What they wore to MUSIC MEETS RUNWAY... Featuring Chicken Legs, Freakum dresses, and people who would have been better off naked.

14:47:00

So I went to MMR. Yes, you know that already don't you? If you don't then stop, and click on this link... http://www.theramblingsofamadman-afam.com/2013/12/music-meets-runway-summary-of-my.html.

Okay. Yeah. We about to get a little hot and sweaty up in hurrr. Ladies let's go! Soldiers let's go! Is that the intro to that Pussy Cat Dolls song? Yeah! Am I ashamed of myself. No. I like me some Nicole in the Afternoons. This is the only afternoon delight I've been getting so you'll have to bear with me. Speaking of which, have you seen Anchorman 2? I need to. Anyway, today I'm going to tell you what the peeps wore to Music Meets Runway. I apologise if you're famous and I didn't take your picture. I don't care a lot about fame you see. The celebrity phenomenon confuses me here. Why would I want to ball like Don Jazzy? Don't you think that's under dreaming? I want to ball like Dangote!!!!!

I know it's a little bit late, but I've been busy, and tired and stuff. And I've been recovering from something that happened to me the other day. It was a very scary thing that happened. I think I might have PTSD. Anyway now I don't like electrical appliances of any kind, and gardens. I hope this passes. The Afam household garden is a fantastic one. It's too fantastic too not frolic about in.

Isn't it pretty? It's all thanks to the folks at Omar Gardens. In that shot, I'm wearing my Walt Disney hat, a topman tshirt, T M Lewin suspenders/braces, American Apparel trousers, and TImberland boat shoes. 
  And we'll begin with a bang!

You remember him from Fashion Week don't you? Handsome dude, Denola Adepetun. When I woke up that morning,  a certain chap I call Balthasar the Bear told me that this fellow would be there. It was then that I made a note to take his picture because he's fairly consistent. He always looks good, and it's never too forced. Maybe the gold shoes are a little bit forced but they don't detract from how awesome the suit is. I want that suit. I'd wear it differently, and I'd probably be smashed off my face when I did but even I can't deny that this is pretty snazzy. I don't know what he's doing with his face though. I'm sure he practiced this smile in the mirror. While all of that's good and great and butterfly snatch his legs do make me laugh a little. It's always good to see a chicken leg comrade out there. I think the suit's from Asos. Budget fashion everyone. You don't have to splurge on a Mai Atafo suit to look good. 

Taking pictures of people at these things is quite like picking up women at a bar. You have to separate the one you don't want from the one you want. This picture made me think that I might need a photography wingman. I'll ask my mate, Deji Joseph when he joins me in Nigeria. He's doing a masters in something businessy at the moment. He's my personal photographer. Every chap needs one. 

I don't particularly like what the one on the left is wearing. Is that a tag sticking out of the hem of her shorts? Work it! Hustle! Hustle! Hustle! Hard. We've done it haven't we? Well I haven't because I really don't tend to spend a lot of money on clothes, but I don't judge. I quite like the one on the right. A backless dress on a slender figure kills every time. I don't know what I think about her make up though.

And again... The one on the right's name is Shalewa. 

Here we've got Jumoke Raji is a sparkly number. For all its sparkles it lacks a certain punch. I'll just come out with it. That dress is so boring it's about to make me narcoleptic. However, she does look quite nice in it. I like her red nails. I don't think she was familiar with the concept of posing. 

She's lovely isn't she? I'm not going to wax lyrical about her beauty because while she is pretty, she's only appropriately pretty but not astoundingly so. I like her face. It's the face of the girl next door. It's approachable and relateable and that's probably why she's so good at her job. Exceedingly good looking people are alienating.  

The thing you don't know about Stephanies dress is that while it looks modest it isn't. It's got a legend of a slit on its left side. I'm not kidding! It literally goes as high as her armpit! It would have been the perfect "Oh no she didn't" or "Err Ma Gerrd Ah just saw errthang" moment if she hadn't worn a black minidress underneath it. Clever girl!! The dress is a Jill Sanders one, and she accessorised with Jimmy Choo jewellery. She's dressed well for someone who presents a style show on television. Most of those people tend to go over the top at these things. 

Hello, meet Staphania. It's not glamorous at all, but I love it. She could have woken up like that. I like people that don't try at all. How great is her body though? If you have a body like this, this is how you should dress. Yes! Show it off! I also like the goth chick make up. 

