Is D’banj A Music Legend?

Here’s a new word you should learn today: Zeitgeist. It means ‘the defining spirit or mood of a particular period of history as shown by the ideas and beliefs of the time.’

Therefore, when you are asked to describe the zeitgeist of Nigerian music, few moments would jump out. One of them was the performance D’banj gave at the 2006 Headies Awards, formerly known as HipHop World Awards.

The year 2006 was very important: It was the first edition of the awards ceremony, one that a whole generation of Nigerians looked forward to. The Headies was the first platform that was hip, urban and catered to the taste of the new generation.

Moreover, it was also a time that D’banj was freshly ‘crowned’ as the newest star on the music scene. Only about a year after his return to Nigeria following a stint in the UK that created the synergy with his friend and producer Don Jazzy.

By 2006 D’banj was a cultural icon, the defining artiste of a very important time in the Nigerian music industry.

It was only right that the biggest star in the country would perform on the biggest entertainment event of the year.

Embracing his newly attained status as a sex symbol, D’banj took to stage in a towel emblazoned with the African map to reflect his grip on the continent and stirred the crowd with the catch phrase, ‘What is the koko?’ from his debut hit ‘Tongolo’.

The impact of that performance far supersedes the three minutes and 40 seconds it lasted for. That night perhaps, marked the beginning of the artiste’s reign that has seen him celebrated all over the world, and it all began at the Muson Centre – on the maiden stage of the Headies Awards.

The entertainment industry and music fans ought to be grateful for both.