Entertainment

Why Timaya Wept At PH Concert

Published

10 years ago

June 24, 2016

Timaya was crying, in
front of 20,000 people at the Joseph Yobo Mini Stadium in Port Harcourt. Timaya, recently the strident, swaggering dancehall superstar, bent his knees and shed some tears. Naturally, some people thought such a sudden outpour of emotions was unseemly for someone of Timaya’s stature. To many others, however, it was just the perfect treat. Crying in front of thousands of fans who have come to watch you entertain them was a special gift, they reckon. It’s nothing to be embarrassed by at all.
Timaya’s stunt on this particular night became the icing on an already good cake for Legend and it made the stories from that gig even more sharable. These stories are about unpretentious. The beer brand has come a long way from these hard-core leather-jacket-slinging adverts it used to run on TV. These days, it looks like it is embracing its growing popularity among an aspiring urban crowd whose reality is anything but fake.
Legend is doing less of the macho club swash buckling it tried so hard to own before and more of a down-to-earth “Original Naija’ tone of voice. This may be because another brand already does something not so different from that but what’s currently good for Legend is the fact that public reactions to its new strategy suggest that its advertising campaign Real Deal Experience concerts, and other properties in the mix are making the desired impact on the intended audience.
Timaya, you see, was not making a mess of himself in front of total strangers. He was at home with his own people and sharing his unfettered emotions with them was a way of showing them how much he trusted them and how grateful he was to them. Indeed we are talking about a great crowd here, not a handful of close neigbours but those are the words he used.
“I always love performing in Port Harcourt”, he said after the show. It brings back so many memories and the crowd tonight was spectacular. They made me feel at home. Almost like I never felt. His success, he explained, could be credited to Port Harcourt. It is the ‘town most instrumental in shaping my early days,’ he said and promised to ‘give my people every thing they want and more. If I don’t do this for them who else would, I do it for?, Timaya stated.
As he said that, the crowd cheered him on and that was the moment that Legend won the evening. Even if the brand had paid for a night to remember, it couldn’t have engineered this priceless outcome. The star and his fans were in harmony. Legend could simply take that night, stick its logo on it and run it as an advert.
‘The Real Deal Experience is about making people appreciate realness and authenticity. Bring fans face to face with one of their favourite music superstars is a very engaging way of putting across this message, said Oluseun Lawal, brand manager, Legend.
The concerts have now held in four locations: Lagos, featuring Oritefemi at Okokomaiko, Onitsha featuring KCee at Ekwulobia Township Stadium, Port Harcourt, starring Timaya at the Joseph Yobo Mini Stadium, and Ibadan headlined by 9ice at Cultural Centres, Mokola. At each of the venues, the ravers sand performers appeared to be relating like old friends.

Entertainment

Funke Akindele’s Behind The Scenes Crosses ?1.77bn

Published

5 days ago

January 9, 2026

The Tide

Funke Akindele’s Behind The Scenes becomes Nollywood’s highest-grossing film of 2025, earning ?1.77bn in under four weeks.

Multi-award-winning actress and producer Funke Akindele has done it again, and this time, the numbers speak louder than applause.

Her latest film, Behind The Scenes, has officially emerged as the highest-grossing Nollywood film of 2025, pulling in an astonishing ?1.767 billion in less than four weeks.

The Tide Entertainment reports that Funke Akindele Makes Box Office History as Behind The Scenes Crosses ?1.77bn
Earlier in its release cycle, the film’s distributor, FilmOne Entertainment, revealed that Behind The Scenes smashed five opening-weekend records, including the highest single-day gross ever recorded on Boxing Day, with ?129.5 million in one day. That announcement already hinted that something unusual was unfolding.

Reacting to the milestone, FilmOne described the moment as both surreal and communal, crediting audience loyalty for pushing the film to the top spot once again as the number-one movie of the weekend. And that sentiment feels accurate. This wasn’t just ticket sales; it was momentum.

What makes this achievement even more striking is that Behind The Scenes is Funke Akindele’s third film to cross the ?1 billion mark. Before now, there was A Tribe Called Judah, and then Everybody Loves Jenifa, a film that didn’t just open big, but went on to become the highest-grossing Nollywood film of all time. At this point, it’s no longer a fluke. It’s a pattern.