Alek Wek!! Whaaat! How hot is she? And that dress! Errr Ma Geerrrrd! She stole the room. I would pay a million bucks for her personality. No, I'm kidding. If I had a million bucks, I'd fill my room with it and stare at it. 

These ones tried a little too hard.I would only wear what dude is wearing if I was drunker than Santa Claus. We all know that Santa is an alcoholic right? It's obvious. Could she sit down in that dress? I don't think so. Ah it's Ghastly! Ghastly I tell you. I have a dream, that the dress would KILL ITSELF. That's how horrendous it is. I hate it so. And the dude. Gah! Pah! I can't make words anymore. NEVER DO IT AGAIN!!!! You'd be better off naked... On second thought no... wear a burlap sack next time. 

This is Princess Thomas. I love the dress, but the shoes are despicable. Isn't it obvious that that dress is meant to be worn with flats? Come on! Anyway her personality makes up for any style gaff she made. And her smile! The thing could light a bulb. She's also got a very good mouth for kissing. I'm going to move on now. I think I have a tiny crush. But I shall be released shortly. Anne-Marie is here...

Here we have Kunbi Oyelese. She's a designer. Her brands called April by Kunbi. She looks like a million bucks here. I do wish she was wearing some strappy sandals instead, because strappy sandals make everything look better. I know it may sound like I'm being picky, but a woman like her shouldn't look like a million bucks, she should look like ten million bucks. I mean look at her! She's beautiful in that wholesome natural way. Maybe if the dress had been a different colour... It's good, but it could have been brilliant. I like that she didn't wear a necklace, and I like her tiny shiny clutch.  

Alek Wek again. That's a Lanre Da Silva dress. 

This is Mariam A, and she's weating elegante by wq. I think it's a half smoulder here guys. Where do they teach this half smoulder? And why haven't I learned it yet? You see, I'm trying very very hard to become a selfie king like some instavillains I follow. Well there's really only one selfie king on my instagram and that's handsome dude, Denola. When I first followed him, the high number of likes on all of his pictures made me positively green with envy. Wait let's get back to Mariam. Yes I quite like the dress. It doesn't do wonders for her figure, but she does look good. I suppose the thing is that she's owning the moment. She isn't unsure of herself. She's worn what she's worn and she knows why she's worn it. I like it. I like it a lot. She was lovely too.   

Ehem yes, where was I? I'm becoming a little bit of a selfie king myself. I'm not entirely comfortable with the idea of them but I'll use every bit of myself for the blog. My face isn't a bad looking one. In the right light and with the right filter, and at the right angle it's a jolly handsome one. Some people like looking at handsome faces, so I'll put up a picture of my handsome face on instagram so you maybe wonder who I am, and check out the blog. This is my idea of a good selfie...

Yes, this is the guy critiquing your looks. 


Okay let's go back to the matter.



I'm sorry, I couldn't resist. This outfit is everything! The suit! The murse (man-purse)! The John Lennon aviators! The Brooch! It's all much too much. I can't deal with it. It annoys me. This man doesn't need a stylist he needs an editor.  And the suit doesn't fit properly.

I love the clothes but the jewellery is a little off. I can't tell you why there's a cuff on her arm. I suppose she was trying to toughen up the outfit, but some things aren't meant to be tough. I adore the skirt though. Yes, it's all pretty great and banging.
I love this. It's simple. It's easy. And she probably won't smell while she's in it. SomeThat's what I think about when I see women in velvet. Velvet in Nigeria? What sort of deodorant do you use? Because it must be some good shit. There's nothing forced about this. 
Ah! These ones! They're my friends from Manchester! What Wurrr They Doing There? Well Zephia invited them down for some of the Lagos Rockeez. We over rock in Christmas. I've got three parties today. I will be victorious. Anyway how lovely they look. 

In a weird perverse way, I like what dude is wearing. It's one of the things I might wear if I was going through an identity crisis. I would wear that shirt though. I know it's see through but I gats the abs for it. Or I will have the abs after another bout of the insanity. I've let myself go a little, but no worries, I'll be beach bodying off! in the New Year. That means I'll be beach ready everyday because the bod will be banging. As for honey, it's an okay, the world is okay moment. She's got a Lolita vibe. It weirds me out a little bit. The red socks are incredibly sexual without being sexy. Maybe they'd be sexy if I had a sock fetish, but I don't, at least I don't think I do. The dress is way too short. And what's going on with her make up? Brrrrr I'm going to move on now. 

