The setting is Lagos, Nigeria in December 2022 and my little cousin, lets call him B, is livid that he had to go back home before getting to see Burna Boy live at his show in Lagos. The next morning, Burna Boy takes to his Instagram page to apologize to supporters and express his displeasure for the promoters and producers of the show. Since then, the African Giant has not performed in his home country citing the absence of production quality high enough to meet his standards. For everything that typically surrounds, he’s right on this front. Being forced to endure trying shows on all fronts is not an uncommon experience for artists and fans in Lagos, one of Africa’s entertainment capitals. Ruger at a show put on by one of the streaming giants earlier this year, is said to also have lost it at the sound quality proclaiming that it was “the worst sound quality he’s ever experienced.”
Despite all the subpar performances that the Nigerian-based listeners have become accustomed to, Nigerian artists, as Afrobeats has taken on a world of its own in the diaspora have learned the importance of putting on a good-enough live show in order to keep the fans happy and that is in large part thanks to players like creative directors, dancers and bands who bring dynamism and flavor to support the big names.
One US-based band in particular called The Kingsmen, has won the hearts and worked with a number of stars including Wizkid, Tems, Davido, Asake, BNXN, Ayra Starr, Fireboy and become the go-to band for your favorite star on tour. Founded in 2015 by Lekan Ajalaagbo, the group has evolved significantly over the past eight years with members being forced to make difficult decisions on embracing the grind or moving on and focusing on non-creative careers that can pay now. In its latest iteration, it features 4 members, founder Lekan Ajalaagbo, Nicholas Braham, Stephan Grey and Cristopher Gonzalez have been together for three years.
Borne out of a desire to fuse American influences in the live performances of Afrobeats artists, you could jokingly say they’re Afrofusion before it became the hot topic it is today. That ability to identify that the audiences in the diaspora consume music that cuts across so many different genres and awareness to make sure the live experience feels more to their taste is one of the major reasons the Kingsmen believe they’re able to continue winning new business from Afrobeats finest and have become some of the most sought after free agents out there.
Over time, they’ve evolved from a group thriving dominantly online, putting out live arrangement videos and amassing thousands of views, to standing out on live television and thrilling audiences worldwide, in part thanks to a vision they’re working towards. When we chat, Lekan gushes about Adam Blackstone and his group, Basic Black Entertainment as the north star for what they’re building. With events like the Grammys, SuperBowl, Soul Train Awards, BET Awards under Blackstone’s belt and multiple Emmy nominations, it’s no surprise they’re the standard.
Looking ahead and speaking on being back home in Nigeria this December, the Kingsmen are excited to grace the stages at Flytime Fest, Palmwine Fest, and BNXN’s show and begin working on their debut project. The vision and excitement is evident when Lekan speaks about the chance to work with other artists on original music and the opportunities that being back in Lagos this Christmas affords the group.
Behind the scenes of Afrobeats big strides in the West, there’s a bevy of players like the Kingsmen who have supported and empowered the biggest names on their journeys and it’s more important than ever that we give them their stars.