whole experience. The sound is usually created by harmonising Tibetan bowls made of brass or quartz. The different frequencies come together to create a unique frequency. The soundwaves are purported to be healing, bring about realignment, increased awareness, and sensitivity. Our guide for the experience, Sheila

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Tibetan Singing Bowl Image from Pinterest

Chukwulozie, who is self-taught turned to the practice to get through pandemic induced insomnia and multiple ailments plaguing her. We started with a pallet cleansing tea, and then after we all spaced out on yoga mats, flat on our back, we went through some breath work together, and the session began. We were under for an hour and a half, although the whole day seemed scrambled in my mind as I lost all sense of time. This was part of the healing because, to paraphrase Sheila, holding on to the concept of time can be a burden: wondering if you are wasting time or making the best use of your time can easily negatively enslave you. The sound feels like a physical entity as it washes over you (I guess that is why it’s called a bath), and I was working on letting it flow through my body and empty my mind. I very much enjoyed the experience, and when I emerged from it, there was an incredible feeling of stillness in my mind which is an absolute blessing for an overthinker like myself. Most people fell asleep, but I was aware that I didn’t want to torment anyone with my snoring. After that, we had some splendid homemade tea that Sheila typically makes with seven to fifteen different spices. I have found it quite helpful in battling my insomnia. The sound (not music, there is a distinction) was found quickly after searching iTunes.

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DOWNTOWN CONFIDENTIAL

Original Image From Love Happens Magazine

Pain Series:

Literal Strokes WARNING: THIS ARTICLE MAY SET OFF A CHAIN REACTION OF SWOONING FEELINGS THAT MAY RESULT IN FLASHBACKS, TEARS, AND PTSD.

can't recall how many canes I threw over the fence of my childhood home. One could say that I was a bit stubborn growing up. So what had happened was for some weird reason, in Primary three, right after transferring schools, my performance in school took a turn for the worst. I struggled academically and what came as a result of that, were strokes of the cane. On the plus side, all of the asswhooping improved my pain tolerance. My buttocks-clenching technique was impregnable. But I wasn't a goat, obviously, and I soon grew tired of the consequences of being leather-headed and unserious. Did the cane strokes I endured have an impact on who I am now? That is another topic about which I, and I'm sure many other Nigerians, are traumatized. But hearing it's a sexual predilection as a Nigerian can't help but make you laugh (chuckle). Countries like India, Pakistan, Iran, and most jurisdictions of Nigeria support the use of corporal punishment to ‘correct’ bad behaviour. Now, these practices have found their way into the genetic makeup of bedroom practices. Several continents around the world have welcomed this BDSM practice with open arms and as a result, dungeons and kink rooms have sprung in its

BY TILEWA KAZEEM wake. I don't mean the Game of Thrones kind of dungeons. A BDSM dungeon, also known as a sex dungeon, is a room or space that is solely dedicated to BDSM play or BDSM scenes. Private dungeons, such as those found in people's homes, are most commonly found in basements, but they can also be found in bedrooms, spare rooms, or even large walk-in closets. Because Nigeria is a huge importer of everything shiny and fancy, there may already be a few dungeons docked in various parts of the country. If I can draw your attention quickly to the part where I chuckled lightly, you were correct to assume there was a story there –if you did. My journey today took me to a club in Victoria Island, Lagos. It was the first one I'd seen with a stripper pole, and I'm sorry, but I wasn't interested. Time passed, and the longer I spent in the club the more intrigued I got about the whole pole dancing experience. How were they treated? What does security mean in the community? But most importantly, I was looking for professionalism, sportsmanship, and voluptuous

derrieres. I got you right? Moving on, the music is on full blast. The top songs in the country are getting rinsed and repeated. There's a rave happening, waists are defying physics in its midst, and there is a petite belle in pink dancing wondrously. ‘What's a girl like you doing in a place like this?’ I could feel the musk of lascivious intent in the air. The amount of time spent on her lustful glares at me was overpriced and every time I stared back, we found ourselves in a staring contest. I found my way to her and spent the better part of that night dancing to the tune of her waist embellishments like a snake charmer and a snake. We talked over the loud music like it wasn't there. She was a bootstrapper and driven. She exuded confidence, and from the way she spoke, she was calculated. Going to clubs like this was a routine most nights, she fluttered in and out of famous nightclubs that rich Alayes frequent. Debbie catered to certain unique and exotic kinks of dignitaries. Her telling me she was a dominatrix didn't come to me as a surprise; I could tell she had control of everything around her –an important quality needed in her line of work. She told me stories about politicians and beer-bellied aristocrats who enjoyed being tied, gagged, and whipped because it gave them sexual satisfaction. I had no plans to look into it any further. I wasn't interested in her talk of grown men voluntarily taking lashes for the sake of pleasure. We said our goodbyes, and I watched as she walked into a car.