Part of Behind The Scenes’ success lies in strategy. The film enjoyed advanced screenings on December 10 and 11, quietly building curiosity and conversation before its nationwide release on December 12. By the time it officially hit cinemas, audiences already felt like they needed to see it.

Then there’s the cast. The film brings together a lineup that feels deliberately stacked: Scarlet Gomez, Iyabo Ojo, Destiny Etiko, Tobi Bakre, Uche Montana, and several others. Familiar faces, strong fan bases, and performances that kept word-of-mouth alive long after opening weekend.

Still, beyond timing and casting, there’s something else at work here. Funke Akindele understands Nigerian audiences. Their humour, their pacing, their emotional buttons. She doesn’t guess, she calculates, experiments, listens, and refines. That understanding has slowly turned into box-office dominance.

Behind The Scenes crossing ?1.77 billion isn’t just another headline; it’s confirmation. Funke Akindele has moved from being a successful actress to becoming one of the most reliable commercial forces Nollywood has ever produced. Three-billion-naira films don’t happen by luck. They happen when storytelling, business sense, and audience trust align.

And right now, that alignment seems firmly in her hands.

Entertainment

Adekunle Gold, Simi Welcome Twin Babies

Published

5 days ago

January 9, 2026

The Tide

Popular Nigerian music stars, Adekunle Kosoko, widely known as Adekunle Gold, and his wife, Simi, have become parents again this time to twins.

The award-winning singer shared the joyful update on his Snapchat story on Wednesday, confirming the expansion of their family.

“Asked God for another child and he blessed me double,” she wrote.

While the couple has not yet disclosed the gender of the newborns, the announcement has sparked an outpouring of warm wishes from admirers, fellow celebrities, and industry colleagues.

Speculation had intensified in December when Simi posted a video on Instagram accompanied by the caption, “From my baby, for my babies.”

The clip showed her with a growing baby bump, fueling anticipation that another child was on the way.

Their latest blessings arrive just weeks after Simi highlighted a scene from Adekunle Gold’s newly released music video, “My Love is the Same,” further stirring excitement among fans.

The Tide Entertainment reports that Adekunle Gold and Simi who tied the knot in 2019 after a long history of friendship and musical synergy remain one of Nigeria’s most admired entertainment power couples. Both artistes were once signed to X3M Music before soaring into mainstream acclaim.

The pair welcomed their first child, Adejare Kosoko, fondly called Deja, in May 2020.

Entertainment

Jesse Flames Opens 2026 With ‘Praise The Lord’ Featuring Magnito

Published

5 days ago

January 9, 2026

The Tide

After closing out 2025 with the release of “Praise the Lord” featuring Magnito, Jesse Flames enters the new year with renewed clarity and purpose, continuing to build a body of work rooted in intention rather than noise. In a moment where Afrobeats is moving faster and louder than ever, his approach remains measured and deliberate, prioritizing meaning, craft, and longevity over momentary attention. The official music video arrives January 10.

Following the momentum of his breakout single “FLEX,” “Praise the Lord” represents a shift from celebration to grounding. Reflective and soulful, the record centers gratitude, growth, and perspective, capturing a quieter confidence that resonates beyond a single moment.

“This song is about recognizing the full picture,” Jesse shares. “The work people see and the work they don’t. The lessons, the setbacks, the growth.”

The collaboration with Magnito, a respected voice in Nigerian hip hop known for his sharp lyricism and cultural authenticity, adds depth and weight to the record, reinforcing its themes of resilience, faith, and self reflection.

Released in December at the height of Detty December, “Praise the Lord” became a natural soundtrack for both celebration and reflection as the year came to a close. With the video arriving in January, the record takes on new meaning, opening the year as a tone setter rather than a reset.

Born in the United States, raised in Festac, Lagos, and now based in London, Jesse Flames brings a global perspective to his sound, blending Afrobeats, hip hop, and melodic soul into something sleek and intentional. His music reflects lived experience and cultural nuance rather than trend chasing.

The Tide Entertainment reports that with over 11 million streams, performances at O2 Brixton Academy and OVO Arena Wembley, and coverage from The Guardian and Business Post Nigeria, Jesse’s rise has been steady and self made. Looking ahead to 2026 and 2027, he is preparing for collaborations with Ice Prince, M.I Abaga, and Smurlee.

“Praise the Lord” ft. Magnito is available now on all streaming platforms.