Entertainment
Decemberissavybe: FirstBank Sponsors Kakadu the Musical
First Bank of Nigeria Limited has announced its sponsorship of Kakadu the Musical, a theatre production from the stables of Playhouse Initiative. The play, which is set to return to stage from 28 to 30 December 2023 at the Shell Hall, MUSON Centre, Lagos, is among the activities lined up in the 2023 edition of FirstBank’s annual DecemberIssaVybe.
Written and produced by Uche Nwokedi, Kakadu the Musical is a reverberating drama of survival and hope that trails the journey of four friends from different tribes – Emeka, Kola, Osahon and Dapo alongside their female counterparts -Bisi, Amonia, Enoh and Hassana as they navigate a crisis that would change their lives forever.
Set in the 1960s Lagos against the backdrop of a famous club Kakadu, the award-winning play will run from December 28 to 30, 2023 at the Shell Hall, MUSON Centre, Lagos. On the heels of its successful performances at the Nelson Mandela Theatre in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2017, Kakadu the Musical will thrill the Lagos audience with this nostalgic story that raises consciousness about friendship, humanity, love and nationalism.
Crafted with an emotional plot, Kakadu the Musical is a pulsating theatrical spectacle that blends Anglo-American soul, pop music with highlife, Afrobeat and Nigerian folk music. Although Kakadu, as a nightclub, is a metaphor for Nigeria’s social reality between 1965 and 1972, the story still resonates with present-day realities.
Kakadu the Musical fuels our collective memory with the truth about the consequences of ethnic bigotry, corruption and abuse of power. Through the plot structure, the playwright seeks to interrogate aspects of Nigeria’s history that obscures national unity.
While announcing the return of this box-office hit, the producer of Kakadu the Musical, Nwokedi remarks that musical promises to be exciting, reviving theatre patronage in the fast-paced city.
“Kakadu the Musical is like fine wine at 10. With the synergy of new and old cast members, the audience will enjoy a most exhilarating fusion of music, drama, fashion and dance. At Playhouse Initiative, we are keen on using these elements of arts to entertain and educate as well as to empower talented youths in the creative industry,’’ he says.
“We are excited to announce the return of Kakadu the Musical as the first of several activities lined up in our DecemmberIssaVybe bouquet this year. Kakadu the Musical is a successful export from Nigeria’s growing, admirable and globally renowned arts and entertainment industry. As a Bank woven into fabric of society for over 129 years, our First@arts initiative has played a pivotal role in the recognition of the abundant talents that abound in the country and we remain committed to being at the forefront of nation building; supporting through resourceful partnerships to build the Nigerian creative industry value chain which contributes to Nigeria’s GDP said Folake Ani-Mumuney, FirstBank’s Group Head, Marketing & Corporate Communication.’’
The FirstBank DecemberIssaVybe is a yearly campaign implemented to support the arts and entertainment sector in the country. During the month, the Bank provides more opportunities and platforms for yet another eventful Homecoming Experience for Nigerians. Foreigners are not left out as fun seekers are granted premium access to witness their favourite acts – live on stage and attend in-demand concerts and shows. DecemberIssaVybe is all about memories.
FirstBank has made the 2023 DecemberIssaVybe exciting, as many of its customers and social media followers will not forget the year in a hurry due to the premium experience(s) of participating in various A-list concerts and events, including: Adekunle Gold’s musical concert, Livewire Concert Night of Queen; Asake’s concert, Street Souk at Harbour Point, Duke of Shomolu Productions, Super Family, A True Christmas Story.
To participate, all that is required is to register on FirstBank’s website https://www.firstbanknigeria.com/home/impact/sponsorships/events/decemberissavybe/ and follow the Bank’s social media pages – Facebook: First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Instagram: @firstbanknigeria.
Shakira has announced the official song for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, featuring Nigerian Grammy-winning star, Burna Boy.
The Colombian superstar revealed on social media that the song, titled “Dai Dai,” will be released on May 14.
“From Maracaná Stadium, here is ‘Dai Dai,’ the FIFA World Cup Official Song 2026. Coming 5/14. We’re ready!” Shakira posted on X alongside a teaser for the track.
The announcement has sparked excitement among football and music fans, especially with Burna Boy becoming one of the African artists to feature prominently on a World Cup anthem.
Shakira is no stranger to World Cup songs. Her 2010 hit Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) became one of the most iconic football anthems in history during the tournament in South Africa.
Recent World Cup theme songs have also featured global stars. In 2014, Pitbull, Jennifer Lopez and Claudia Leitte performed We Are One (Ole Ola) for the tournament in Brazil.
For the 2018 tournament in Russia, Nicky Jam, Will Smith and Era Istrefi released Live It Up.
