From the best roadside bars in Accra to the coolest clubs in Kampala—and second-to-none hangover food in Lagos.
Afropop luminary Oluwatosin Ajibade, better known as Mr Eazi, has brought the sounds of Africa to the world. With more than 4 billion streams of his own hits and collaborations with superstars like Beyoncé and Bad Bunny, the pioneer of Banku music—an Afrobeats subgenre that mixes Ghanaian highlife with Nigerian chord progressions—is setting the stage for something even bigger. The time has come, he says, for African music, unadulterated and on its own terms.
Mr Eazi, a pioneer of Banku music, set up Africa's first music incubator program. Photo: Daniel Obasi | Detty Rave, hosted by Mr Eazi, offers an EDM festival-level production at an Afrobeats festival. Photo: Abdul Arafat
The shift between artist and disruptor-entrepreneur has come naturally for Mr Eazi, who grew up in Lagos, Nigeria, and Accra, Ghana, twin poles of the Afrobeats landscape. Following his 2016 breakout success with singles “Skin Tight” and “Leg Over,” he founded EmPawa Africa, a talent incubator for bringing up artists from across the continent. Launching stars including Joeboy and Major League Djz, the company is now one of Africa’s largest independent music labels. Mr Eazi’s commitment to pan-Africanism is also echoed in his 2023 debut full-length album, The Evil Genius, which features guest appearances from Benin’s Angélique Kidjo, Ghana’s Efya, and South Africa’s Soweto Gospel Choir.
We caught up with the Afrobeats pioneer as he was nailing down the details for this year’s Detty Rave, his end-of-year festival in Accra, to hear his tips for “getting detty” in Accra and Lagos; ask him why he thinks Kampala, Uganda, and Cape Town are great music cities; and coax out a couple under-the-radar destinations that travelers should have on their list.
“Detty December” refers to Lagos and Accra’s infamously wild festive season—for those who aren't aware, what does “detty” mean?
When you’re a kid and you've been naughty, adults might say, “You're a very detty boy.” It’s like when you get yourself in the mud or when you lose yourself to enjoyment. When you're at events [like Detty Rave], there's a purity of fun where you can put your problems away. It's been a central theme for me—in my music, my art form, my energy—to take people away from all the craziness of the world.
Whether you celebrate it in Lagos or Accra, Detty December is filled with nonstop beach parties, street festivals, and concerts. | Detty Rave has become one of the most sought-after festivals in West Africa. Photo: Abdul Arafat
I know this will be controversial, but in terms of the music scene, where’s the best place to celebrate Detty December: Lagos or Accra?
I’m gonna get in trouble with this one, but I’m just going to speak my truth. The best is Lagos from about the 10th through 20th of December. But by the 21st you start hearing the accents: It’s all the IJGB (“I just got backs”) expats. No disrespect, but it starts to get super packed and hard to get into the clubs. That’s when it’s time to go to Ghana, where you can have more fun on a budget.
Where’s the first place you head to in Accra, whatever the time of year?
My favorite spot is Republic Bar. It's nothing fancy, but has the best vibe and energy. It’s small inside, but outside by the road they put chairs, turn over empty oil cans for tables, and the DJs are right there. It’s all very, very local, including the drinks. Their cocktails are made with apetishi, the local sugarcane brew.
In my song “Werser,” I say, “Ginger shot, five fingers, what a mismatch.” Ginger shot is a drink from Republic, and five fingers refers to a drink from another great street-style bar, the Purple Pub. Don't ask me what's in five fingers, because I don't know, but if you do drink them together, you're lit.
Tips for the best music night out in Accra?
Start with drinks at Sky Bar, then go to Republic or Front/back, which is a bungalow-style bar inside, and a backyard with another party experience outside. Then go to Twist, my favorite club. For live music there’s also 233—they play Highlife, jazz, sometimes salsa on weekdays.