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SPECIAL EDITION • MONDAY APRIL 11 - 16, 2022

COVER

OBI ASIKA

This Sound Connoisseur Was Born For Music

t would be a stretch to believe that the now raging flame of Nigerian music didn't start with a spark. Prior to the arrival of our colonial masters centuries ago, our forefathers used music for ritualistic and celebratory purposes, such as the passing of royalty or the arrival of terrestrial forces. This is reinforced further by ancient carvings from the 16th and 17th centuries depicting musicians and their instruments. Nigeria, a country with over 200 ethnic groups made the evolution and importation of music almost as effortless as blinking. Aided and abetted by colonisation and a variety of other elements, we began to explore and experiment with different tunes and sounds thus becoming internationally renowned in genres like Apala, Fuji, Juju, Afrobeat and the now hottest commodity, Afrobeats. But, to fully understand the evolution of Nigeria's vibrant sound, the culture behind it, and the ripple effect of its progression, DOWNTOWN's Tilewa Kazeem spoke with music entrepreneur, record label executive, Nigerian Idol Judge, and music connoisseur Obi Asika.

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For some outside the entertainment industry, a man like Obi Asika may appear to be a random, medium-build, 50-something-year-old who appears on TV to tell people, "I'm sorry, but you're not making it to the next round." For some, he's a never-ending source of information, a man with his fingers in so many pies that he might need more fingers. And, while he is all of those things and probably more, his influence on the entertainment ecosystem cannot be overstated. Junior and Pretty, Darey Art Alade, "the only MC with an MSC," Naeto C, and several other top artists were signed to his record label, Storm 360, back in the day. When asked how it all started for him, he replied “I think for me, in a way, I am born into it. I was in a situation where my parents were people who were academics and intellectuals and then found themselves in public office. My father was trying to rebuild the

east of Nigeria after the civil war and one of the things he was using to rebuild the psychology of the people was music. I didn't really know this, of course, I was just a kid but there was music all around me at the time. Especially the Congohighlife music from my mother's side; starting with Peacocks and Oriental Brothers, all that sort of stuff. My earliest memories of music had to do with that and as I got older, while I’m in a school in England, like everybody else, I started listening to what everybody was listening to, which was alternative white-boy music, pop-rock basically. And then when I was about nine, ten years old, one of my dad's friends on a holiday in Nigeria basically harassed me. He asked me why I was not listening to Fela Kuti and I didn't have any answers for him.[He chuckles lightly] He made me listen to Fela's Gentleman the entire summer and I became a disciple at ten I think—— just in terms of his music. Around the same time, I discovered electro-funk which became hip-hop, which became rap. By fifteen, I'm beginning to promote parties to my age group in London. And at eighteen, nineteen I brought people like

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COVER Russell Simons, Leonard Cohen and Public Enemy. 1989, when I was twenty or twentyone while I was still in university, I promoted club nights and deejaying and I was always working with the artists. I started working with artists at fifteen or sixteen. I didn't grow up in Lagos at all really. I first came to Lagos during my gap year, which was during my A-levels. When I finished my university and came back to go to law school, I then started a club called Enter The Dragon and that was the first arrival of Storm in 1991. We did Enter The Dragon on Western House Broad Street, and we were making more money in a three month run than guys were making in twelve months at the bank. I've been doing clubs and shows and things since I was about sixteen anyway so by this time I was twenty-one or twenty-two in Lagos. But in doing that, you're influencing people. Olise was part of Storm at the time, he's part of the foundation, Nnamdi Nneli, Desola Fowora and what happened is, coming out of the club, we started trying to pitch shows. The first private tv show was called Clapperboard and was formed in 1992. I co-created a couple of shows including Clapperboad Weekend Rap, Soul With Sprite and some others. We had these shows on TV in 1992 and they were syndicated nationally. I produced all of them, co-created them and it was an incredible thing. I was just coming out of law school at the time and I was still doing a 9-5 job; I think I was working for a finance company at the time but I was still doing this stuff. In doing that show, these kids came in that were rapping like Americans but they came from Ajegunle and I sent them away and told them ‘think about rapping in pidgin or whatever, you sound fake this way.’ They came back and they were Junior and Pretty and they became the first sort of indigenous rap crew singing in pidgin. And we put them out as our first-ever release distributed by Sony Music in 1992. But two years later, I couldn't sustain it. There wasn't any money being made and the pirates owned the whole thing so we let them out of their contract and they went on to Premier Records. By this time, I was twenty-five, twenty-six and Began to set up my own little company upstream; logistics, procurement and all of that, so for the next five years I was refocused on that but I still was doing club nights for Storm. Stuff like that kept the brand alive and then Olisa got on radio in '96 with Cool FM. So I was connected with Olisa and Jimmy Jatt and they were feeding me music. Then Darey the early 2000's was in Unilag is at Cool FM and that sort of brings me back to the music again. Things just keep bringing me back to the music, that's the journey of my life. So Jimmy is bringing all the stuff from Plantashun Boiz and these guys and I'm hearing Trybesmen and I’m like, the situation is changing, guys are becoming more natural and it’s becoming whatever. So before Darey went to Project Fame, we had already recorded six songs with him and I had already had the plan. Once he came out, we were going to push him and we did. We did an incredible launch in 2005 in the Eko Hotel. Darey did the whole show; two and a half-hour live performance and that gave Darey that incredible thing just before we launched Big Brother Nigeria in 2006. I used Big Brother Nigeria as a sort of a bedding platform for the Nigerian music industry. That was how the journey started for the second time because, by 2006, I entered the Channel O awards and I've been in it from then till now. I tell you, sitting here today, that I'm happy because everybody that we enabled, is doing well. And also the funniest thing is there

are people you get wrong because we see a lot of talent so there's a lot of people that come and I'm like ‘oh my and I missed that one.’ I remember Yemi Alade as a sixteen-year-old, I remember Bracket. Jidenna told me in Ghana, a couple of years ago that apparently, I rejected his demo and I couldn't remember. But you know, these things happen in the industry. The thing is you just hope you give people positive information to guide them. So basically, I started from birth, I was born into this.” Louis Armstrong, one of the most influential figures in music described it as “Life itself” and you can't help but agree with him. Music is the most universally accepted language. Whether it is sung in Cantonese or Vietnamese, whoever listens can feel the emotion of the artist and also, the culture and community in the sound. You hop into an elevator going to a top floor restaurant and you're serenaded by Frank Sinatra, you settle at your table and the ambience of the restaurant is buoyed by jazz subtly playing in the background. The same happens at

