Decades ago, the musical airwave of Nigeria was captivated with the spell of Awilo Longomba, a Congolese musician and dancer.
It is often said, jokingly, that all children born between 1998 and 2002 are natural dancers or atleast could move limbs and shake waist like “Awilo style” – a kind of dance where you stretch your arms, bend your knees and twist your waist.
Apparently, there hasn’t been any other musician from Africa that has/had the kind of popularity Awilo had till date. He was so popular that even a toddler of 8 months could hum to his rhythm. A crying baby will begin smiling on hearing the sound of his song.
There was no internet or social media being ubiquitous in those days, neither was there any much medium of publicity to accelerate his fame but he still sold out; to mothers, fathers, children, old and young including animals. Children gathered in the streets to organize dance competition with Awilo songs. They didn’t care if he sang in French or not.
Awilo filled up 45,000 capacity National Stadium in Surulere, Nigeria in 2000.
He also filled up 22,000 capacity Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium in Enugu, Nigeria. In 2003, Awilo Longomba filled up 30,000 capacity Jolly Nyame Stadium in Jalingo, Taraba State. (No Nigerian artists have filled up a Nigerian stadium till date)
He was arguably the hottest Artist in Nigeria then. Awilo wasn’t popular in DR Congo, his home country like he was in Nigeria, an English speaking country.
(C) DJKaykang (NigeriaMusicChart)
OUR ADVICE TO WEST AFRICAN ARTISTS TRYING TO PENETRATE NIGERIAN MARKET IS TO BE LIKE AWILO. HE DID NOT PUSH FOR IT. HE DID NOT ABUSE NIGERIANS. NIGERIANS JUST FELL IN LOVE WITH HIS MUSICAL GENRE ALL OF A SUDDEN AND FRANTICALLY SOUGHT HIM OUT.
….Post sponsored by IbileMediaTV.
