Johnny Drille, Zainab Sule set to thrill rock lovers at annual festival

ayodele johnson

October 17, 2017 6:14 PM

The annual music event has helped in giving better exposure to the rock community in Nigeria.

Mavin Records Johnny Drille is among a list of artistes set to perform at the 2017 edition of the annual rock music festival, Rocktoberfest.

The singer who will be making an appearance for the second time is expected to be joined on stage by prominent musicians in the genre such as Nathmac, Zainab Sule, and Clay as they seek to thrill a crowd on Saturday, October 28, 2017, at the Freedom Park, Lagos.

New entrants Cill and Celeste who deal strictly in the Alternative category are also going to be getting an opportunity to prove their worth in the presence of teeming fans.

Rocktoberfest, which is in its third year has served as a terrace connecting the music stars with their audience. It is the only platform in Nigeria that has offered a home to rock artistes who are mostly greeted with nonchalance by most music devotees.

Its existence has given much needed exposure to exceptional acts like Nathmac who was nominated in the category of "Best Artiste in African Rock" at the 2017 All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) expected to hold in November.

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Even if he does not go home with the award, his selection in the grouping already points to the increasing strength of rock music in the country which now looks to have gained more attention this year. Rock artistes have realized that they need to be proactive in their push for the prominence of the genre.

This has seen more releases, be it an EP or just a single. The activities have gone a long way in checking the opinion of critics in their condemnation of the potential of rock and its sub-genres.

The artistes themselves have grown a lot of confidence, making bold statements that saw Cill submit a belief that the sparsely patronized genre can one day overtake mainstream music in terms of acceptance.

ayodele johnson