I have to admit, when I saw the show listing for Demola, I had never heard of him, but the promo photo of him with a violin over each shoulder piqued my interest. I've always been a fan of classical instruments in modern music, and this show looked like it was going to be something that would be visually interesting even if it wasn't what I'd typically listen to. I'm glad I decided to step out of my comfort zone.
Demola is a Houston, Texas-based artist who was born in Lagos, Nigeria. To say he is a man of many talents would be an understatement. Not only is he a multi-instrumentalist and completely self-taught, but he is also fully independent. While he does perform violin covers of popular songs, he also has a solid collection of original works, including the albums Feel1ngs and One In A Million.
Being a touring musician is as much about showmanship as it is music, and Demola is a master showman. This quickly became evident as he successfully goaded the crowd into turning up the energy with a second walkout. The show would start in earnest with a violin cover of the Alicia Keys classic "If I Ain't Got You" that got the crowd singing. It didn't take long for Demola to come off the stage and join the crowd after giving them a heads-up to get their cameras ready and requesting that the crowd not touch his violin.
Bouncing between the stage and the crowd as well as between genres and instruments, Demola showed an unparalleled range. From classical music to R&B hits, reggaeton to contemporary country, and classic rock to Afrobeat, there was truly something for everyone at this show. The charismatic stage presence and incredible amount of crowd interaction really draw you into the performance. You might not have heard his song "Will you be my lover," but that's ok; he's going to coach you up on your part of the lyrics and how to sing them with a Nigerian accent so you can participate.
Hoping to jumpstart Valentine's Day for a few people, Demola would tell the crowd that they had to sing the hook to his song "One in a Million" to whoever they were there with, even if it was someone else's significant other. "It's not my business, and this isn't a Coldplay concert," he joked. Once again leaving the stage to perform in the crowd and offering up a mic to confident concertgoers ready to profess their love and show off their own vocal abilities.
As the show wound down, the crowd participation kept right on going. After playing an impromptu request and a quick rendition of "Happy Birthday," time was running short on the evening. For the last song, the crowd got to choose between Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance with Somebody," "September" by Earth, Wind & Fire, or Prince's "Purple Rain" by voting via crowd noise. "Purple Rain" barely beat out "September" to close out this show.
The current tour ends in early April, and if you get the chance to catch a date, you definitely should, even if you think it might not be up your alley. I promise you it will be a fun and amazing experience.
I would also like to take a moment to shout out Demola's Ade Music Foundation, which aims to help both underprivileged and talented children by providing music education, instruments, and basic welfare in the US, Africa, and Latin America.
