Simi at Trace Live: The original 'Mad O' [Pulse Event Review]
The two-hour set has to be up for Nigeria's single best performance of 2019.
Simi at Trace Live. (Pulse Nigeria)
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Sometimes, music also takes the form of water; at its calmest, it is a conveyor of peace and happiness. But at its most chaotic, it creates boundless energy from the fusion of sounds and births beauty.
Simi is not just an incredible artist who has released two beautiful albums back-to-back. Anytime she takes to a stage, she is one of the few Nigerian artists who know how to effortless merge rudimentary stage craft, musical synergy with the backing acts (band and singers), unique connection with the audience and an ability to morph into almost anything while on stage.
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She never misses a step and neither does she miss a breath. At will, she also draws from the fan base she has patiently amassed over the past 10 years. Her appreciation for this fan base is equally incredible. All these were on display at Terra Kulture on October 25, 2019 as Simi thrilled an eager Trace Live crowd.
Pulse arrived on scene before most people and saw members of the audience arrive. The joy and enthusiasm can almost be seen jumping out of people as they made their way from their vehicles onto the red carpet and then into the venue for the event.
From the Pepsi stand to the alcohol stand, people zanku'ed, gbeku'ed and gbese'd their anticipation for the main event as 'Soapy' 'inspired people.
At 9:10 pm, Comedian, Bollylomo rallied SimiArmy by making them shout-out the songs they will like to see their favourite, Simi perform. This went on for about 10 minutes with some of the most beautiful Nigerian women proudly flaunting their 'membership' of SimiArmy. This happened by showcasing their knowledge of the singer's discrography.
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Bollylomo left the stage at 9:20 pm and Simi made her appearance at 9:37 pm to a rousing reception. From then on, the audience was serenaded. The first song she performed was 'Angelina.' It gave us the first taste of the band we were to enjoy for two hours - it was a blessing.
Songs like 'Loving,' 'Love On Me' followed. The latter track also featured an incredible drum-heavy interlude. The synergy between Simi and her band is not what simple rehearsals can birth. A band can only connect that effortlessly with an artist on a spiritual level. Even when Simi obviously does something spontaneously, her band was there to pick it up with no gaps or lags.
The next songs that were performed include Zoro's 'Stainless,' 'Jamb Question,' 'Gone For Good,' and 'Hallelujah.'As Simi was about to perform 'By You,' her duet with husband, Adekunle Gold, she was positively shocked when he joined her on stage spotting braids. The crowd particularly enjoyed the moment Gold planted a soft kiss on Simi's left cheek before exiting the stage.
Simi at Trace Live. (Pulse Nigeria)
Pulse Nigeria
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Mad O!
Things started heating up. 'Smile For Me' was accompanied by a triumphant instrumentation that seems destined for a church or the closing scenes of an epic movie. All the while, she was excitedly saying "Mad O!" Nigeria's new catchphrase to connote surprise. Th energy then spread to the audience.
Before 'Original Baby' was performed, Simi used incredible instrumentation and the energy of four female dancers as aid for the timeless piece of a fast-paced beat. Their waists swayed to the rhythm conjured by a brilliant show that left Simi with no choice but to Zanku. Then, the song began. 'Ayo' felt like the best performance yet, then we got into 'Mind Your Business.'
As the song pulled to a close, SImi roused her audience with a segway into Fela's songs. 'Charlie' was then performed before Simi again surprised her audience with a medley of 'Doyin,' 'Foreign' and 'Hip-Hop Hurray' with the cleanest segues. At this point, we were reaching boiling point, but we wanted more.
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Simi obliged with the most energetic rendition of Mr. Eazi's 'Surrender,' which ended with a soukous blend. One of her dancers jumped on stage and went mad with the waist rhythm. Then, Simi performed 'Smile For Me' and 'Love Don't Care.'
As the show drew to a close, Simi came back from the slower paced songs to breakneck energy. 'O Wanbe' and 'Aimasiko' represent some of this writer's favourite moments in Nigerian music. Not only did Simi kill it, it was just beautiful to watch her have fun. At this time, she confessed that she was given just one hour to perform, but she took two - we didn't care.
The performance ended with a faster-paced 'Joromi.' During the event, Simi said that there will be no Simi Live in December 2019, but that there will be a US Tour headlined by her in 2020.
On a final note, this is this writer's favourite stage performance by a Nigerian artist in 2019 - and he has been to a few shows. Mad o!
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Rating: 9.8/10
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