With the striding beats, the double bass and the lyrics which are now conscious; talking about his people, their struggles and he never looks back. That's the birth of afrobeat as world music. Fela Kuti is the god of it. He's the king of it.”

art exhibitions, fashion shows and even at your barbershop or hair salon. Music is an integral part of the culture and our culture and everything else sort of takes the passenger seat to it and our cover agreed by adding “But yeah, what I say to people is this; if you look at everything happening in Nigeria that is positive, you’d see that the music is dragging it. Everything you see in the fintech space, everything in technology, arts and culture, dance, in cuisine. All these things are being activated and driven by music because music is in our DNA. Music is what determines our pulse and I’ve always known this. And what I felt was, for some unfortunate reason, we’re treating the music as if it’s not important but actually, music has been our guide. It has been our protector and if you think about it from our period of slavery, it is what we used for resistance and communication. The personality and the culture of the African is very much defined in his music and you see that imprint all over the world. I feel like yes, just to answer your question, a hundred thousand percent that without what we've been able to do with the music because the music animates everything; it animates the dance, the fashion. These are the things that are the touchpoints of the culture. So if you want to call it Afrobeats culture that's what we are invading the world with our self-power. We don't need any. We don't need any guns or taxes, we can even afford them. But you can't stop the personality, you can't stop the energy, you can't stop the vibration, you can't stop the colours. These things are what bring flavour and that is what the African is bringing and that's what the Nigerian brings and that's what we should really be focusing on as a nation to build.” The growth of afrobeats this past decade has been astronomical and it has borne

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COVER That consciousness of reading those books and feeling those feelings affects Fela as well as the horn section for James Brown, the big band from jazz and he takes his elements and he adds it to his original ideas and reinvents this thing called afrobeat. With the striding beats, the double bass and the lyrics which are now conscious; talking about his people, their struggles and he never looks back. That's the birth of afrobeat as world music. Fela Kuti is the god of it. He's the king of it.”

A lot of times it's not about talent, it’s about work ethics. The question is: Are you ready to put in the work and the hours to get the best of your talents? And that involves listening to the right people, understanding that you need a team.” fruitful opportunities and commerce for Nigeria. However, its recent flourish and recognition can not be exalted without giving Afrobeat its roses. Present in the–if I may–baton exchange between genres, Asika helps us understand their origin “The truth of the matter is very simple. Both forms of music are fusion music. All our music is fusion, our music never comes from one single place. Fela Kuti is the progenitor of afrobeat. There are other contributors; Orlando Julius, Chris Ajilo, and Tony Allen. Tony Allen is the drummer who collaborated with Fela Kuti and is famous for creating the double beat that you hear in Fela Kuti's afrobeat records. Chris Ajilo released a record that many called afrobeat, ten years before Fela released his record in 1971. And Orlando Julius released several records before that as well. In my view what it is is a combination of sounds that we're coming into Nigeria from Cuba and the Caribbean already in the '50s. Don't forget that Fela is a trained musician. He read and composed music and can play all kinds of scales and he is coming out of Trinity College in Dublin. So Fela in the '60s is playing highlife and is trying to become a star playing nightlife like everybody else because it's a predominant genre. Fela went to America in 1969 and he went through a progressive change as he became involved and educated about the black civil rights movement in America, the blacks struggle, the struggle for emancipation. And he's hearing what James Brown is singing about “Say it loud, I'm black and I'm proud.”

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Afrobeats, with the s, is a name that came with journalists in the UK I think while searching for a way to define what we were building out of Africa from maybe 1996 to 2000. What happened was our music, afrobeats is a fusion just like afrobeat but what happened was by the time afrobeats came, Nigeria and the whole world had been consumed by hip-hop culture. We'd gone through reggae, disco, funk. But hip-hop and its culture consumed this world and we, just like everyone else, got affected by it. And when hip-hop culture first comes into a country normally people are mimicking and trying to sound like the original source which was America. That happened here for a while but when it domestics, it evolves and becomes its own thing. So hip-hop domesticating afrobeats is the natural progression of hip-hop and that's the best way I can explain it to you. Because what is happening with afrobeats is elements of juju, nightlife, afrobeat itself, indigenous African sounds, elements of hip-hop dancehall, reggae. That's why I say it's a fusion. Our music, black music, is fusion. It is because we are constantly travelling, constantly mixing and the influences come from everywhere. So there are Cuban influences in the original afrobeat as much as there are juju influences. There are nightlife influences as much as there are jazz influences. So those are the primary influences of Fela Kuti. In afrobeats you got the hip-hop attitude and personality which is part of the DNA right. That's why all the videos look like hip-hop videos. But then, in afrobeats videos there's more dancing. The fashion is African, props and toys may be global, but the fashion and the personality are African. And then you add in the elements of the street culture; the hip-hop culture but there are elements of dancehall meeting juju, afrobeats meeting nightlife so it's a pot. Things like Alté and Lamba are just streams and really they're afro-pop. So music is the bed for the culture so I call it Afrobeats culture. Music is the bed of the culture and as it comes all the other elements of culture keep growing. One of the things that bring good news to Black people worldwide is afrobeats. Anytime, anywhere in the world and you hear this music people feel good about themselves, they feel represented, they feel connected. That is the greatest crowning achievement of afrobeats because previously, we were invisible but now, you can’t go anywhere and not reach us and that has happened in these last 10 years. We've lived it but some people take it for granted because they have forgotten that there was a time when you were invisible.” We asked the record label executive, who has spent more than 25 years discovering and handing out record deals to musical talents, to share his thoughts on some of the colossal record deals attracted to some of the country's afrobeats champions, and he had this to say “What I feel is this; the record deals they've been receiving aren't actually colossal. I think what has happened is social media has