Here we've got Yung from LOS. I followed him on instagram but he didn't follow me back. VILLAIN. I kid. I don't care. I care. He has a stylist. He was styled by Zed-eye. It's a rather photogenic outfit. I like it. I wouldn't wear it though. It's a little too cool for me. I hope you know that I'm not cool right. I'm the furthest thing away from cool but that's cool too. I'm awesome

Gurrr on the right! Yeah! You! In the silver! Why the why are your socks dirty. I woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning so I won't bother with sentences for this one. I'll limit myself to shouty words that may or may not make any sense together. SLUTTY. WHORISH. INAPPROPRIATE.  CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS. LOLITAS. VIDEO HO. NIGHT JOB. ALL THAT GLITTERS... GOLDEN GATE, SILVER TONGUE, DELILAH. MASQUERADE. GET THEE BEHIND ME. WHY?
The why is the easiest part. They worked for Dollhouse, a new club that I haven't been to. It's somewhere in Lagos, but I shan't google it because I'm not sure that I want to go. It gives off a strip club vibe, and I don't like strip clubs. OrI don't like strip clubs in Nigeria.   

Here we have Jennifer Olize. That's a little bit of a sexy dress you've got going on there, Jenny-Chan. The dress is stunning for her. It shows her body off to great effect. She's celebrating her curves. Now if this woman tells me that plus sized women are beautiful I'll be the choir behind her. But as I've said again and again, when your muffin top has a muffin top get yourself to the gym and stop saying that your size is normal. This is true for men and women. 

Dude gets it. He just does. It shouldn't work, but it does somehow. I'd wear it but I'd wear different shoes. Shoes with laces that aren't boat shoes annoy me. I have brogues too, but I feel like they were made for kicking people and things. That's a good thing too. People are disgusting. They should be kicked. He's Faminu Akin

HOT LIKE FIRE!!! Ah yes! This is my favourite form of Christianity. I look at beautiful people and I thank my maker for making them. I didn't speak to her much so I can't tell if she's got a beautiful personality too. If she did it would be unfair won't it. If you don't think she's hot go away. It's my blog. It's all about me and my opinions. I will be the barrister of her face.  Okay. I lost myself a little there. She's magnificently turned out don't you think? 

The black dude is Sound Sultan. Dude which tailor did you have make your suit? Behead him and then slap yourself. Look at those sleeves! Are you wearing your father's suit? And the hat is unnecessary. He looks like a pimp. I don't think he minds too much so everyone's a winner I think. White dude obviously doesn't care about any of this, and so I shan't bother with him. He's anti fashion and it's great.

Here we've got Tobi and Zephia. :)

GUFFAW!! I'm sorry but dude on the left is wearing the trousers of a pervert. His groin is staring into my soul. I need those things. They're so offensive! I'm starting to question my taste level. I like weird things. It works you know. Say what you will but what he's wearing makes sense. #eyesofthetige r#immakingeyesatyou #ireallymeanmypenis... I could go on. It makes me happy. What he's wearing makes me happy. He obviously has a brilliant sense of humour. Dude on the left is okay, but why the why does he have a hanky sticking out of his pocket. It's a little bit gross no?
They're Iceberg Slim and Trafic of 323 entertainment, I can't say I'm surprised.

Here we've got Anne-Marie. I can't say a bad word about her. I have her number now. I'm going to text her in a bit. I think she looks like a darling. And she's incredibly sweet even though I deserve none of her sweetness. I suppose she's a bit like Jesus in that way. She dispenses sweetness by the bucket load. 

The CEO dancers before they went on stage. I was such a fan boy! I was like, "Ezinne, Soliat!! haw are you doing?" And they were like, "Who da WHo is this? And I was like, "My name's Afam! I'm your biggest fan" and then they let me take the shot. While they were running to the stage because they had to dance during Dbanj's bit of the concert runway bonanza.

Like the dress , despise the shoes. But I hate the picture. I really must learn to take better pictures!

And here we've got Dede Bosagie. She's a darling this one. I've said it time and time again. I'm a simple man, I like simple things. It doesn't get any simpler than this, so it's lovely in my eyes.  

