1. How Amapiano District Started.

Inside Lagos’ First True Amapiano Experience

Amapiano District is the biggest Amapiano event in Lagos.

It is one of Lagos’ most consistent nightlife experiences, bringing together music lovers, DJs, and creatives around the sound that originated from South Africa but now lives loudly in Nigerian cities.

To understand how it started, what shaped it, and what keeps it going, I sat down with AY, the curator behind the movement, to talk about its journey, challenges, and what Amapiano means to Lagos today.

What is Amapiano District, and how would you describe it to someone who has never attended?

One of the things that you’ll have noticed over the last few years is that Amapiano sounds and sounds from South Africa have a lot of flavour to them, they are unique. You don’t know the language, but you dance.

And literally that’s what Afrobeat has done to the world, right, You’re here and Asake is singing in Yoruba, and people in Poland are vibing to it, afrobeats has gone global.

It’s a unique genre of music that sounds good, that evokes an emotion. Personally, I love Amapiano. And the sound was making waves,so we said, let Nigerians enjoy it. So it’s a celebration of good music, mainly Amapiano sounds.

And for you that you have not come here before, it is high energy and free.

I don’t think there’s any parties where people are most free like Amapiano, It’s not uptight. People are really dancing, digging it down. They don’t understand the language, but they’re catching the groove, its really, really, really high energy, very intimate. It gets a little bit packed.

Why did you feel there was a need for Amapiano District in Lagos (or Nigeria as a whole)?

I had spoken to my friends at BBC UK, So I knew that this thing (amapaino) was taking off already. So it was just like, how do we replicate it in Nigeria? And I went for it, I got really lucky cause we are still the only ones at it right now.

The story of the Idea of Amapiano District

AY: I had a friend come in from America , he had money he set up a lounge with the best sound system I Lagos as of that time. He had money to spend and so every thing was quality, the interior design of the place was black, a lot of black with green here and there and red. There was white as per the light bulbs or something. Looking around, seeing black, red and green with white, I was like, this looks like a flag, South Africa!!!

Eveywhere black, red, green. And they had patterns on the walls. Yeah, they had patterns. I was like, yo, this is Amapiano.

I said, “Let’s test your sound.” They plugged it in, and I realized they had one of the best sound setups in the country. The quality was impressive. He had spent a lot on it, the venue had spent a lot, and the sound team had also gone all out. Everything was done without holding back because he wanted the space to be perfect. That was when I said, “Alright, I’ll show you what we can do.” And that was how we first tested Amapiano.

Why did Amapiano District start in Abuja? Or why did they start in Port Harcourt? Why did you have to start in Lagos?

AY: In Lagos. Why Lagos? Lagos is the capital of entertainment. If you’re not popping in Lagos, nobody knows you, man. So Lagos is the place to be, man.

Amapaino district started in August, 2022. So this is actually after COVID. Well, yeah, a lot of things were actually changing.

This interview is in series, this is part 1, Click here for part 2

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