To the right of the stage was the greatest excitement. On the third stall of the right stand was a notorious rush of spiritual excitement. You could tell that those people wanted to be there.
The topic of religion is still a sticky one amongst Nigerian millennials. To some, it’s the ultimate tool of enslavement and mental illusions that serve no purpose. To others, it’s the ultimate gift of life through which we breathe and let fly.
Belief in the supernatural is a choice for most people, but when you see people storm Tafawa Balewa Square(TBS) annually for the aptly-tagged The Experience , you begin to wonder if God might just exist.
On December 6, 2019, most offices had closed from the anticipation of traffic that The Experience usually causes. It was smooth sailing from the office to the very heart of Lagos Island, where its 14th edition held. In its nightly glory, commerce got a kick up the backside, legs caused more traffic than cars and hoodlums waited with baited breath, looking for the next ignoramus to pillage.
All they did as they waited was smoke and watch – after all, they had phone theft targets to meet. Inside TBS was decked crowd. Due to press tags, this writer and the crew had access to most parts of the set-up. What they couldn’t have envisaged was the closed-eye treatment they got. U
After the hassle, they got close to the stage.
Meanwhile, on stage was an all-female crew, chanting with authenticity. They wanted the crowd to feel the spirit of “Yahweh.” When God sent Moses into Egypt, he told him to say the name, “Yahweh.” These days, the word is taken for granted, but in the middle of that performance, Pastor Adefarasin raised his hands up and took the song in.
The event was hosted by Richard Mofe-Damijo and
Dara Benjamin.
To the right of the stage was the greatest excitement. On the third stall of the right stand was a notorious rush of spiritual excitement. You could tell that those people wanted to be there. All through the night, their energy never dropped. They waved white handkerchiefs, blew whistles and made their vuvuzelas scream.
They had come to worship God and nothing was going to stop them. Throughout the night, their energy never dropped. Back to the crowd, all ages lifted their hands and smiled. When it came time for the spirit to move, their countenance would change at the circulating vehicle of the holy spirit, conveying people into its belly.
The next performer was Preye Odede. He took over the crowd for the few minutes. Then prayers were held against terrorism, for Nigeria and for refugees. The loudest roar came when the elderly prayer leader got on her knees and said, ‘ Let the wickedness of our politicians end… ” The “AMEN!” was different.
Eben performed some of his famous hits, but the greatest moment of his performance was the absolute beautiful madness at its end. With his drummer, he interpolated some DJ Ykay beats and everyone went crazy. People carried their bodies with the holy spirit in tune. Indeed, it was not Eben anymore , it was E-Flam –
his performative alter ego.
Before Tope Alabi came on stage with the loudest roar yet, AY’Rhymer thrilled the crowd with praise-singing and panegyrics for God. Then, prayers were held for Lagos after Tope Alabi took us into another realm. Then came Minister Don Moen. He invoked a rush of nostalgia with timeless music and the power of his violin solo.
For Sammi Okposo, it was about high praise. He came on stage and got greeted by an ocean of white handkerchiefs – people were ready to display their beautiful ratchetness for Jesus. Before Todd Dulaney,
the got thrilled by comedians like Kenny Blaq, Akpororo
and so forth. Then came Sinach.
She shut it down and picked her moments to flex her vocal muscles and give this writer chills – what a woman! The event closed out to incredible performances from the emblematic energy of Travis Greene, the blessed trumpeteering of Nathaniel Bassey, the talents of Chioma Jesus and Mercy Chinwo.
In the morning, Uber rides cost more than eyeballs on the open market. Food became hot commodity and people had to be careful as they left. But one thing was clear, they didn’t care. They got everything they wanted. It was a beautiful night spent with God and his son Jesus Christ while aided by the Holy Spirit.
God bless House on The Rock for this 14th edition. Till next year…