Seyi Shay and friends. Gurr on the left, anyway you look at it, that dress is too short. It's a wardrobe malfunction waiting to happen. I find myself hoping that you wore underwear that day, or that you did brazilian wax because hair down there is apparently gross, and if it's going to get photographed as you leave the car before you get into the club then you should make sure it looks its very best. On to Seyi. I love her Reni Smith dress. It's maybe a little too dressy for MMR but I'll forgive her. 
That's the same dress. It's like something from a dream. I'm not sure it's meant to be worn in real life though. 


I love this image. They're all so stylish and goodlooking. I love it all the way down to the multi-tasking fingers of dude in the middle.

It's certainly dramatic. Other than that it gives me nothing. Delphine

She tried a little too hard I think. The thing on her head is much too much for anything. Ene Maya

Soliat of the CEO dancers. I think she was a little mad at me here. Look at her pursing her lips looking away from me. Soliat, don't run away from me, I want to get to know you more better. If you call me out for using more and better together, you're a moron. 

She's so fresh faced and pretty! Ezinne of the CEO dancers. I know the dress is a little baggy, but it drapes so well!  It gives her a darling figure. 

BADONKADONK

It's pretty but the stank face she's giving me is killing me. She's the boogeyman and she's coming to get me. When the boogeyman is as pretty as she, I don't mind. I'll leave the key outside for her. If you know her tell her to make sure Papa Afam doesn't see her as she sneaks into my room. If he catches her, we'll be married the next day, and I can't have that.   

I really like this shot of the republic of foreigner girls, Selina and Carmen Sutherland. Do you think they have British Passports? If they do, I'll pop the question to one or both of them. The green passport I've got is chafing. 

twinsies. I do quite like what they're wearing so yay!

Selina's wearing an ROF shirt and a skirt that she has. She doesn't remember where she got the skirt from and I feel her on that. It's a lovely ensemble. Very chilled. Very her. Is it weird that I can tell who she is even though I don't know her at all. This is what I love about fashion. When it's done right it's a brilliant form of expression. Of course not everything needs to be expressed. For instance, I pick my nose when I think no one's looking. It's a ghastly habit. You didn't need to know that. It's the same way I don't need to know that your a confused depressed human being going through a midlife crisis. Keep it between you and your therapist. Carmen's wearing an ROF dress too. 

Here we have Orire Omatsola of Re Bahia killing it in all white. I love the practicality of it. She didn't pose. She's on the phone, and she's holding a bottle of coke. It feels original. She's wearing Re Bahia here. She looks great.


Lastly we have Toke Makinwa... Is she wearing velvet? Her big hair distracts from the top of the dress. I cannot tell you whether or not it was pretty because I didn't see it. I'm not feeling it. And by that I mean it's doing nothing for me. Her nails need to go. She probably stole them from a gargoyle. There isn't much about this I like to be honest. It would have been better if she'd only worn the bag. I think she needs a new stylist. 


from left to the right... HELL TO THE NO!!!!!! WHAT DA WHAT IS HE WEARING? IT IS AWFUL. IT IS AWFUL AND I SAY AGAIN IT IS AWFUL. I do quite like how he's worn the shorts and leggings/long johns but I hate camouflage. It's as easy as that. Let's move on to the guy in the middle... I hate it but I love it at the same time. In fact I hate that I love it. Is that a leather jacket in Lagos? sweaty much? Guy number three did well. I have to say that they look good together. not very good, better, best.  

I'm not much of a photographer, but I do want to take pictures of this dude. I'm too shy to ask him, so the next time I see him, I'll just surprise him with my big daddy DSLR. How's that for a Shangai surprise. The lady next to him is Ore Runsewe. We went to Uni together. I was a little scared of her. When she frowns, she looks formidable, and I only ever saw her in the library and she was always frowning so I never said hello. This was obviously before I became Afam. I used to be some other uninteresting, scaredy cat of a man, then I changed my name and I became awesome. She's really quite nice in person. I like the easiness of what she's wearing. If I were a girl I'd wear that. 

The lady in the centre is Fade of the Beat fm. I don't like the dress that way. Maybe on a different girl. And maybe if it were styled differently. That dress is an easy dress. You can't dress it up. You must only wear it down. 

This is how lipstick should be worn. There's this guy I follow on twitter... Fidoskibaba... He has a thing for lipstick, so I'm going to send this picture to him. 

I can't. I just can't. I suppose she looks pretty. That's enough isn't it? I will add that her bum is a Dbanj dikoko bum, and that means that it is pretty spectacular.

Let's talk about those earrings. They're Chanel. They are tiny. The normal Nigerian wouldn't have worn Chanel earings, they'd have worn that lego Chanel bag just so everyone would know that they were wearing Chanel. 

