How many Nigerian award shows have lasted seven years? How many of them have succeeded in continuing a tradition that has captured the imagination of a generation so thoroughly that the artistic expressions and recognition are as intertwined as contemporary Nigerian music and The Headies? How often is an awards show a representative of a people’s reality as The Headies have become in today’s Nigeria? How many shows can boast of their invitations/tickets becoming bargaining chips between those who have and those who desire to have them? How many CEOs have the tenacity of Ayo Animashaun, who has kept the dream alive in the face of unmitigated challenges? Isn’t it rather confusing, therefore, that an awards show which has succeeded in doing the big things continues to fail in the small matters?
The 2012 edition of The Headies held at the expo hall of the Eko Hotel on Saturday October 20, 2012. At about 3pm that day, I took a stroll around the venue and saw many people working hard towards the event; artistes were rehearsing, set/lighting crew members could be seen hard at work; it pretty much looked as if all hands were on deck to ensure that guests at this year’s show will have a great time. I even saw a minute by minute breakdown of the whole show, which is the international standard for events of this importance. Why then did the show, billed to start at 9pm, not kick off until around midnight? If the show had been planned to the micro second, where then were there gaping holes throughout the show?
In my review of the Headies last year, I asserted that the transitions from one presentation or performance to another were so bad that one could have rushed home, cooked a pot of Nsala soup, make some Eba, have a sumptuous dinner and returned to the venue to discover that the show had not moved on from the point one left it. If the transitions were bad last year, they were worse this year. This year, after the Nsala and Eba, you could have taken your time to finish a medium-sized gourd of palmwine before contemplating your return to the show. Prolonged moments of silence, with the audience unaware of what was happening next were plentiful. The problem with this is that it makes nonsense of whatever high points have been achieved and ensures that the audience can’t even enjoy the next great moment fully, as their minds will already expect more silence afterwards. Constant interruptions hinder mind-blowing orgasms.
So what was great about the Headies this year? M.I and Omawumi were great. M.I delivered as was expected, and Omawumi was comfortable in her skin and it all looked effortless. This is a major improvement from last year. The performances were generally good, but the vocalists made my day. Bez and Praiz (who is developing into an awesome vocalist and confident performer) were wonderful. Timi Dakolo showed why he is reputed as one of the nations’ top vocalist in what was my performance of the night. Burna Boy deserves a big pat on the back for being a true performer. After that mighty fall – which we have now learnt was initiated by Tonto Dikeh’s god as punishment for daring to criticise her song – many artistes would have found a reason not to continue. He picked himself up and gave a good performance. The set designer also deserves some praise. The set worked without being intrusive and the screens were properly placed for maximum audience viewing. A lot more could have been done concerning ticketing and swapping for wristbands…some of the queues were so long that one may be forgiven for thinking the people on them were queuing to climb Mount Arafat.
The Headies is put together yearly by some of the brightest minds in the Nigerian entertainment sector. While a lot has been achieved thus far, it is perhaps safe to say that the sum of the parts that are behind the Headies is not a fair reflection of their brilliance. There is a disconnect between the people working on the project and the final product that is delivered. This in itself is worrisome, for if these great minds cannot deliver a mind-blowing show year after year, who can?
That the Headies continue to hold in spite of mounting obstacles is the biggest victory for the producers. Now that that victory has been won, it is time to really conquer the small things and give Nigerians an awards show that reflects the brilliance of the minds behind it and finally satisfies a continuous desire for true excellence.
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