At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, FIFA rolled out multiple soundtrack songs, including Hayya Hayya (Better Together) by Trinidad Cardona, Davido and Aisha.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
This week, African Voices, the Globacom-sponsored magazine programme on CNN International, turns its searchlight on Ejatu Shaw the London-based photographer and multidisciplinary artist whose work continues to refract heritage into striking visual poetry.
Born in 1996, Shaw is a graduate of University of Westminster, where she earned a Master’s degree in Photography Arts in 2020. Yet the true genesis of her craft predates the academy. It was during a 2013 family sojourn to Sierra Leone that her creative awakening first flickered—like light finding its way through a narrow aperture—setting her on a path of introspective exploration.
Her oeuvre is a delicate tapestry, interweaving strands of Islamic faith with the vibrant textures of African heritage. Echoes of the great studio photographers of the 1960s and 1970s—such as Malick Sidibé, Sory Sanlé, and Omar Yahia Barram—resonate subtly within her compositions, like ancestral voices carried on a visual wind.
From these influences, Shaw has cultivated a practice rooted in memory and self-inquiry. Through self-portraiture and conceptually layered projects, she transforms personal recollections into images that speak with both intimacy and universality—mirrors in which the past and present quietly converge.
Her ascent has been both swift and assured. In 2025, the British Fashion Council named her a New Wave Creative, affirming her place among a new generation of cultural vanguards. In the same year, her lens captured figures of global renown, including Angela Bassett for EBONY, Cynthia Erivo for The Guardian, Sunday Times and Vogue, and Usain Bolt for Puma.
She also conceived and shot the album cover for Craig David—each frame a testament to her evolving visual language.
African Voices airs on Saturdays at 7:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m., with further broadcasts on Sunday at 3:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., and repeat transmissions on Monday at 3:00 a.m. and 5:45 p.m.—an invitation to witness, through Shaw’s eyes, a world where identity is not fixed, but fluid, luminous, and ever unfolding.
Nigeria-born Afro-pop star, Joeboy, whose melodies now ripple across continents, takes centre stage this week on the Easter edition of African Voices, the Globacom-sponsored CNN magazine programme.
In a captivating session from Lagos, show anchor Larry Madowo drew out the rhythm of Joeboy’s journey, tracing the arc from a starry-eyed university dreamer to a maestro whose songs now traverse the globe like whispered secrets carried on the wind.
Born Joseph Akinwale Akinfenwa-Donus in 1997, Joeboy—affectionately dubbed Afrobeats’ “lover boy”—embarked on his musical odyssey in 2017 with a viral reinterpretation of Ed Sheeran’s Shape of You.
This pivot from rap to melodious crooning caught the discerning eye of Nigerian artiste and entrepreneur Mr Eazi, who, upon discovering him on Instagram, extended an invitation to join the emPawa Africa Talent Incubation initiative—a sanctuary for budding African talents where raw potential is nurtured into brilliance.
The partnership bore fruit in 2018 with the release of Fààjí, featuring Mr Eazi, and soon after, Joeboy was signed to Warner Music Africa. From there, his ascent became a symphony of milestones: the intoxicating single Baby in 2019, followed by Beginning, which amassed over 23 million views on YouTube, and Love & Light the same year.
Collaborations with Mayorkun yielded the spirited tracks Don’t Call Me and All for You, further cementing his place in the Afrobeats constellation.
Joeboy’s debut album, Somewhere Between Beauty & Magic, unfurled in February 2021, a melodic tapestry of youth, hope, and desire. By 19 May 2023, he unveiled his sophomore studio effort, Body & Soul, preceded by the evocative singles Sip (Alcohol), Contour, Body & Soul, and Duffel Bag. In 2023, he teased the world with Only God Save Me and the extended EP Body, Soul and Spirit, offering listeners a window into the essence of his artistic spirit.
February 2024 marked another milestone as he launched his own imprint, Young Legend, soon releasing Osadebe, a track that resonated nationwide with the familiar warmth of homegrown brilliance.
Joeboy’s dedication has been richly rewarded. He clinched Best Artiste in African Pop at the 2019 All Africa Music Awards and Best Pop at the 2020 Soundcity MVP Awards Festival. His music has earned numerous nominations, including at the City People Entertainment Awards and The Headies, affirming his status as a luminary of contemporary African sound.
The Easter edition of African Voices featuring Joeboy will air on DSTV Channel 401 at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, with repeats at 11 a.m.; Sunday at 3:30 a.m. and 6 p.m.; Monday at 3 a.m. and 5:45 p.m.; and Tuesday at 5:45 p.m. The schedule will be mirrored the following week, culminating in Monday at 3 a.m., giving audiences multiple opportunities to bask in the artistry of a musician whose voice carries the pulse of a continent.
