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By Emmanuel Daraloye
Tunde Omosoluyi, famously known professionally as Praizeband, is deeply rooted in Fuji music.
The audacity with which he approaches his audience, the mastery with which he handles his music, and the conviction in his delivery are what continually astound his fans. If you are an admirer of the Fuji genre, it is almost impossible not to develop an undaunting love for Praizeband’s genius—an excellence appraised by legendary Fuji stars such as King Sunny Ade, Ebenezer Obey, K1 De Ultimate, and others. When it comes to cultural and indigenous music production, Praizeband stands tall among his contemporaries.
What Praizeband delivers in this live show is awestruckingly astonishing. It takes rare confidence to pull off an hour-long performance of excellence in an age dominated by three-minute singles and viral hooks. Tunde Omosoluyi sets out to give his fans an evergreen, danceable repertoire—one in which he performs at his absolute best. This is not merely a live performance; it is a declaration. An affirmation that tradition is elastic, capable of stretching, borrowing, and evolving while remaining indigenously rooted in culture and sound.
When stars meet, they form a galaxy. When Praizeband shares space with King Sunny Ade and Ebenezer Obey, the result is an evergreen record—one that transcends tribes and tongues, cutting through prejudice. When music speaks, the soul listens. Praizeband understands this assignment and lays the foundation with commanding percussion: talking drums that seize attention, Sakara and Agogo that pulse like a living heartbeat. He seems to subscribe to the belief that Fuji thrives on impulse—physical, emotional, and spiritual—and so he chooses not to rush, but to patiently build an epic live experience.
What makes this repertoire deeply relatable to Fuji enthusiasts is its riveting melody, tempo, and rhythm. Praizeband opens by sampling Kcee’s Limpopo, a song that ruled the Afrobeats streets in 2013. A love-themed record, Limpopo sets the groove before seamlessly transitioning into Adekunle Gold’s Orente, another ode to love. Love, after all, remains one of the most enduring themes in Nigerian music. These samples are not acts of laziness, but deliberate choices—carefully woven to make the performance both danceable and universally relatable. The audacity lies in the cultural bridge they establish, carrying Fuji purists, Afrobeats, and Afropop fans along in one sweeping motion.
King Sunny Ade’s presence elevates the performance even further. The legend approaches the guitar with effortless mastery, never hesitating to showcase his brilliance whenever he takes hold of it. He does not merely play the guitar with his hands, but with his mind and soul. Any musical space Sunny Ade enters begins to breathe differently. He arrives with elegance and composure, setting the tone for a timeless moment. His words carry royal authority; when he speaks, every soul listens.
Ebenezer Obey delivers something equally profound. His vocals accelerate the night’s soulfulness and moral depth, carrying wisdom that does more than entertain—it enlightens. He remains one of the rare voices that constantly reminds audiences that Fuji is not just for celebration, but also for reflection.
Yet, Praizeband owns the stage. For nearly an hour, he sings with vocals that radiate both endurance and athleticism. He performs as though live performance is second nature, moving effortlessly between praise, education, preaching, advocacy, and playful teasing. The sound of the performance is electric. Basslines move at a disciplined pace, never clashing with traditional drums. The mix is clean, balanced, and respectful of Fuji’s core elements.
The sampling, which could have collapsed into chaos, instead becomes a defining strength. When Afrobeats rhythms resurface beneath Fuji textures, the effect is nostalgic and deeply memorable. There are moments where the energy briefly dips—points where a quicker lift might appeal more to streaming audiences—but Fuji does not plead for attention. It commands it. It is immersive, authoritative, and unapologetic.
Beyond music, Omosoluyi preaches unity. He speaks of oneness and peaceful coexistence amid diversity. He reminds listeners that music is not divided into old and new, but is a river with many bridges—Fuji, Juju, Afrobeats, Afropop—all flowing together. The audience reflects this philosophy: elders seated at the front, youths standing behind, each group finding something familiar, something exciting, something meaningful.
It is brave to stand your ground in the palace of kings, and even more audacious to share a stage with legends like King Sunny Ade and Ebenezer Obey while remaining firmly rooted in your own identity. It is exhilarating to sample old-school Afrobeat sounds in a contemporary era without sounding desperate for relevance.
In the end, Praizeband does this effortlessly, shifting focus from duration to substance and continuity. This timeless performance—featuring some of Nigeria’s most revered Fuji giants—reminds us once again that Fuji did not begin with streaming charts, and it will not end there. It has been breathing, it is still breathing, and it will continue to breathe.
