By Ebunoluwa Sessou & Abigail Aderibigbe

A music promoter and talent manager, Kayode Adepoju, popularly known as Promomaster, has unveiled a new platform designed to bring veteran artistes back into the public eye.

Speaking with journalists in Lagos, Adepoju said the “Rythm & Vybz Throwback Edition” was conceived to showcase and appreciate artistes who shaped Nigeria’s music scene in the late 1990s and 2000s, while re-introducing their songs to a new generation.

According to Adepoju, “I was X-raying the Nigerian music scene and concluded that we needed a platform that could bring back the memories of those songs we enjoyed in the late ’90s and 2000s,” he explained.

His words: “A good number of these artistes have been long forgotten. I felt I could come up with an initiative capable of bringing them back to limelight by getting them to recreate some of those songs and put them on social media so music lovers can see they still exist and can still perform optimally.

“The platform is open to every genre hip hop, Afrobeats, gospel, fuji and more and is structured to benefit both upcoming and established names. We have segments for upcoming artistes, segments for trending and popular top artistes and, most importantly, our Throwback Edition every Thursday, which has made us gain large followers due to the nostalgia memories” he added.

Adepoju believes the initiative could also inspire veterans to create new music. “Through this, they can still be called upon to perform at events. They can also receive inspiration to come up with new songs Nigerians can enjoy,” he said.

Tracing the idea to the steady global rise of Nigerian music since the turn of the millennium, Adepoju said, “Before this time, we had lots of great artistes who gave us memorable music we cannot forget and some are still very much active in the business. So, we created a segment tagged ‘Throwback Edition’ with songs that will take you back to yesteryears and leave you feeling warm, nostalgic and smiling from ear to ear. The best part is there’s something for everyone on our platforms.”

Every Thursday, the “Rythm & Vybz” team highlights notable Nigerian songs from 2000 onwards records that left a mark internationally and contributed to Afrobeats’ continuous global exportation.

“We are simply giving forgotten stars another stage and giving fans another chance to enjoy the music that shaped our lives,” Adepoju concluded.