It’s incredible what Phyno has done, and he deserves more than just praise and respect.We all know Phyno is important for the culture. He provides music that is defined by its roots in the east, first in Hip-hop, and now in pop. His presence and relevance have made him an exemplary light from the east, with his work providing a better understanding of how diverse Nigeria’s sound culture is.
But whatever good he has done, he is topping that now. He is leading the way in Nigeria as the first modern Nigerian artist to hold a personal homecoming concert which has twice filled stadiums, offered fans a new experience, and prove to people that the culture has grown enough for solo artists to pull a crowd of that size.
“Phynofest was born out of a need to give back to my fans. I won't be where I am today without their support,” he tells me via email. “I've been blessed and uplifted by the music I make.”
He is right. Phyno entered mainstream consciousness in 2012, after the release of his collaboration with Olamide on ‘Ghostmode’. This overnight success came after almost a decade in the back end of things. Phyno has hustled in Enugu as a producer. You can’t have conversations about the early pop scene in the Eastern music hub of Enugu without his name invariably linked with it. N6 has a full album produced by Phyno. Yes, this Phyno.
But ‘Ghostmode’ did the magic, and five years later, he has done nicely for himself, building a career that has impacted an entire region. The East has supported Phyno. They have bought his records, amplified his singles, propagated the spread of his name, and repped him with every opportunity that presented itself. Phyno is celebrated as a King from the East, deservedly so.
The idea of Phynofest is his ‘Thank you’ and warm embrace to his people. A lot of them have never experienced his music live. Due to the centralised music industry that we have had in Lagos, the average fan experience of Phyno has been far away, through screens and monitors, displaying Youtube music videos, and interviews. Many have never seen him in person. Phynofest changed that in a big way.
“I and my team believe we change lives through Phynofest,” he says. “As much as it's a music concert, we have created an annual festival that celebrates the fans and with the support of partner brands we will give back to people.”
Phynofest began in 2015 when the singer filled out the 12,000 capacity Chuba Ikpeazu Memorial Stadium in Onitsha. Seeing its success, he moved closer home in 2016, to a larger venue in the 23,000 capacity Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium in Enugu. And in 2017, he repeated the feat, only this time, it was bigger.
The fest commenced on Saturday, November 18, with the 'Road Party' held in the Abakpa Nike range of Enugu, the hood where Phyno grew up and has formed his identity as a worldwide chronicle artiste of note. It was difficult to miss the affection the hood had for their own. Occasions of the day saw Phyno drew in with youngsters and all present, execution by forthcoming acts, refreshments and heaps of music.The Phynofest show held the following day at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium; and riding on the achievement of the earlier year the current year's show delighted in exemplary character exhibitions and movement by top entertainers like D'banj, Yemi Alade, Runtown, Zoro, YCee, Flavor, Timaya, Runtown, Rude Boy, Lil Kesh, Mayorkun, Duncan Mighty. The occasion was facilitated by Olisa Adibua, with appearances from Nedu and authority buildup man Ehiz . The up and coming craftsmen were not forgotten as there were exhibitions by next evaluated specialists from over the country.Highlights of the night were Phyno's feature live band execution, Zoro's passage, Yemi Alade's sparkling execution, the Kokomaster D'banj doing what he specializes in, and the rundown continues endlessly. To round up occasions of the end of the week, there was a post-show after-party, controlled by Hennessey."It's an awesome inclination. when you see more than fifty thousand fans come to help you. Phynofest is the first of its kind in Nigeria and it brings a specific level of fulfillment that not even cash can purchase ," Phyno reflects."Cinemas are to motion pictures as settings are to music," says Chin Okonkwo, the CEO of Eclipse live on a scene of Loose Talk podcast. What's more, in light of that cliché, Phyno has conveyed his specialty to one of the biggest auditoriums in Nigeria. It's the first of its kind in Nigeria for a feature craftsman to round out stadiums twice. He has kept up his pertinence, driven the way of life, and opened a great deal of eyes to the likelihood of greater show settings in Nigeria.He merits credit for this. There are not very many notable minutes in the Nigerian music industry. You could drill down the development of M.I Abaga who changed Hip-jump, the ascent of advanced music dissemination, and our focus on universal stages. Phynofest has a place with this class of accomplishments. It has both business and social significance.The swells of his activities are as of now showing. Olamide, his companion and incessant teammate, is anticipating rounding out the Teslim Balogun stadium in Lagos, and I have heard whispers of other best craftsmen arranging comparable moves in 2018. This energizes Phyno."Entertainers ought to have the capacity to hold their own shows and shows and I accept most need to. Be that as it may, it is difficult to get the expected support to pull off an occasion of this greatness. Right now there are a significant number of performers assembling their own shows," he says."The numbers increment consistently and that is certain. We will all arrive in great time. We need to recollect the way of life is the general population and I have fans who are in the city and we have to take the show to them. On the off chance that we put resources into the general population, we elevate the way of life and that thinks about the strata of life."Phynofest will return in 2018. It's excessively critical and effective, making it impossible to not be a yearly event. It's inconceivable what Phyno has done, and he merits something other than acclaim and respect.Perhaps a statue from Rochas Okorocha?
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