Okay. We've come to the end of everything. And that's great because I'm tired. This isn't personal at all. Really. If you take it personally, I can't help you. But I'll say it again, it isn't about you. It's about the clothes, and the hair, and the make up.

Happy Days
Afam 




Emergency blog:Notes on Parental Mind Control

15:58:00



It seems that due to the activities of a few risk taking people (risk taking people wasn’t the word I had in mind but it’ll have to do. I don’t swear anymore) several of you out there in the big wide world are like me. You’re twenty something year old college (I’m keeping it real with my American homies. That’s what you say in the States right?) and university graduates who live at home. I was supposed to have a kick ass job in London, or New York, that paid me truck loads of money, but look at me. I mean look at me. I’m working from my bedroom while my parents watch CNN in the next room. I don’t even watch CNN. I find that it’s better to read the news than it is to watch it. If I wanted to watch E (the entertainment channel that’s somehow almost synonymous with Kimmy K soon to be West) I’d watch E, since CNN is a little like serious E, it doesn’t get much watched much by me. My parents on the other hand just can’t get enough. And you know the risk taking people I was talking about in the first line don’t you? They’re the pesky bankers that literally blew up the world five years ago. If they hadn’t done whatever it is that they did, the life I imagined  I would have when I was twenty three would be mine. I’m not bitter at all but don’t give me an AK 47.

I was vastly unprepared for the move back home. My mom tempted me with promises of good food, and laundry that I wouldn’t have to do myself and constant access to a fueled car. She made it sound like I would be coming back to a hotel. I wasn’t. Parents lie. I should have known this. They still tell me that I’m more specialer and gifteder than everyone else out there. Sometimes it’s a welcome pick me up, but at other times it’s an are you kidding me right now? If I’m so special why am I in Lagos, and why don’t I have a job in Goldman? Why? Why? Why? Why?  They have the answer to that one too by the way. It’s, God didn’t want it for you… or it’s not the right thing for right now. To the God part, I think, “but what about what I want for me? Would it be so bad to actually have money?” And about the it’s not the right thing for now part I think, “But I needed the paycheck yesterday. There couldn’t be a righter thing for right now!” That’s what I get when my parents, tap into the mini Yoda that got implanted into their heads when those gametes met, and formed that embryo. Their questions are answers and their answers are questions, and their rhetorical questions work like mind control. “You know you’re going to be all right don’t you?” they say/ask, and for that moment in time, I believe it. Ten minutes later, I’m in my bedroom/office tearing out my hair screaming “I don’t know what I’m doing with my life!!” But I only scream in my mind. On the outside, I’m the three most annoying C adjectives that have ever been placed side by side alliteratively. Yes! You guessed it. I’m cool, calm and collected. 

This is the cue for ten years into the future me to walk into the room while I go take a shower and type, “don’t worry man. You’ll get everything you dreamed of and more.” If I get back and see that he hasn’t, my next article will be future me, reveal yourself.  

Happy days,
Afam





Why do I go to Likwid?

08:38:00
Hi. I'm Afam, and this is my blog. If I'm lucky you haven't heard of me, because as much as I love my regular readers I love me some new ones. Anyway let's get on with it. I must confess I'm not as excited about this one as I usually am, but that doesn't matter much, the words will come either way.

