Nigerian Afro-fusion artiste Akinade Ibuoye best known by his stage name Gaise Baba, is set to perform in Kigali from July 15-17. The “Elijah Level” hitmaker is already in Rwanda on the invitation of Prayer House Ministry, as a guest artiste at their “Shield Guys Conference,” a three-day event that will feature music and preaching. In an interview with The New Times on Wednesday, Baba promised “an amazing performance.” “It is going to be amazing, you have to come out. I promise you we are going to have a good time,” he said. Baba sings in his native language Yoruba, English, and pidgin English, often combining all three languages in his songs. Beyond writing, recording and performing music, he is the founder of certain platforms that serve his immediate communities, and the nation. Among these is the “LightOut” movement; a high-school musical outreach and concert experience that uses music and art as vehicles for social impact, teen advocacy and youth mentorship. Baba leads The LightOut Collective – an ensemble of musicians, dancers, poets and other creatives, touring high schools and colleges across the country. Since inception in November 2017, the movement has organised 14 editions and reached over 15,000 teenage and pre-teen students. As a recording artiste, Baba’s debut album was released in August 2011 under Sanctified Records. The lead single off the album – ‘Follow Follow’ was nominated as the Best Indigenous Concept at the Nigerian Music Video Awards (2011) and the Africa Entertainment Awards (2012) in Malaysia. Since then, he has released 11 single recordings. He also works as a cultural ambassador for Ekiti, a southwestern Nigerian state. Here, Baba travels the country delivering musical performances that impact culture through his art and message.
