During an insightful interview with the Ginger Yourself podcast, Asake, the talented ‘Joha’ singer, candidly shared a distressing encounter from his early days in the music industry. He recounted a daring attempt to gain attention and popularity that went awry, resulting in him being booed off the stage.
Asake’s journey to success was not without its challenges. He revealed that he had to work tirelessly for about two years before finally gaining acceptance in the music scene, a testament to his unwavering determination.
However, the turning point of his early career took a drastic turn during one fateful performance. Inspired by the iconic Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti, Asake decided to pay homage to the late musician by adopting his style and performing in only pants, much like Fela used to. To add flair to his act, he incorporated six scantily-clad ladies to join him on stage, a choice he hoped would captivate the audience’s attention and affection.
In Nigeria, where body exposure has been known to catch people’s focus, Asake thought that the inclusion of the scantily-clad ladies would be a surefire way to engage the crowd. However, as he soon discovered, the audience had other thoughts. Instead of being impressed, the crowd’s reaction was far from what he had anticipated.
The reaction was swift and overwhelming, leaving Asake feeling dejected and bewildered on stage. It was a moment he would never forget.
Asake shared that he felt like a star boy as he majestically walked onto the stage, but reality hit him hard when the first clap he expected to hear was replaced with disapproving chants of “No, no, no.” The once enthusiastic 9,000-capacity crowd, instead of getting caught up in the spectacle, resolutely expressed their dissatisfaction with the performance.