At the end of the night, there are two places for hangover-busting food: Breakfast to Breakfast—have the spicy chicken wings—or 80-20, for late-night burgers. If I’m out till 6:30 a.m., I’ll have breakfast at the Kempinski—it’s also the only hotel you should stay at, and where Gallery 1957 is.
Bookmark SLoW, a tropical-themed brasserie and cocktail bar, for your next trip to Lagos. Photo: SLoW | A perfect night out in Lagos includes pre-gaming at SLoW, “shaking it” at The Library, and hangover-busting asun pasta at Jay's Diner.
Photo: SLoW
Let’s shift to Lagos. Walk us through a perfect night out in the Nigerian metropolis.
First of all, the only hotel you should stay at is the George Hotel. It's not a boutique hotel, but you have privacy—you can stay poolside and just chill and have drinks. It’s also in Ikoyi [the neighborhood], which means all the places you want to go are just 10 to 15 minutes away.
From George, pregame with something to eat. Go to SLoW, the Wine lab, or Kaly, which is a rooftop place, and make sure to eat the fried spicy calamari. There’s also The Vibe, where you’ll find good live music. Try their amala and ewedu [the classic Nigerian dish of yam flour and green soup], and make sure to have it with gbegiri [bean and meat stew]. If you love craft beer, go to Bature Brewery. They make beers on site, have live music, and the crowd is great.
The pregaming is done—what’s next?
Definitely stop at W-Bar. The music is a variety from hip-hop to Afropop to Amapiano to dance music, EDM, everything. And they have the best hype men—they make you part of the party, part of the performance. If you want to shake it and you’re a little more bougie, go to The Library. Toward the end of the night go to Zaza for Bagatelle vibes on steroids. One thing you should know about Nigerian partying: It is very showy—bottle service, very loud, big ballers. End the night at Jay’s diner, the best place for hangover food. Have the spicy asun pasta. Asun means “good.” You’ll think this is where pasta was invented. I’ve never had it sober though.
When in Abidjan, stay at boutique property La Maison Palmier—it's the perfect refuge after pulling an all-nighter at its many bars and clubs. Photo: Yann Deret/La Maison Palmier
After Lagos and Accra, what are your top music cities in Africa?
That’s hard! I’ve got to say Kampala for East Africa. And Cape Town. I was there at the end of December one year, and for those four days I was in a musical trance. I barely heard any Afrobeats or Afropop, but there was such a scene thriving on so much South African music and DJs I had never heard. Watching DBN gogo play—she was so good I forgot to order drinks. And Ami Faku, she plays emotional Amapiano. I’m a big fan.
What makes Kampala special?
The variety of music. You go from hearing dancehall to Gengetone, which is like reggaeton but with a more groovy African vibe, to Afrobeats. The Vault is a cool club—the DJs play everything. It's just so diverse, and people just wanna party in Kampala.
Favorite under-the-radar music city?
I don't even want to say it, because I don't want people crowding it. But Abidjan [in Côte d’Ivoire] is the place. It's like Paris in Africa with more flavor and spice. The music is stuff you're not hearing anywhere else—very Ivorian, very Francophone, a lot from Congo, Cameroon. Very Coupé-décalé.
First thing when you arrive, find out when’s the next La Sunday party. Then there's Bloom. I went to that club back-to-back, which I never do. I partied there till 10 a.m. and didn't know it until I came out and the sun just hit me. Another good one is West Club.
I always stay at La Maison Palmier, but there's also Sofitel Abidjan Hotel Ivoire, which gives off the vibes of the Five Palm in Dubai. The rooftop is always bustling and has an awesome view.
Mr Eazi and Angélique Kidjo in the music video for his song “Òròkóró,” from his 2023 debut full-length album,
The Evil Genius
You’ve a big advocate for African-owned festivals: What are your top picks?
Detty Rave, Afrofuture, and Promise land—all in Ghana. But I have to give an honorable mention to Weloveya in Benin. It brings together the Francophone and Anglophone scenes, which don’t [otherwise] connect.
Read the original article on Condé Nast Traveler.
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