Sarkodie Go Kill Me Oh

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Sarkodie, Taste Lounge, Vita Lounge

I made it back to Vita Lounge, just north of the Convention Center for the Sarkology event, that was delayed from last week.  I can’t say that it was at all worth it.  Unless I was in a mesmerized trance of lasciviousness, I only counted about three songs being performed.

I’m not sure where Sarkodie drifted off to after that.  Unlike all the other shows with major west African pop stars I’ve been to, it was clear that Sarkodie did not inspire a dedicated female following based on sex appeal.  Despite his short performance, which I have a hard time calling a set due to its brevity and the poor quality of his microphone, it was evident that he has a pretty good flow.  DC just didn’t get to hear much of it.

The highlight of the night was probably hearing ‘Antenna‘ in a US club.  It’s my favorite Afrobeat track of the moment.  Vita Lounge has a set up similar to Taste Lounge (a major African night spot in NE), although its slightly larger.  The first floor is basically an elongated rectangle, with a bar on one side, floor in the middle, and elevated ‘VIP’ (in theory, not in practice) area on the other side.

The club has no dress code and things got quite turnt up, there was a fair amount of pushing and shoving and more people were visibly drunk than usual at these sort of things (one was picked up and carried outside after vomiting on the VIP area).  The crowd was mostly 20 somethings of African descent.

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Meet a Nigerian Superstar Tonight at Taste Lounge in NE DC

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Lux Lounge, Nigeria independence, Taste Lounge, Timaya, Timaya in DC

Nigeria has just celebrated 53 years of independence and one of its biggest superstars, Timaya, will be in town for a show on Friday (I’ll be there) at Lux Lounge.  For those (and this will mostly be the ladies) who want to meet Timaya in a more intimate venue, you’ll have that opportunity tonight.

Here’s one of his hits, to get you shaking your bum bum and going down low.

 

Nigeria Independence Day Oberved in DC Clubs

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Capitale Lounge, Lux Lounge, Nectar Lounge, Nigeria independence in DC, Taste Lounge, Timaya in DC, Wale

Nigeria celebrates 53 years of independence on October 1 and various venues in DC are also rejoicing in solidarity (or in order to make an easy buck). Yesterday, Taste Lounge in NE and Nectar Lounge in DC (which are venues that traditionally appeal to those with Afrobeats tastes) marketed their nights as Nigerian independence day celebrations.  I was at Nectar Lounge, where the crowd was relatively small.

Tonight, the Nigerian celebrations have moved to some more traditional downtown venues.  A ‘Lagos Party‘ will be held at Capitale Lounge on K Street and the Nigerian – American DC-based rapper Wale is celebrating his birthday and Nigeria’s at Lux Lounge in Penn Quarter.

And as far as I know, the Nigerian superstar Timaya is still slated to perform in DC on October 4.

 

Meet P-Square in DC Tonight

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P-Square, Taste Lounge

The venue is Taste Lounge, a Afro-Caribbean flavored club in NW.  It is quite small, so believe the poster when it says ‘capacity is limited.’ I’ve purchased my tickets for the show tomorrow and will be writing a review (although I still haven’t really figured out the start time).  If anyone wants to say hello (I’ll be alone) I plan on wearing a Senegalese soccer jersey.

For non-African readers who have traveled to west Africa but do not follow the cultural scene, I’ll assure you, if you’ve been anywhere between Senegal and Cameroon, you’ve heard P-Square music.

Liberia Independence Day Parties in DC Tonight

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Liberia independence day DC, Liberia independence party DC, Look Lounge, Nectar Lounge, Taste Lounge

As a testimony to the ‘special relationship’ linking Liberia and the US, several venues in the region will be celebrating Liberia’s 166 years of independence.

For the cool, corporate cats in downtown DC, Look may be your venue (interesting that Arik Air, a Nigerian airline, is a co-sponsor):

Taste Lounge is still classy, but should have a more African vibe:

Finally, the Nectar Lounge Facebook page is billing a performance by a Liberian artist, who is town in advance of a major Liberian music concert in Philadelphia tomorrow.  I might go there after having a great time last week.

Nigerian Star 9ICE in NE DC Tonight

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9ice, Africa nightlife DC, Afrobeats, Taste Lounge

Nigerian singer 9ICE will be hosting tonight’s party (I don’t get any sense that he will perform) at Taste Lounge at 1812 Hamlin St NE.  He’s not one of my favorites, but he is a big name, so I suspect the crowd should be pretty vibrant there tonight.

It’s been about a year since I’ve been to Taste.  I hope to return soon and write about my experiences here.