broken the barriers of access. What happened in the past was we couldn't get into the mainstream because of a lack of access to radio and distribution in the western world. But with social media, our biggest talents have bigger profiles and following than many of their contemporaries in Europe. I wouldn't say we've arrived yet, I'd say we're on the upward curve but we've gone further than we've ever gone before. So I don't want anyone getting complacent that we've arrived. When we've arrived is when we have 50 global artists that can tour 100 dates a year worldwide. Right now we have just two or three who are getting to that stage. This generation has taken it further than any before them and that has to be celebrated.” From what we know about being celebrated, it serves as a sort of like a pat on the back to keep going, something the younger generation would need a lot of to try to reach the heights of the likes of the country's afrobeats champions. And emerging as the winner of the Nigerian Idol; a music reality show dedicated to giving a new generation of unrefined talents a good place to start. It also happens to be a show that Obi Asika is a huge part of and a judge on. He shares with us what he's looking for in the contestants this season. “You have to emotionally connect with the audience and this is about how you emote and translate the song. So that emotional connection to emote and translate the song is what would determine how the audience feels it. First of all, they can be singing randomly like they are singing to nobody. They have to connect emotionally and that's how they interpret the song. The second thing is having the confidence on stage, the presence to project so that anybody who's watching, responds to that emotional connection and projection. Also, have the swag aspect covered so you're looking like a superstar once you step on the stage. I look for star quality, personality, you got to be good looking because music is also about attraction; you are going to have to attract people. And these are the things I look for.” With each live show, this year's season of Nigerian Idol gets hotter. Haven evicted two Idol hopefuls already, this judge predicts a few contestants he believes have what it takes to put on a show and, hopefully, win it all. “You're putting me under pressure [laughs]. Jordan is one to watch out for; the kid is from Kaduna, he's 22 years of age, 6’7, he can play basketball and he's been blessed with this voice and he looks the part already. He has the voice and can sing anything. It is going to be interesting to see how he progresses. You’ve got a 17-year-old girl, Itohan. She's this little girl who’s got a voice bigger than the entire studio we're in. I'd explain further but it's a massive voice and from what we are seeing, she can also sing

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THEWILL DOWNTOWN • www.thewilldowntown.com

COVER anything. You've got Faith; pretty and she can do a lot with her voice. There's Progress, who's an incredible singer. And then you have Zadock. That's five. He has a great voice. He can connect with the audience to bring that whole personality home. Any one of those five could win this thing. With these people, it depends on who shows up on each day. That's what is going to determine who's going to survive in reality.”

and if you remember he performed at the final as Nigeria won the final. You don’t get a bigger moment than that. So that’s what I’m saying, everything you see is a journey and these things are being repeated and are getting bigger and bigger. Davido doing what he’s doing now just shows that we are still relevant and that’s where you want to be. We are still leading the continent and we are still on top. We still always have to give Nigeria props because let me tell you there are 54 nations on the continent. Not everyone gets seen. A lot of the time —you should know you’re a journalist— some of the press and radio stations of other African nations have been giving heat to the Nigerians because afrobeats became the soundtrack to every country. We are the soundtrack of all nations. Nollywood was like the 7 PM soap for Africa but now everyone is making their own. Which is great! And people are making their own versions of the afrobeats movement. You also have to look at the fact that South African hip-hop is massive, Amapiano is already 'Naijapiano'. Everything we touch becomes better and bigger than it was and we pray it stays that way. And the thing about it is like you said, it’s all about having the right team. You need to understand that no artist is doing it by themselves. Wizkid, Burna Boy, Davido, Jay Z, Beyoncè, all have partners doing the hard work you don’t see. They have people who are being paid and taken care of properly, because they’re helping them build these things that you’re seeing and that's what's important. Once you have integrity in your team everything is possible.

