“Wizkid: Long Live Lagos” distinguishes itself from the endless parade of music documentaries that fill film fest programs in its very first moments. What other recent doc has started with the son of legendary Nigerian activist and artist Fela Kuti, Femi-Anikulapo Kuti, invoking the lasting effects of colonization on African culture and people? This is an entertaining film, which offers a look into the life of 31-year-old Nigerian singer-songwriter Wizkid, but also provides a framework for his stardom, explaining the political and social impact of his music.
The narrative starts when the Grammy winner is asked to play the Tottenham Hotspur stadium in London. As presented in the film, this would be a major milestone not just in Wizkid’s career but also symbolically: as progress for all African artists, and Nigerians in particular. Only the biggest superstars from the Western world usually play that massive venue. From then on “Wizkid: Long Live Lagos” follows two stories simultaneously. One is a countdown to the concert, showing the rehearsals while introducing the artist, his production team, his entourage and his family. The other, more absorbing story looks back at his rise from Lagos to global pop superstardom.
The film is peppered with the usual talking heads expected in such a documentary: music journalists and historians, Wizkid’s managers and, of course, the artist himself. But director Karam Gill manages to coax out real context, beyond the usual positive readings of a musician’s struggle to become successful. “Long Live Lagos” tells a full story, starting with Wizkid, born Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, rising up from his gritty neighborhood of Surulere, explaining what inspired him and what his success means to his countrymen and the African diaspora all over the world.
The film, through music experts, criticizes the term “Afrobeats,” and how it diminishes the many musical influences originating in Africa. The geographically reductive moniker doesn’t capture the cultural roots of Wizkid’s music, nor his predecessors’ or contemporaries’. The film points out how colonial legacy, specifically Nigeria’s relationship with its former colonizer Great Britain, impacts its current culture.
The film’s biggest assets are Wizkid and his music. With a quiet, unassuming demeanor in interviews, he comes off as cool and collected — comfortable with his position and the responsibilities it brings. Once the film arrives at the London concert, it reaches its strongest apex with Wizkid performing onstage. Watching him command the stage is intoxicating and surely will win him many new fans when they discover this film on HBO. Gill shoots these scenes with kinetic energy, giving the songs time to resonate while highlighting Wizkid’s charisma and artistry. The performances are intercut, through fast and precise editing, with images of fans dancing and enjoying themselves.
But Gill’s singular addition to this familiar format of the musical documentary is including the testimony of a fan: an ordinary man, Matthew Temitope Solomon, who also grew up in Surulere. His perspective adds a fresh lens to examine why Wizkid inspires a whole generation. Solomon is an aspiring musician and the film follows his attempt to travel to London to attend the concert. In showing Solomon’s story, the film manages to render Wizkid’s reach and popularity in a simple and palpable way. No proclamations from experts; just one person’s honest and unadorned reaction to the music.
If there’s one quibble, it’s that the countdown to the show pales in comparison to other segments. The film implies that the production has some obstacles; however, that never materializes into a specific problem that’s handled and solved, beyond the weight of the responsibility to headline such a big international venue. Instead, the film repeats a talking point on how important it is for Wizkid to represent his nation on this international stage.
“Wizkid: Long Live Lagos” distinguishes itself by providing social, cultural and political context to the story of this popular musician. The filmmakers give ample time to the music itself, so fans of Wizkid will be happy, and that also should win him many more new fans.
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