#LamideLive... at #asaLiveInLagos encore

Hi guys, Lamide Akintobi here! How is May going for you so far? It's been a busy couple of weeks, and whenever life gets hectic, I can't help but reminisce about the most recent things I've done that made me happy. For me that was the May-Day holiday - A holiday weekend is always chock-full of activity, and this one was no different. May Day weekend was LIT!

On April 29^th, the incomparable Asa came back to Lagos for her “Asa Encore: Live in Lagos” concert. I’d never been to an Asa concert, although I’ve seen her perform at other events. But I knew, from reviews of last year’s concert, that it was an experience I couldn’t miss again. So off I went, ticket in hand, to experience the magic myself. Unfortunately, due to ticket hustling outside, I missed a couple of the opening performances, but I caught Aramide, Lindsey Abudei, Funbi and Omolara. Aramide put up a great show as usual. I’m definitely a fan. I have to say I was hugely impressed by Lindsey Abudei, because despite a restless crowd and sound glitches, she managed to keep her cool and wow us all. I don’t envy any performer in front of thousands of people when there’s a problem going on she can’t fix, and literally has nowhere to run. Next, Mr. Funbi and his sweet voice came on, after which Omolara, who I knew of only as a songwriter, came and slayed! Beautiful songs, beautiful performance. I’d pay to hear this group of performers in a small venue, any time.

Eventually, (because it seems inevitably, Nigerian events just don’t start on time), Asa came up on the stage and the magic began. 

Pure magic!

Weaving her stories through all her songs with help from her amazing 30 piece orchestra and backup singer/manager/sister/friend Janet, Asa was on fire! She shared funny stories (she said she may turn to stand-up comedy if this whole singing thing doesn’t work out) to a poignant story of how she got signed in France, even showing us her flirty side during one of the songs, when she sat on the lap of one of the orchestra members to ask him if he had a girlfriend. From ‘Awe’ to ‘Moving on’ to classics like ‘Eiye Adaba’ and ‘Be my man,’ the crowd laughed, sang along, and I know I got my entire life. 

Asa and her amazing 30-piece Orchestra

When she sang my personal favorite diss track ‘Bimpe’ – you could hear the sheer joy as people joined in. And yes, I said diss track. Ask a Yoruba person to translate that song for you and you’ll know what I’m saying is true J With a set like that, accompanied by that orchestra, eve the set design and lights contributed to the magic - staying on your tush all night wasn’t an option, VVVIP or not! 

2 outfit changes and many songs later, the event was over and we all went home, basking in the afterglow of Asa’s magic. 

Don't I look dazed by the magic? Lol!

Lamide, signing out!

#TosynTravels By the deserts of Saint Louis...

I went to Senegal in March. It was a quick and brief trip as i had only a few days off work and also had to host #TosynsBuzzLive, well live, on Pulse.

Brief but well worth it.

I think it is interesting that not all Africans travel within Africa, especially around countries where as Nigerians for example, we do not need visas. There are actually a lot of countries, for example, ECOWAS countries, where Nigerians can enter without visas and they are beautiful places.

There is a lot to s.h.a.r.e about my trip to Senegal so expect to see little posts from time to time. Today, i would like to s.h.a.r.e specifically about Saint Louis.

Saint Louis is also known as 'Ndar' in Wolof and is home to the famous Saint Louis Jazz Festival which i unfortunately missed this year but will pencil down for next year by His Grace.

Saint Louis is a simple place, with narrow roads s.h.a.r.ed by cars like the taxi that drove us there, bicycles and horses and carriages. It was fascinating to see horses, not in the randomly grazing on a field or playing polo context, but actually on the road beside me, taking people to work.
On the side of some roads was water water water with canoes and people fishing.

We stayed at the beautiful Hotel Mermoz which really was my favourite of all the hotels i stayed in there. First the rooms were simple, spacious and had a home feel to them, but the real joy was all the sand and sea we were surrounded by.

I loved nothing more than to walk around and take pictures, or sit outside to read in the sand.
If you go to Saint Louis. please do check them out.

They offer guided tours and Aurelien went on one. I will beg him to write about it. I spent the time doing what i love doing most- sleeping, eating, and walking.

We headed back to Dakar by road. But this time, not via the busy intercity roads we came by, but via the desert. And that was when the fun tripled.

Picture this- you, a jeep, water and sand with birds so close by and you driving not just BY the water, but actually IN the water, going past fishing villages and villagers. I loved it!

Then we went to one of the deserts proper and drove round then got back to the fishing villages and then headed into town proper.

(It was not all fun and romance though as we got caught up in the worst traffic ever. I live in Lagos so if i think a traffic situation was bad, you know it was BAD).

So where to go? Saint Louis
When to go? Aim for May to catch the Saint Louis jazz festival
Who to go with? A friend, bridal party, or your partner
What to pack? If you are in your hotel you can do shorts and bikinis but for trips around the town, keep it stylish but modest.
What to try? Definitely the ...

#OAP101 Want to get on radio? Start a podcast now!

Hi all.

I do hope your week is off to a great start.

Mine sure is. I feel very productive today and i have been able to do a few of my to-dos before 12pm which means i can count this as a productive day for sure.

Today i wanted to touch on a question i get asked a lot in varying ways. The summary is- how do i get on radio? You can listen to the OAP 101 podcast here where i go in depth with different tips.

While the podcast gives different tips, i am tackling one tip- starting a podcast.

When people ask me about how to get on radio, i advise them to get a podcast first. Why?
- Podcasts are relatively free and easy to begin. With your phone and a host platform like Soundcloud for example, you can start broadcasting to the world.
- Starting a podcast and working on it regularly will train you for when you do get on radio. And thirdly
- You can start gaining a following which means you become more attractive to potential employers.

If you do want to start your podcast, here are three quick things to do
- Think of WHAT you want your podcast to be about. I personally have the OAP 101 podcast which is tips for aspiring media personalities, the Tosyn Bucknor Show podcast which is like a summary of my show on radio with extras, the daily news podcast, and i am about to kick off two new ones.

Decide what you want your podcast to be about and you are off to a great start.

- Decide on the style, and time. Also, think of a schedule in terms of when you record, if you edit, when you edit, and lastly when you publish and where.

- START! s.h.a.r.e and tell a friend about it!

If you have follow up questions please do ask in the comments. Otherwise you can shoot me a quick dm on Twitter or Instagram