Winning a reality TV show is only half the battle; coming out, owning the music industry and remaining relevant is an entirely different ball game. He responded when asked about the transition and staying a long time in what is a difficult business. “The thing is that the transition from a reality show to the industry is a transition in itself. Just because you win a reality show doesn't guarantee being a successful artist. Which is something most people always look for. But you have to go through transition. The thing is, some of these guys have been in studios for years; like studio rats and this is another opportunity. Then you have people like Kingdom who have never been in a studio before he got on the show. It's a different journey for each person. A lot of times it's not about talent; it’s about work ethics. The question is: Are you ready to put in the work and the hours to get the best of your talents? And that involves listening to the right people, and understanding that you need a team.” As an artist, fresh off a reality show or not, another way to make extra bucks for yourself is through endorsements and one of afrobeats biggest names, Davido is one of the voices of the 2022 World Cup soundtrack. Before that, he had bagged deals with Puma and Martell and let’s not forget the numerous deals he has in Nigeria. But despite being an exceptional artist, he couldn't have done it without an equally exceptional team. When asked how important having the right team is, he had this to say “Before you can ever dream about the money you have to get your music right. Money is the last thing on the road. So the first and most important thing is to get that manager/A&R that believes in the artist, that is going to be there with the artist and is going to be there for the journey. The PR agents and the guys who come and tell you ‘I have done this before’ are not the guys. Someone who has been with the artist, male or female, when he was nobody and was building with them(the artist) from the ground up is the person that normally takes the person all the way to the top. In terms of the strategies and ways, there’s a lot to learn, there are a lot of sources to use. But the truth of the matter is it all comes down to the strength and quality of your team and understanding that is not sorcery, it’s planning. In 2009/2010 we put Tuface and D’banj I believe on the 2010 World Cup soundtrack. it’s just that in those days Nigeria wasn’t reporting it like this. So in 2013, D’banj wasn't only on the soundtrack, he’s the official theme song for the African Cup of Nations

I'm working with the co-founder of the Nigeria NFT movement of about 2000 creators... the culture goes beyond the music industry, it goes to all creators. If you are a writer, publisher, content creator, producer and creative, then you have to pay attention to NFTs.”

Promotion of one's music, like A&R, is critical because it determines an artist's reach. TikTok, in particular, has served as an effective vehicle for that agreement. However, its long-term viability is a source of concern. The chairman of OutSource Media, who has many years of experience, sheds some light on this ”To answer your question right, everybody who has a release needs to have strategies for all these platforms. You can say oh I’m bypassing TikTok. It's impossible. If you do that you’re not serious. But at the same time, TikTok It’s not going to make an artist. TikTok can make a song blow or go viral, and get a billion streams, but that's not what is going to make an artist. what that is going to do is, the artist is going to get some income from the streams, the song is gonna get some recognition, but the artist still needs to be built in terms of having other music that’s going to sustain the interest. He has to be able to go out and perform through radio, TV, video and the rest of it, not just TikTok because TikTok is just 15 seconds; it’s like a DJ finding the hottest part of a song and sticking it in a mix. Thriller, TikTok, and Instagram reels and all of these things are very important but nothing is as important as a great song. If you have a great song it would translate beyond all platforms. When these things come, they will manifest in different places.” The volatile nature of the investment has made the growth of NFTs a touchy-feely subject. And although certain communities have embraced it, a large majority are still on the fence. When asked if we’d ever fully embrace it, he said, “Well, I already have embraced it. Whether or not Nigerians do, we are bringing them along. I'm working with the co-founder of the Nigeria NFT movement of about 2000 creators. And we are forming and launching other projects this year. So I’m in the lead on conversations to bring the culture and the culture goes beyond the music industry, it goes to all creators. If you are a writer, publisher, content creator, producer and creative, then you have to pay attention to NFTs.”

PAGE 11

SPECIAL EDITION • MONDAY APRIL 11 - 16, 2022

BEAUTY

THEWILL DOWNTOWN • www.thewilldowntown.com

EFFECTIVE REMEDIES FOR DARK CIRCLES

BY SOPHIA EDISI

ften accompanied by saggy bags, dark circles are common among women. Studies have shown that women with darker skin tones are more prone to hyperpigmentation around the eye area. For older women, aging is the most natural factor for dark circles because the skin becomes thinner and loses its elasticity as we age and have poor sleeping habits. Maintaining proper eye care goes a long way in avoiding baggy eyes. Other effective ways are in the forms of chemical peel and laser surgery. Even though it’s impossible to fully get rid of dark circles, here are simple ingredients and ways that deliver impeccable results to help you reduce the visibility of dark circles.

USE ALOE VERA EXTRACT

WEAR SUNSCREEN EVERYDAY Invest in a good under-eye moisturiser to protect your under-eye from harsh chemicals that make it easier for dark circles and bags to appear. Protecting your skin against the sun’s rays can help with several dermatological issues, like premature aging, and discoloration; as a result, wearing sunscreen daily helps with protection. Choose a lighter moisturiser for daytime and heavier eye cream before going to bed.

Aloe vera gel extract works like magic for almost all skin concerns. Massage aloe vera gel under your eyes and leave it overnight. It reduces inflammation, improves and supports mature skin, and is quite effective in naturally reducing the appearance of dark circles.

COCONUT OIL

Brightening Eye Cream OLAY

As a powerful natural and gentle anti-inflammatory ingredient, coconut oil is a very effective method for lightening dark circles. It also hydrates the skin perfectly and helps prevent wrinkles and fine lines. Before going to bed, massage a few drops of coconut oil under your eyes and leave it overnight.

APPLY RETINOL SERUM We all love retinoids for its numerous skin functions, one of which is that it helps to stimulate collagen production under the eyes, diminishing the appearance of fine lines and dark circles. It can only be applied at least twice a week to avoid irritation and redness.

