The air in Victoria Island smelt damp like it’s always been before it became Lagos’ sweltering upscale residential and business district. Not much has changed about Victoria Island, or post-independence Lagos, except its bustling rock music (Afro-rock) scene.
Spotting a gothic-themed two-piece apparel, with a thigh belt, Clayrocksu, one of the leading voices of the latest rock music renaissance in Nigeria, climbed the stage with a warm smile. With a handful of rockheads at the Hard Rock Café that evening, she clutched her electric guitar and introduced her set with a riveting riff.
A handful of other rising rockstars also performed that fateful evening, last Friday, at the Afro Rockstars’ bi-weekly live showcase. Musicians like The Recurrence, Jazz Priest, and more, performed their original compositions and famous covers, with the charisma and gusto of typical rockstars.
From Clayrocksu’s warm fusions of Jazz, RnB and Rock, to The Recurrence’s indigenous rock ballads, the evening presented an overall relaxing feel, as the audience sipped their cold drinks and quenched their thirst for the rapid and dramatic riffs of Rock music in Lagos.
In the turn of the ‘60s, the Nigerian rock music scene kicked off with pioneer bands like The Funkees, The Hygrades, and Ofege, who toured with their hits and expanded the rock fanbase. Later, the millennium brought a more sombre and fluid approach to rock music here, with the likes of NEO, Lagbaja, and Iyke Onka, among others.
Now, the rock music scene is in its most electronic era, with more airy programming and digital synthesisers being the norm. But the genre still struggles to fit among the contemporary sound palette of today’s Nigeria — hence, the birth of the AfroRock Stars Collective to its rescue.
“A new wave of rock stars has risen. Earlier this year, I reached out to every rock artist I could find letting them know they weren’t alone in this journey. In the past, we have all relied too heavily on fans to build the community.”
“This time, Afro Rock musicians are taking charge, working together as a unified force. There’s no competition, only a shared passion, zeal, and love for our craft,” Clayrocksu, who started the collective, explained.
With at least 13 active members, including acts like Tayo Creed, Nina, and Chris Goth, among others, who rotate performances on each showcase night, the collective continues to promote the rock scene with their activities and vision. “
We now have Afro-Rock as a recognised genre on Google. We also have an editorial playlist on spotify. We are also planning a tour. All these and more by our collective efforts,” Clayrocksu said.
Stopping just an hour shy from midnight, the night at Hard Rock café was alluring, despite the absence of extravagant stage design, or the presence of a monumental fanbase, signalling the never-say-die spirit that’s keeping both the genre and its enthusiasts alive in the country.