I live in Lagos and I go out at night. I mostly only go out on Friday nights. Saturday nights are tricky because I've got church the following morning and I haven't reached the stage where I can tell my father, Papa Afam, to leave me alone so that I can suffer my hangovers in private. Being hung over in Church isn't fun. I fall asleep and Papa Afam calls me on my phone every two minutes. The vibrations jolt me awake every time I nod off. I'm sure the people at my church must think I've got a combination of narcolepsy and epilepsy. On Friday nights I mostlygo to one place, Likwid. It's an alright club as far as these things go. Actually I'm lying. It's a little bit not that great but that's okay. I don't mind it. I'm easy. People often ask me if it's fun, and it is. It always is.
  • It was fun the time my mate's phone got stolen, 
  • and it was fun the time my money got stolen, 
  • and it was fun the time I didn't get in, 
  • and it was fun the time I got squished into the gate by the crowd of people trying to get in, 
  • and it was fun the time gun shots were fired outside and people fell into the gutter, 
  • and it was fun the time I was threatened with a taser by a bouncer, 
  • and it was fun the time I made it in through the gate only to be held up at the door, 
  • and it was fun the time I got pushed down the three stairs at the entrance by one of the bouncers, 
  • and it was fun the time I got in but there wasn't actually any space to do anything, 
  • and it was fun the time I fought and hustled to get into the VIP floor only to find that it was more crowded, and not at all different from the non VIP floor, 
  • and it was fun the time the music was so naff that I spent the night counting the beams on the ground floor, and measuring the square footage in feet, 
  • and it was fun the time I fell asleep on a couch from 1 till 3. 
  • and it was fun the time someone teargassed the club. I don't know who did it, so I can't point any fingers without making myself liable to a law suit. But it's still horrible isn't it?
  • and it was fun the time koki's sisters got man handled by one charlatan I went to uni with (more on this later and Koki had two sisters there. This fellow manhandled one and then went on to manhandle the other. I don't mean manhandle in a sexual light. I mean manhandle in a I'm going to beat you, I'm choking you right now wrestlemania way. And why? Because he wanted to get in. We're going to have words. They will be fighting ones.)
As you can tell it's a really really fun place. There's never a dull moment there. If you go there and you leave without incident, then count yourself lucky. What I can't say is why I keep going back. Are my so called super fun and super turned up times actually shit times glossed over by the filters of instagram and truly stupendous levels of optimism? Or do our tragically low expectations of  Lagos night outs reduce our standards dangerously? By going there week after week even though it's only roaring fun once in a blue moon, am I society's biggest slave? 

So what's in the club? To be honest I don't know, sometimes I think someone put my name in a Likwid calabash. It's a converted house with serious waste management issues. I'm not joking. Look at this. 

 and this...

Why no dustbin though? Is it not slightly odd? Or is it just me? Odd or not, it's definitely kind of sort of more than a little bit gross. All in all, this is the most pointless blog post I've ever written because, do you care that the club you go to might just accidentally get you killed one day? No, probably not. We're all YOLO-ing right? I'm not even judging you. I don't care that much either. I'll probably be there on Friday, and the Friday after that, and the Friday after that. But is this who we are now? 

The truth of it is that we're the ones at fault. I know the club has got is issues but we're the ones swarming at the gates, and pushing to get in. Maybe the fact that they've got tasers is okay, because when we're there, hustling and shoving, we're acting like people who need to be tased and tear gassed into compliance. Or maybe we expect that great difficulty always leads to great rewards, so we delight in the struggle because we expect that there'll be some sort of clubbing utopia at the top of those VIP stairs. Or maybe we're just blinded by the Champagne Campaign that the rich subscribe to. 

Happy Days,
Afam

Music Meets Runway: Backstage and Behind the Scenes (Work Hard!)

19:13:00
Okay I've got thirty minutes to do this one, so let's make them count. this is what I do when my mind is telling me that it has writer's block. What the devil is writer's block? I am poor! There is no such thing as writer's block. Maybe when I can afford a new laptop and a new DSLR I'll be able to indulge myself in the luxury that is writers block. The point is blocked or not, this shit is coming out.

Before I give you my red carpet report, I must first tell you of what happened at the event before it started. I wasn't given pre event or backstage clearance so I made some for myself. I can be a sneaky bastard sometimes. The bouncers were not happy with me, but you know, I don't think they were happy people. After hustling with me for the entire night, one of them asked me for Christmas. Christmas is usually a tip. I laughed, hard!! Christmas? What is Christmas? Do you know that Papa Afam once told me that I would get no presents because Santa Claus got stuck in AFGHANISTAN?! He wrote that in a $2 christmas card. I almost died. So that's where my Christmas spirit is. Furthermore, Zeek, my buddy extraordinaire from Manchester told me that I was looking black and skinny. That is the face of brokeness.

Let's get on with it shall we?

 
This was at around five. They were still sorting out the runway. Yes that's what they're doing here. My pictures are noisy, but that was the point. I like noise now. Go figure. 

Here we have Ice Prince Zamani. He's a musician and he's got this song called Aboki that is quite literally the Bee's knees. I played it 30 times without pause in Grandmama Afam's car during a particularly bad stretch of traffic. He's wearing shades indoors, but I don't mind. He was probably hung over. He sounded like he could have been hung over. And yeah, this was during his sound check.