PAGE 12

Pure Coconut Oil

Retinol Youth Renewal Serum MURAD SKINCARE

Aloe Vera And Water Lily Mask REVOLUTION SKIN

CLEANSE WITH ROSE WATER

Remove all excess oil present on the face and tone your skin evenly with rose water. With its antiinflammatory and calming properties, rose water can soothe and rejuvenate tired skin. All you have to do is soak a cotton pad in rose water and let it sit close to your eyelid for some minutes daily until you achieve your desired result.

Pure Rosewater CHANTECAILLE

SPECIAL EDITION • MONDAY APRIL 11 - 16, 2022

THEWILL DOWNTOWN • www.thewilldowntown.com

HEALTH

Autistic & Thriving

What You Should Know About Austism Spectrum Disorder BY KEHINDÉ FAGBULE

medical symptoms of ASD. Depending upon the child, certain treatments will be more successful than others. People with autism can also learn coping skills to help them manage their difficulties and even build on their unique strengths.

Fewa Otedola, Femi Otedola's Autistic Son

utism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is one of the most misunderstood disorders in the world. If you don't know someone who is struggling with it, you probably have no clue what it is about. It can be frustrating when people have misconceptions, are judgmental, or offer unsolicited advice. It is important to note that although ASD is a lifelong condition that can be challenging, with the right education, therapy, love, and care, autistic children are able to lead a great life as we have seen with Albert Einstein (Scientist and Mathematician), Anthony Hopkins (Actor), Elon Musk (Entrepreneur), Bill Gates (Co-founder of the Microsoft Corporation), Nikola Tesla (Inventor), Jerry Seinfeld (Comedian), and so on. To celebrate World Autism Month this April, here is all you need to know about Autism Spectrum Disorder.

What is Autism?

ASD refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviours, speech, and nonverbal communication. Autism is called a spectrum disorder precisely because it is characterized by a broad range of symptoms and abilities. People with autism can be high-functioning, low-functioning, or somewhere in-between. They can be highly intelligent and verbal, or cognitively challenged and nonverbal. The most significant shared symptom among people with ASD is difficulty with social communication, such as making eye contact, conversing, or understanding another's perspective.

Is There A Cure?

There is no known cure for autism, nor do people "outgrow" it. Autism is a lifelong diagnosis. Intensive early intervention may reduce ASD symptoms, and many effective treatments address the sensory, behavioural, developmental, and

What Causes It?

No one knows exactly what causes autism. Researchers believe it may be caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Pregnancy complications and parental age may also increase the risk. The notion that vaccines or "bad parenting" cause autism has been widely debunked by the medical community.

Is There An Autism School In Nigeria?

You may have heard of a wonderful "autism school," or read of a child doing amazingly well in a particular type of classroom setting. While a given setting may be perfect for a particular child, every child with ASD has unique needs. Decisions about the best type of education for a child with autism are generally made together by parents, teachers, administrators, and therapists who know the child well. There are several schools for children living with ASD in Nigeria. Special needs schools such as Patrick Speech and Languages Centre (Ikeja GRA, Lagos), Anthos House (Lekki Penninsula II, Lagos), Helping Hands Centre (Festac, Lagos), C.A.D.E.T. Academy (Asokoro, Abuja), to name a few.

Do People With Autism Have Feelings And Emotions?

People with autism are capable of feeling and expressing love, though some do so in idiosyncratic ways. Most are also able to have close relationships, including romantic relationships. A person with ASD may need help developing empathy because they may not be able to interpret what other people are feeling based on their body language. Downcast eyes or a turned back, for example, don't necessarily signal "sadness" or "anger" to a person with autism. However, if someone explains that another person is feeling sad or hurt, a person with ASD can respond with true empathy.

Families Dealing With Autism Need Help And Support

It can be hard to ask others for support, especially if they misunderstand the nature of autism. Therefore, one of the most important things to convey to family and friends is that having an autistic child can be hard. Even high-functioning autism can be challenging—for the person diagnosed with it as well as their family. For a family affected by severe autism, daily life can be overwhelming. If you're feeling stressed, you need all the non-judgmental help you can get from friends, extended family, and service providers.

Fewa Otedola And His Family

PAGE 13

SPECIAL EDITION • MONDAY APRIL 11 - 16, 2022

LIVING

THEWILL DOWNTOWN • www.thewilldowntown.com

Strawberries Water makes up about 91 per cent of the weight of strawberries. It doesn't appear to be that way, but it is. Strawberry consumption has been linked to a reduction in inflammation, as well as protection against illnesses and diabetes.

FRUITS

TO HELP YOU STAY HYDRATED THIS

Oranges This shouldn't come to you as a surprise. Oranges are filled with 88 per cent of liquid sweetness to nourish you, your family, and your friends this Ramadan.

RAMADAN

BY IDOWU LAMI

amadan is observed by Muslims all over the world on the ninth month of each Islamic calendar. It's a month of fasting, prayer, reflection, and fellowship. The annual observance of Ramadan is considered one of the Five Pillars of Islam and lasts from one sighting of the crescent moon to the next. As we mark the start of another Ramadan, we look at fruits that can help our Muslim brothers and sisters stay hydrated during this year's Ramadan.

