Nigerian singer, Ahmed Ololade, popularly known as Asake, has shared an embarrassing experience from his early days in the music industry.
During a recent interview on the Ginger Yourself podcast, Asake revealed that he once attempted a bold and unconventional stage attire choice inspired by the legendary Fela Kuti.
The singer explained that his ill-fated performance involved him storming the stage wearing only pants, accompanied by scantily-clad ladies in an attempt to attract attention.
He said that the audience did not respond as he had hoped because he faced a negative reception, with people booing, slapping, and eventually forcing him off the stage.
Reflecting on the embarrassing incident, Asake explained how he strived to gain attention in the music industry for several years before achieving success.
Asake said, “Before I got the attention, I strived till I graduated from the university. I strived for like [another] two years before people like accept me.
“So there’s this performance. I wanted to perform Fela, so I was on pants and saxophone. I packed like six girls on stage. I asked them to be half-naked. You know, one thing about Nigerians is that once people are naked, they just forget about all the thing that is happening and just focus. But these people [at the concert] stubborn o.
“Those girls just walked in, then me too. I just walked in majestically as a star boy. I did not know where the first clap come from. The audience was like, ‘No, no, no.’ Everybody, like 9,000 capacity, clapping that they don’t want it.”
The singer emphasized that this particular performance did not go as planned, and he learned a valuable lesson about the importance of understanding his audience better.
Watch the video below:
https://twitter.com/yabaleftonline/status/1682058440565305352?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1682058440565305352%7Ctwgr%5E7faafb4b15798e3f18a7994d30740b154c1f9293%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.withinnigeria.com%2Fentertainment%2F2023%2F07%2F20%2Fthe-terrible-treatment-i-received-when-i-attempted-to-perform-in-pants-like-fela-asake-recounts-video%2F
KanyiDaily recalls that Asake had also revealed that it was his need for money and financial stability that made him switch from dancing to singing.