Here, we've got Bayo Oke-Lawal of the Orange Culture. Bayo wasn't happy with me here. You see, he was going to runaway without letting me take my shot. I told him that me getting his picture for you lot was of paramount importance. Are you happy? Did I do good? Give me something! I need your lovin! Let's call it the public lovin' Afam lovin'.  Yippie Kai Yay!

Here he is again. Running away from me. :( 

I don't know what to make of her shirt you know? But she is pretty. The difference makes is tremendous. I'm not saying that she's not pretty without it, but when I look at her, I see the lashes and the dark eyes. Those are things she didn;t wake up with. I do quite like the way she's wearing her jacket here.    

There was a lot of waiting involved to be honest. It was a moment of sorts. A girl kneeling next to her Louis Vuitton bag. Call it what you will, but there was something down to earth about it. Yes, the bag was on the floor. I like how unposed everything is. We pose too much here. 

Look at me checking him checking someone else out. It's a cycle you know. 

Toni Tones in the middle of one of her dance moves. Her hair's pretty massive. She looks like she was having a spiritual experience. 

She was twerking here.

And there too.

And this is Uju, the model of the year, back stage. You remember her from fashion week don't you?http://www.theramblingsofamadman-afam.com/2013/10/review-of-ella-and-gabby-lagos-fashion.html I like this shot a lot. She's saying really? You mean you're going to take a picture of me now? 

And here, we've got Makida. She's exquisite. I don't think I've seen many faces as symmetrical and pretty as hers. I ran into her at the Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards Nominations party as well. http://www.theramblingsofamadman-afam.com/2013/12/what-da-what-happened-during-amvcas-de.html

Lola Rae and her dancers. I like this one because her hair's swinging. 

Her voice is spectacular. It's a clean pretty sounding soprano. 

Pat that weave baby!!! I'm sorry I had to. 

The Ebony Life Crew. I didn't mean to catch him mid yawn but I did. I don't quite like ebony life. It isn't anything personal really. It's just that they're impossibly big and I'm infinitely little. They get all the perks and I get none. That sucks.

Bunmi Olunloyo talking to the Ebony Life crew. She was in the opening number, and she danced during Ohimai's performance. I think it was a modern dance with bits of modern ballet, African Jazz and such. 

This guy was up there for God knows how long, doing God knows what, but, I'm sure that it was essential. Nobody ever sees the little guy. We need to pay more attention to the people that put these great shows together. I find it funny that I'm just as interested in this guy as I am in many of the red carpet regulars. 

That's Ndidi getting her hair done. She's a waif of a thing. We're instabuddies!

Ituen Bassey inspecting her model's hair. This one wasn't big enough. 

Ndidi again. She's incredibly pretty isn't she? I know her cheek bones don't cut glass, but it's a sweet face. She's a cutie.

She looked like she was having a melt down even though she wasn't so I snapped away. Yay me.

It's Tiwa Savage!

It's Tiwa Savage dropping it like it's hot in her sweats! I love this. 

And here she is again. The dancer in blue made me laugh lots. How contagious is her smile? That's a Tiwa swerve right there. Have you noticed that she's wearing a Tiwa Savage t-shirt. She's working hard yo! That's how you sell your market. I think I should make T-shirts too. #Newyearresolution

And finally we've fot a dude carrying a box of hair. That's how important hair is here. Hair, Hair, Everywah.
  
Now you know that most of these guys don't just turn up on stage and deliver the awesome performances. They work hard. Tiwa did her sound check/stage rehearsal at about thirt minutes past five. She didn't perform until one. I think there's something admirable there.

Happy Days,
Afam

MUSIC MEETS RUNWAY (A summary of my experience there)

08:48:00
IPNX, you have buggered me senseless this morning. Do you know what happens when you're in the middle of typing a blogpost and the internet goes off? You lose everything! Thanks for nothing! You just cost me 800 brilliant fighting shouty words. But don't worry people, I've got a fine anger with me this morning. I'm going to set fire to the damn rain. Yes, I'm going to shit kerosene into the sky and fart fire into the clouds. What? That isn't possible? Talk to my hand. I'm Afam. I'm a Gambian not Gambian Legend, I'm hot like amala and cool like ice, I'm not a pleb. I'm magic. Yes, my mum, Mama Afam used to tell me this every night when I was 13.