Watermelon Make yourself a glass of watermelon juice or just chump down on the actual fruit, either way, you're going to get a hydrating bust of water and its fruity flavour. You can have it for suhoor (the meal eaten at predawn) or at iftar(the nightly feast).

PAGE 14

Cucumbers With about 95 per cent of water in cucumber, this vegetable shouldn't be hard to include in your diet this fasting season.

SPECIAL EDITION • MONDAY APRIL 11 - 16, 2022

THEWILL DOWNTOWN • www.thewilldowntown.com

websights DOWNTOWN

BY KEHINDÉ FAGBULE

THE GOAT CONVERSATION Wizkid's Grammy Snub Blows The Race To Afrobeats Supremacy Wide Open

Wizkid

Burna Boy

Davido

mid the insurgency up north and the confusion down south with no inkling of how we are going to get out of this political maze no thanks to the rather sluggish preparation for next year's election, one question lingers: who is the goat of Afrobeats? If last week's turn of events were anything to go by, it is a debate designed to have no conclusion. The competition that spans a decade as a two-man rivalry has in recent times morphed into a three-horse race courtesy of one impressive CV addition in the little matter of a Grammy award plaque. The Grammys didn't always register this much interest in mainstream Nigeria. Except you are Femi Kuti, getting a Grammy podium finish did not exactly look attainable. However, that changed at the same time that the Recording Academy decided to give the Best Global Music Album category a facelift, two years ago. When Burna Boy lost the Grammy to ace Pan-African legendary rockstar, Angélique Kidjo, the conversation on who could finally deliver the highly coveted holy grail began to happen. A year after, Burna Boy who seemed to have gotten the cheat sheet on how to make an album tailored to appease the white men over at the Recording Academy, won the plaque with his second entry in as many years. Coming off the back of Burna Boy’s historic Grammy win, permutations and projected expectations have been ongoing to predict who the next person to lay hands on the gramophone will be. Although Wizkid has a gramophone of his own in his possession for his contribution to Beyoncé's Brown Skin Girl, he is yet to win big on the night based on his own personal project. Of the three names in the hat is another afrobeats great, Davido. The African superstar who has never gotten a Grammy recognition has made up for it in other areas, placing Afrobeats firmly on the world map. As Nigerians anticipated the Grammy night with a conviction of victory for Wizkid, Davido stole the headlines just before the night. He was called to be a part of the official Qatar FIFA World Cup anthem and ultimately performed at the group stage draw of one of the most popular sports competitions in the world.

As Davido faithfuls (AKA 30BG) held on to their win over the weekend and Wizkid faithfuls (AKA FC) held out for a potential Grammy win, Twitter was bound to go into a frenzy. And into a frenzy, it went. Reactions rolled in by the second. Here are some of the best ones.

Angélique Kidjo’s Grammy Win

The checks and balances in terms of record sale statistics, sold-out shows, and award recognitions that ensure that they all remain relevant to this very day are quite clear to see with the immense amount of talent that is split between all three of them. However, the Grammy awards still call dibs as the most historically revered vote of approval in music; and so every top artist seeks the validation of the Recording Academy. Nigerians are not different. When Wizkid’s album Made In Lagos (Deluxe) was released last year, there were no questions on its strength—in composition and production—to lay a claim for a plaque on the big night. But the Recording Academy had other plans. The afrobeats sound is one that has been very heavy on the gospel of a good life—as opposed to black suffrage—a concept that we have been told is not exactly Pan-African as the perception of Africa to the world is one that is gloomy, dark, and far from a good life. And so critics often look for projects that paint a vivid picture that serves as an affirmation of their often ignorant views (or maybe not so ignorant) of the continent—projects embellished in whips and cotton lyricism and storytelling, for example, Burna Boy's inclusion of politically heavy messages on his Grammy-winning album Twice As Tall, as heard on Monsters You Made. That is taking absolutely nothing away from Angélique Kidjo’s Mother Nature album which is just as good (if not better) as every other project in the category, including Nigeria's Legacy+ by Femi and Mádé Kuti, and of course, Wizkid's Made In Lagos (Deluxe). It just encourages a stereotype of what an African genre should sound like—Mama Africa!

PAGE 15

SPECIAL EDITION • MONDAY APRIL 11 - 16, 2022

THEWILL DOWNTOWN • www.thewilldowntown.com

BY BOLUWATIFE ADESINA Movie Review:

MORBIUS

Scan this with your camera to access the playlist (Apple Music)

