February Artmosphere thrilled with love stories in Lagos
By Editor
IT was an intimate session at the February edition of Artmosphere Nigeria last week Saturday, February 23, 2025 at the Aramide Hub, Surulere. The event that had as theme ‘Loving and Living’ played host to musicians BR Olorin, Edez, Seunsax and ClassicIBK. The arts, culture, and social conversation also featured visual artist, Qwest.
Engaging the theme founder, Femi Morgan asked the author whether they have travelled outside their comfort zones to meet a lover or loved one who lived far away. While some members of the audience stated that they had gone from Lagos to Osun, Ilorin to Abuja, Kano to Lagos, and they had also had lovers traverse miles to meet their them, others objected.
On the floor of Aramide Hub, the conservatives feared the risks, lamented the frequent news of kidnapping, killings, insecurity and accidents. However, the liberals countered by stating that love is about commitment and travelling to meet friends and lovers and vice versa help solidify intentions.
Some members of the audience who contributed to the topic were writer and PR executive Babatunde Odubanwo, an events management executive Bomi George, a tech enthusiast Edesiri, an auditor Lydia Johnson and a businesswoman Joy Brown.
The conversation was interspersed with a medley from Seunsax and ClassicIBK who serenaded the audience with familiar and popular songs. When the music producer, ClassicIBK went solo, he dug into the chambers of nostalgia and performed songs from the 1990’s on his piano.
Odubanwo read from his unpublished novel about a randy young man from an upwardly mobile family and the pressures from family to have him settle down. He regaled with the character’s escapades while his family struggled with the implications to their buoyant family legacy.
Morgan mooted other layered questions on love and commitment which elicited several conversations, laughter, nostalgia, empathy and freedom. The audience members narrated deeply personal stories of their first love encounters and searing heartbreaks.
As the event was winding down, BR Olórin, an African folk and pop music artiste, brought the audience alive with songs of memory, diaspora and rich African cultural values. His song, Ire Ojo, from his EP titled Lagiju did not only thrill the audience but it also led to few rain droplets. After deftly handling the guitar while ClassicIBK accompanied him, he believes that true art should ideally reflect both the character and the background of the artist.
Morgan closed the event by calling on Nigerians to support creativity, arts, culture, literature and develop a heart of fairness to everyone.
Following a brief hiatus, Artmosphere was relaunched in November 2024 to commemorate the founder’s birthday. The special edition featured prominent guests such as the Director of the National Council for Arts and Culture, Lagos Zone Mrs. Esther Ivie Igbinobia, poet laureate Tade Ipadeola, Public Relations expert John Ogue, social advocate Ennie Sophie Oluwa, Yoruba performance poet Aremo Gemini, poet Clementina Owumi Solutionist and visual artist Qwestman.
The event was relaunched at the Aramide Hub, a vibrant venue in Lagos’ cultural heart, Surulere. The space is dedicated to fostering artistic inspiration and expression through events, workshops and performances, embodying a commitment to nurturing Nigeria’s artistic ecosystem.
Guests and performers at the February Artmosphere