So, last night, while the bulk of you were doing whatever it was you were doing (I heard of one really awesome pool party that had girls in Bikinis. Next time. Next time. I'm not a pervert), I was running up and down like a madman at Music Meets Runway, trying to cover the event in any way that actually made sense. You see, I, Afam, am not the ordinary sort of blogger. I won't say thanks for the free tickets even though they were at the back of the damn hall. I demand the best. I like to give the best when I work, SO HELP ME HELP YOU HELP YOURSELF. Now, the good people at Music Meets Runway made it so I had to hustle with pedestrians to get my shots. I was not impressed. How do you take good pictures of Deola Sagoe's clothes when there's a six foot something mammoth of a man with fire in his ass?  DO YOU KNOW DEOLA SAGOE DIDN'T SHOW AT FASHION WEEK? DO YOU? DO YOU? DO YOU? Are you trying to kill me? What da what am I supposed to do with this?


I CAN'T HANDLE IT. LOOK AT HIM. LOOK AT HIM. But do you know the worst thing? I had to hustle to get this close. Don't ask me how I did it. I obviously didn't hustle well enough. Look at how the stage looked from where those people put me.


    UNFORGIVABLE. So you mean to tell me that while all other media houses are displaying burriful shots of the girls and the clothes, this is what I, Afam, the great will be serving? I'm depressed. Also, the Press Pass they gave me was the most useless thing! It didn't allow me anywhere beyond the red carpet. But don't worry. I'm a hustler and these things are always a little porous. So, I have shots, of Tiwa Savage, twerking in her sweats. She didn't really like me taking pictures of her during rehearsals, but I'm sorry, I need the content and she looked awesome. People like a hardworking woman, so, if I see a woman being hardworking, I'm gonna take her picture. This is true of men too. I also snuck backstage where I got pictures of Uju, the model of the year, goofing around and looking great, and Ituen Bassey inspecting her models. I didn't get a chance to take a picture of Ituen on the red carpet, but she's a brilliant human being. She's intelligent and polite, and generally great. She declined to have her picture taken in a manner so gracious that I was delighted not to. The jazz won't work next time. I need to be more selfish. I need the pictures, I don't care about you, I care about me. This is the way I need to be thinking but I'm a sucker for niceness, and politeness, and being treated like I'm an actual person, so whatever.

I left at past two in the morning. At the moment of my departure, I thought, "But what is the point of music meets runway?" Forget about the pretty words in the Press Releases and think about it. It isn't a concert, let's be honest. And even if it was I believe that the vast majority of Nigerian musicians, SHOULD NEVER EVER PERFORM LIVE. When they do, they make me think that I could be doing what they do, and I cannot sing to save anything. I sound like a toad croaking from the bottom of a cold saxophone. Some of them don't even make it as far as singing. They hype their backing track. Let me illustrate using a song I quite like,

(The backing track is in italics, and the live microphone is straight. Caps are meant to imply that what is said is not sang, but SCREAMED into the microphone)

See Gobe, SEEE GOBE OH
Omo, see Gobe Oh, SEE GOBE OH
oooooooooooh, Yeah, YEAH
Mogbe O, OOOO
Don't want any Gbeke O, GBEKE O
Mo ti bo sinu Gobe, GOBE
Abi omo kilode O, KILODE O

Please note that I am not implying that Davido does this, I merely used the song as an example #coveringmyass #briefdisclaimer. Also, that is not to say that any of them performed like this last night. For the record, several of them were quite good, and a few of them were even great. 

And Music Meets runway isn't really a fashion show either. By the time Music Meets Runway comes along, most buyers already have their stock for the season sorted, and there's no real press to be had from it. What sort of press can you hope to get at 2 in the morning? And of the designers themselves, What the what are they showing? For what season? Is it a collection of their pieces from the past or is it for Autumn/Winter 2014? Anyway, this is Nigeria, and that sort of thinking will get you nowhere. People have money. They who have money party fabulously. There is no rhyme or reason to it. Why should anyone need a reason to have a good time?

ps. I'm extremely grateful that I got the press pass and what not. I just had a grade 2 freak out there. I'm really happy that I'm growing, and that I can get press passes because I blog. There aren't many bloggers that can I don't think. Anyway, thanks MMR for an exciting time. There wasn't a dull moment to be had, even though I had words with a few bouncers, and massacred a few people getting in the way of my shots in my head. I'm also grateful to my camera, who's holding on to life for my sake. I heart you Big Daddy. Yes, My camera's name is Big Daddy DSLR, deal with it.

Happy Days,
Afam.

Ps. hit me up on instagram (afamodi) for my pictures. I'll be taking over the social media coverage now. 


  




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