Playlist for the week

Spoiler Warning: This review contains plot details about Morbius. promising – he has increased speed, agility, and strength to go along with various bat-like abilities (like echolocation) – but it comes at a price: like a vampire, he must consume blood at regular intervals. Although the artificial blood initially works, he realizes that, over time, he will have to start drinking real blood to stay alive. Michael is horrified by the implications but Milo, who steals a vial of the serum and injects himself, doesn’t share his friend’s compunctions. The two become rivals and, as Michael hunts down Milo with the goal of stopping him, Michael’s girlfriend, Martine Bancroft (Adria Arjona), continues to work diligently in the lab. Morbius is the kind of bland, by-the-numbers origin story that shows comic book movies at their least innovative. It follows a familiar trajectory that shows the hero and villain gaining their powers, baiting one another, then eventually fighting to the death. The ending is anticlimactic and most of the pyrotechnics and associated special effects seem anything but “special” in 2022. They’re not bad; they’re just a little overused and uninspired. When the titular character employs echolocation, the result looks cool but makes no sense whatsoever. Evidently, little effort was expended on figuring out how to make this sensible and coherent on-screen. Director Daniel Espinosa seems more interested in making a horror movie than a superhero/supervillain one. The tension between the two genres is evident and not always fruitful. For a vampire story, the film is hampered by the PG-13 rating, and Morbius’ position in Sony’s Spider-Man spinoff universe disallows the film to get too dark. Michael is presented sympathetically as a tragic figure whose only real “out” may be suicide. But the movie rushes past the ethical quandary on the way to the obligatory smack-down and the potentially confusing credits scenes that seem desperate to establish a future team-up of Spider-Man baddies. (Something similar was started at the end of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 but gained no traction.) In terms of faint positives, Jared Leto’s established intensity is on display. He’s broody and moody but his work here lacks the energy with which he invested his other comic book character, The Joker (in Suicide Squad). Here, he’s overshadowed by Matt Smith, who gives it his all and is about as far away from his milquetoast incarnation of Doctor Who as one might imagine. Despite only being a little over 90 minutes long, Morbius is a chore to sit through. It lacks imagination, zest, and a thrill of discovery. While similar charges could be leveled against Sony’s first Spider-Man villain spin-off, Venom, at least that film had a sense of humour. It was also really fun to laugh at. Leto plays this with a seriousness that even Putin might find dour. It’s too early to condemn any eventual Sinister Six project but, unless better writing is involved, it’s going to make the theatrical release of Justice League look like a masterpiece.

Sony/Columbia Pictures was on a nice roll recently with their Spider-Man-related movies: Into the Spider-Verse, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, and Spider-Man: No Way Home. It has all come to a screeching halt with Morbius. Although it would be difficult to argue that the studio has wasted all the goodwill it has accumulated in the past few years, the bloom is definitely off the rose. Morbius is not only a massive disappointment but the marketing campaign promised more to fans than this generic, by-the-numbers origin story was able to deliver. Although the multiverse shenanigans from Spider-Man: No Way Home is sampled in a perfunctory fashion, that doesn’t happen until midway through the end credits when Michael Keaton (who for some curious reason is featured in the film’s advertising) makes his overdue appearance…which lasts all of about a minute. Morbius opens with a scene that feels like it might have been taken out of a mid-20th century vampire movie. An emaciated Dr. Michael Morbius (Jared Leto), barely able to walk, disembarks from a helicopter to approach the opening of a large cavern that is home to a colony of vampire bats. He slits open his hand and extends it, inviting the bats to feast on his blood. They swarm around him and we’re treated to a flashback from Michael’s childhood at a sanitarium in Greece. It chronicles his meeting with lifelong friend Milo (played as an adult by Matt Smith) and illustrates his genius as a scientist/ engineer. Most of the story takes place in New York City, where Michael has relocated as an adult. During his life, in an attempt to find a cure for the rare blood disease that afflicts him and Milo, he has invented a form of artificial blood but his most promising experiments cross the line into the realm of the unethical and involve splicing bat and human DNA. Feeling that time is running out, Michael makes himself human trial #1. The results are 3/10.

PAGE 16

Scan this with your camera to access the playlist (Spotify)

Adekunle Gold - Mercy

Asake Ft Burna Boy - Sungba (Remix)

Black Sherif - Kwaku the Traveller

Black Sherif ft Burna Boy - Second Sermon (Remix)

DLMT - One Drink

Joe Stone ft your friend polly Brand New

Koffee - Pull Up

Skiibii - Trenches

Snakehips ft EARTHGANG Run It Up

Watch of the Week

Inventing Anna

Netflix’s Inventing Anna is the kinda, sorta true story about a devil in Dior dress who worked her way into New York’s elite with nothing more than hubris and an iPhone. Produced by Shonda Rhimes and starring Julia Garner as Anna Delvey, aka Anna Sorokin, aka “the SoHo Grifter,” the story covers multiple timelines, following Anna’s ascent in New

York as well chronicling disgraced journalist Vivian Kent (Anna Chlumsky)who is a fictionalized take on New York Yaw Tog ft Bad Boy Timz - Azul writer Jessica Pressler, whose story the show is based on. the rise. But even though she’s Despite the interwoven great in the role, the series is storylines, the tale is pretty plagued with the same issues straightforward: Anna is a that seem to ail many new Netflix liar and this is how she got series: too many installments. caught. The story is riveting, While episodes such as Anna’s not because of what Anna escapades in Morocco and the did, but because of the scope fleecing Alan Reed (Anthony of what she almost achieved. Anna didn’t merely steal a few Edwards) are narrative highpoints, the entirety of Inventing Anna bucks from gullible friends and wrangle a few free stays in could have easily been edited to hotels. She got high-powered, a manageable 4-6 hours, at the highly-respected men of great very least. Ultimately, viewers are left with a means to invest in her ideas, earning nearly upwards of $20 captivating story about a Gen-Zer who almost girlbossed her way million for her efforts. to the top. The series could have With her baffling inflection greatly benefited from a tighter and transformative physical narrative, but it’s a fun watch abilities Garner –best known regardless, providing an insider’s for her Emmy-winning role look at the modern jet setter, in Ozark– is hypnotic as Anna. where the idea of wealth is more She’s a chameleon and her important than the ability to pay impressive body of work an Amex card. suggests a massive talent on