Over the weekend we fed hearts and souls with song and dance at Ayamba Meet & Greet. Both are intricately entwined, so it was effortless the way our guest, his friends and our audience were able to weave their talents into the evening.
Dance, Dance, Dance
Mandrel Mykels regaled us with his voice yet again as he sang a new song for the audience. Isaac Jiga Ulaka, Michael “Neon” Adiakwu and Isreal “Uglieee” Hassan also put on a show for us, with Yusuf “Iman” Emmanuel behind the camera. First they taught the audience a dance routine developed from Burna Boy’s song titled 20:10:2020. The dance takes its cue from the song, interpreting the words using universal motions to help drive its point. They followed this up with another brief performance, dancing to “Love & life” – Basketmouth, Johnny Drill, SIMI and MI Abaga.
In the Mind of Jiga
Nothing beats a childhood spent pursuing a dream your family and friends believe in. It emboldens you, fuels your spirit and gives you the mettle required to achieve those dreams. Pride and joy comes from the ability to keep on doing the things you love and the more milestones you achieve, the stronger these emotions, despite the hardships endured to get there.
That has been Jiga’s journey in a nutshell and the dignity and delight he has felt since walking this path was evident during the show. However, the picture he painted was not all sunshine and rainbows. In 2015 he dropped everything in his life at the time to pursue the opportunity of performing on the international stage and while he did eventually do so, it took years to achieve. Hard work and perseverance saw him through.
With his ties to Kpop and the Korea dance scene, Jiga could have made a life for himself over there. Yet he’s decided not to do so until he can take a troupe of Nigerians along with him. His dedication to the dance community and youth in particular is undeniable and something many have criticised over the years, but still he pushes on, undaunted.
To catch up on the entire chat, watch the video below.
What’s next?
While Jiga has us waiting for his next major performance on July 22nd, we have a hint for next month’s event. Think fashion and design.
Otokolamenyi!
