Strings, Stories & Stardom: Adekunle Gold’s Wole Soyinka Centre Masterclass
A Cultural Venue Turned Concert Hall
NIGERIAN highlife-pop sensation Adekunle Gold transformed the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts into a hub of melodic celebration on Friday night, drawing hundreds of music lovers for an intimate live show that fused culture, storytelling, and live instrumentation. Unlike conventional arena concerts, the venue’s cultural heritage added theatrical depth, with acoustic arrangements and traditional undertones amplifying the emotional weight of AG’s performance.
Olamide’s Surprise Stamp of Approval
The night peaked early when rapper and YBNL founder Olamide made a surprise entrance, personally introducing Adekunle Gold to the audience. Olamide praised AG’s artistic discipline and genre-bending excellence, calling him one of Nigeria’s most polished live performers—an endorsement that electrified the crowd and set a reverent tone for the evening.
A Performance Beyond Playback
Adekunle Gold delivered live renditions of his biggest records, supported by a full band, weaving between highlife strings, soft percussion, and vocal layering. He paused between sets to narrate personal inspirations behind select songs, deepening audience connection. Fans sang along to tracks from his multi-album discography, shifting seamlessly from love ballads to reflective anthems, accompanied by fluid choreography and subtle cultural symbolism in costume and stage design.
Audience Verdict: ‘The Music Felt Real’
Concertgoers hailed the authenticity of the show. Music enthusiast Adebayo Olatunji called it “soothing yet powerful,” while Funke Adeyemi said hearing the songs live gave them “deeper meaning.” Others praised the organisers for choosing a cultural centre over conventional event halls, describing the night as uplifting and artistically intentional.
