The Evergreen Music Heritage Foundation (EMHF) on Monday, December 29, 2025, successfully hosted a colourful and memorable celebration marking 100 years of Highlife music, drawing music lovers, cultural enthusiasts, veteran musicians and young creatives to Ogunnuyi Street, Anthony Village, Lagos State, for a day filled with nostalgia, rhythm and pure entertainment.
The historic event, which lighted and transformed the Anthony Village neighbourhood into a vibrant hub of culture and sound, was a fitting tribute to Highlife music—one of Africa’s most influential musical genres that has shaped generations of artistes across West Africa and beyond.
From the early hours of the day, guests trooped into the Oyedele Ogunnuyi venue, welcomed by the soulful sounds of classic Highlife tunes that immediately set a festive and reflective mood.
The celebration featured live performance by seasoned Highlife musician, Ajewole Seun (Dr. Musician), including MFM Highlife Band Voices and others who paid homage to the pioneers of the genre.
Renditions of timeless classics of highlife icons such as E.T. Mensah, Victor Olaiya, Sir Adeoye Akinsanya, and host of others were performed by Ajewole Seun band stand. The performance drew loud applause, spontaneous dancing and emotional sing-alongs from the audience. Many attendees described their songs as a powerful reminder of the richness and depth of African musical heritage.
Speaking at the event, the Executive Secretary of the Evergreen Music Heritage Foundation, Bimbo Eso said the centenary celebration was organised to preserve, promote and pass on Highlife music to younger generations, noting that the genre laid the foundation for many contemporary African sounds, including Afrobeat and modern Afropop. She stressed that Highlife music remains a symbol of unity, storytelling and cultural identity.
“This celebration is not just about music; it is about history, culture and identity,” She said. “For 100 years, Highlife has told our stories, celebrated our joys and carried our values across borders. Today, we are proud to honour the legends and inspire the next generation to keep this heritage alive.”
“I am very impressed with the quality of people here, We are doing this programme to honor and celebrate our late father and founder of EMHF, Samuel Babafemi Esho who laid the foundation of what we are doing today many years back, I also thank you all for honouring our father, this is the second edition of the programme.
I thank our patron, Dr D.K Olukoya for supporting this vision, He is a lover of highlife music, his contributions to the success of this foundation and this programme cannot be over emphasized. His support paved the way for this big structure which has been serving as the biggest place to use for promoting music in Nigeria.
“Our mission is to serve as cultural ambassador and harbinger of Africa’s musical legacy buy ensuring the continuous preservation, celebration and global promotion of African music.”
“Today we are celebrating those who have contributed to highlife music, using the festive season for the occasion. The concept was that We needed to have a place to have a collection of the works of the great legends, one of the things Baba Esho hoped for was that the new generation will interfere with the works of the legend in the industry, thus sustaining the legacy. The programme was indeed an evening of high sensation, fun and excitement for the guests who attended the occasion.”
Samuel Babafemi Esho, fondly known as Femi Esho was born on October 29, 1946 in Ilesa, Osun State, Nigeria. From an early age he showed a deep passion for music and by age 12, he was already playing the church Organ and organising class mates to perform highlife songs. While in secondary school, he formed a band called The 5 Soulers, performing pop hits made popular by European bands like the Beatles.
One of the guests, Mr Olumide Opeyemi a.k.a (Mr Dodo) described the programm as a good preservation of highlife music heritage, just as he commended the executive Secretary of EMHF, Bimbo Esho for the historic programme.
The occasion featured many side attractions including sports the tune segment, a segment which added fun and excited to the program
The programme also featured a tribute song from wife of Late Samuel Babafemi Esho, Chief Mrs Bolanle Esho. She rendered a song in founding memory of her late husband. That segment turned on the guests who danced and celebrated with her.
Special Recognition Awards were presented to some deserving and great highlife Ambassadors, including late Babafemi Esho, Mr Ray Mike Nwachukwu and others
One of the highlights of the event was a special recognition and honour for outstanding contributions to legends who contributed to the growth and sustainability of the genre.
Beyond the music, the event was equally rich in fun, fashion and social interaction. Guests appeared in colourful traditional attires reflecting different Nigerian and West African cultures, while dance troupes thrilled the audience with energetic steps that blended old-school Highlife dance styles with modern choreography. Laughter, cheers and warm exchanges filled the air as old friends reunited and younger attendees connected with the roots of African music.
The celebration had enough food and drinks for guests, also, sessions and brief talks on the evolution of Highlife music, its influence on modern genres and the need for proper documentation and archiving of musical history.
Music scholars and cultural enthusiasts emphasized the importance of institutional support and community-driven initiatives such as that of the Evergreen Music Heritage Foundation.
As the event drew to a close in the evening, the atmosphere remained electric, with a grand finale performance that had virtually everyone on their feet, dancing and celebrating the enduring legacy of Highlife music. Fireworks of applause and cheers marked the end of a historic celebration that many attendees said would remain unforgettable.
The 100 years of Highlife music celebration organised by the Evergreen Music Heritage Foundation was widely applauded as a huge success—an event that beautifully blended history, education and entertainment, while reaffirming the timeless relevance of Highlife music in Africa’s cultural landscape.
