Showbiz, Lagos & the rest of Us
I was born in Lagos, like many other children of the 80s. But unlike other kids who left Lagos; the mothership on thier own volition and not occasioned by National Service, marriage or job transfer. I left lagos because frankly: I got tired of the same old, same old cycle. Newly baked with a Applied Info Technology first degree and brimming with ideas, excitement for the future as the next IT Guru, things gradually became stale. Everyone was doing the same thing; annoyingly also : in the same way.
So long, fare thee well, Lagos said to me! And I trudged on...hopeful that these Egyptians I see today...... (u know how it ends) my destination? The Federal Capital and commonly known Corridors of Power - Abuja. But in abuja, I found luxury, easy cash, connections, usurpers and squandering, but I also found my degree amounted to nothing. IT then was the exclusive preserve of young "computer school" leavers only versed in installation, repairs and a little bit of networking. Enjoyable but disappointing indeed.
Dust off Abuja and set to try another geopolitical zone, the South-South with Port Harcourt in mind. After two Christmas's spent in the Oil City, I realised IT and I had different ideas about each other and we temporarily parted ways. The new occupant of my passion was an old lover I split with during childhood- Showbiz. (I know you are tired of the stories, but from here on is the reason for this post). Showbiz from my own perspective I.e. TV, Radio, Movies, Print does not exist in any other state other than Lagos.
Lets call a spade a cousin of a shovel (Lol) Nobody really takes you serious if you have no affiliation with Lagos. Entertainers not only live there, but stamp thier feet stronlgy there. All others living outside there have some connection of some sort to Lagos. Showbiz entrepreneurs set up shop in Lagos and from there, they control happenings everywhere else. In fact, anything beyond the borders of Lagos is regarded as the great backwaters of Nigeria.
Suprisingly enough, all practitioners who made Lagos showbiz industry as GARGANTUAN as it is today were migrants from other states which form the backwaters it is today. The top 5 rappers undisputedly in Nigeria come from the North and Eastern Nigeria, the best singers in Nigeria, now and in the past are migrants from all other parts of Nigeria except for Lagos. Yet, the soup in the pot Is more regarded than the ingredients used to make it.
Nobody recalls where they come from to the land they suffer and toil to build, the proverbial NO MANS LAND which ironically has a king(s). No one remembers where they came and how to build up to become a territory worth referring. Corporate entities entice these migrants to return home with monetary incentives and show the talents that sprouted there initially. Sometimes, I wonder how it feels to stand in the same crowd and say the same thing over and over again.
Lagos is simply put can be defined as Showbiz Recycled. Nothing new...... Events are organized for the same people in the same venues by the same brands, monotonous! The songs written for the public are actually for the Lagos public. No regard is placed for any other type of audience. Entertainers believe they have conquered Nigeria after they leave Lagos, next? UK, US and maybe Canada. Corporate Nigeria also is complacent in this, Lagos only gets the most attention in allocations for events funding, promos and what have you. The so-called Reality Show Auditions, the Road Shows and other events are organised in say...3 or 4 states with the grand finale always in Lagos! Even the proportion of the other shows is nothing compared to King Kong Lagos!
If Lagos is all and all, why set up massive outposts in other states? Is Lagos alone the formative for your client base? How will Nigeria grow if we carry on like that? In the US, there is New York (like Lagos in a lot of ways), yet there is Los Angeles, Baltimore, Detriot, Las Vegas and any more. No one is deprived, no one is left behind.
ThT
So long, fare thee well, Lagos said to me! And I trudged on...hopeful that these Egyptians I see today...... (u know how it ends) my destination? The Federal Capital and commonly known Corridors of Power - Abuja. But in abuja, I found luxury, easy cash, connections, usurpers and squandering, but I also found my degree amounted to nothing. IT then was the exclusive preserve of young "computer school" leavers only versed in installation, repairs and a little bit of networking. Enjoyable but disappointing indeed.
Dust off Abuja and set to try another geopolitical zone, the South-South with Port Harcourt in mind. After two Christmas's spent in the Oil City, I realised IT and I had different ideas about each other and we temporarily parted ways. The new occupant of my passion was an old lover I split with during childhood- Showbiz. (I know you are tired of the stories, but from here on is the reason for this post). Showbiz from my own perspective I.e. TV, Radio, Movies, Print does not exist in any other state other than Lagos.
Lets call a spade a cousin of a shovel (Lol) Nobody really takes you serious if you have no affiliation with Lagos. Entertainers not only live there, but stamp thier feet stronlgy there. All others living outside there have some connection of some sort to Lagos. Showbiz entrepreneurs set up shop in Lagos and from there, they control happenings everywhere else. In fact, anything beyond the borders of Lagos is regarded as the great backwaters of Nigeria.
Suprisingly enough, all practitioners who made Lagos showbiz industry as GARGANTUAN as it is today were migrants from other states which form the backwaters it is today. The top 5 rappers undisputedly in Nigeria come from the North and Eastern Nigeria, the best singers in Nigeria, now and in the past are migrants from all other parts of Nigeria except for Lagos. Yet, the soup in the pot Is more regarded than the ingredients used to make it.
Nobody recalls where they come from to the land they suffer and toil to build, the proverbial NO MANS LAND which ironically has a king(s). No one remembers where they came and how to build up to become a territory worth referring. Corporate entities entice these migrants to return home with monetary incentives and show the talents that sprouted there initially. Sometimes, I wonder how it feels to stand in the same crowd and say the same thing over and over again.
Lagos is simply put can be defined as Showbiz Recycled. Nothing new...... Events are organized for the same people in the same venues by the same brands, monotonous! The songs written for the public are actually for the Lagos public. No regard is placed for any other type of audience. Entertainers believe they have conquered Nigeria after they leave Lagos, next? UK, US and maybe Canada. Corporate Nigeria also is complacent in this, Lagos only gets the most attention in allocations for events funding, promos and what have you. The so-called Reality Show Auditions, the Road Shows and other events are organised in say...3 or 4 states with the grand finale always in Lagos! Even the proportion of the other shows is nothing compared to King Kong Lagos!
If Lagos is all and all, why set up massive outposts in other states? Is Lagos alone the formative for your client base? How will Nigeria grow if we carry on like that? In the US, there is New York (like Lagos in a lot of ways), yet there is Los Angeles, Baltimore, Detriot, Las Vegas and any more. No one is deprived, no one is left behind.
ThT
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