It was a night of celebration for Afrobeats artistes, historians and enthusiasts at the opening night of the Artmiabo International Art Festival on Thursday, 27th April, 2023.
Hosted by filmmaker and historian, Ed Keazor, the event was attended by singers, artists, and music enthusiasts from across Nigeria and other countries. Some of the guests in attendance included Obi Asika, Samuel Ogulu, Pa Tony Ogulu, Benson Idonijie, Emeka Enyadike, Osezua Stephen Imobhio, Tony Odili, and others.
Themed Arts of Afrobeats, the festival’s director, Miabo Enyadike, shared that the event was inspired by Showmax’s original series, Journey of the Beats.
The collaboration between Showmax and AMIAF2023 brought about a private screening of the docu-series’ first episode titled, Origins, at the festival to warm and great accolades from the event’s attendees.
Speaking at the event, Obi Asika, Producer of Journey of The Beats, shared that “Afrobeats has come a long way from the recesses of music studios and the street to being one of the biggest sounds globally, with several international artists clamouring to work with musicians in Nigeria. With the world’s attention on us, we must tell our stories and document our journey by ourselves, and I’m glad that the streaming platform, Showmax, helped share and birth the vision.”
Journey of the Beats is a 10-part docu-series that premiered exclusively on Showmax in June 2022 and tells a once-in-a-lifetime story that explores the origin and evolution of Afrobeats and black music. It features some of Nigeria’s biggest stars and music historians, including Obi Asika, Onyeka Onwenu, 2Baba, Ruggedman, Daddy Showkey and others.
The documentary is available to stream exclusively on Showmax.