FUNKE OSAE-BROWN

Terra Kulture was a beehive of activities on Saturday. It was the staging of the famous musical Wakaa, to kick off the Lagos at 50 celebration. By 6pm nearly all dignitaries were seated in the new Terra Kulture Arena. The Lagos State deputy governor, Idiat Oluranti Adebule, who represented Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, said the current administration is excited to be celebrating 50 years since the creation of Lagos State.

“We are happy about the Lagos at 50 celebration. The 50 days of events kicks off tonight with this musical play you are about to see, ‘Wakaa’. It is part of our drive to develop the Lagos economy through the project THESE. Lagos has a huge economic potential and we are tapping into these potentials to develop the state’s economy,” she said. After her speech, the stage play began in earnest.

Wakaa! The Musical tells the story of the young students who just graduated from the university. They were full of aspirations of the career path to pursue. But there came a twist to their dreams and aspirations when the reality of the society they live in dawn on them. The story shows the struggles and challenges young people face in present day Nigeria and abroad.

The audience is taken on a journey through the Lagos metropolis, the socio-political scenes of the city through fully developed characters. The lead character, Tosan, is an ambitious cool headed young man who decides to join politics after leaving school. His uncle, a gubernatorial aspirant in the state, appoints him as a member of his campaign team. His uncle later wins the election and appoints him as a special adviser. However, his university sweetheart, Kike, will later become a thorn in his flesh as a result of her frivolous lifestyle.  As a special adviser to the governor on youth affairs, he is allocated a beautiful house, a luxurious car and his personal security team. Asking Kike to become his wife was easier than he imagined.

He has great ideas on the governor’s desk waiting to be executed. Once they are executed, the lives of the people in the state will change for the better. But the governor would not want any of his development ideas. He is a radical revolutionary who believes so much in the prospects of Nigeria as a great nation, free of corruption. Tosan is assured by his uncle that once the funds are allocated, everything will be executed like he proposed. Little did he know that his proposed projects were used to siphon money by his uncle and associates. He falls on hard times following his anti-corruption stance and mantra for change.

The place celebrates the past and present Lagos scenes with a blend of old high life tunes and modern hip hop music that have dominated the Lagos social scenes. The two-hour stage musical is full of comedy, melodious music, well-choreographed dance steps. It is a great play to kick off an important celebration like Lagos at 50 as it explores the scheming, intrigues, betrayals and games people play.