The star-studded and highly anticipated Broadway-style musical, Jungle Story 2 was indeed one to wrap up the independence day celebration. The sold-out event which took place in Lagos was opened with a powerful message of cultural rebirth and national reconciliation by one of Nigeria’s musical veterans, Lanre Fasasi popularly known as Sound Sultan.
The show which focuses on a land that became a jungle because a spell was cast on known corrupt individuals, opened at Terra Kulture, Victoria Island and was an ensemble of some of Nigeria’s biggest actors, comedians and musicians, including Femi Kuti, Richard Mofe-Damijo, 2 Face Idibia, AY, MI, Buchi, Basket Mouth, Kate Henshaw, Helen Paul, Johnny Drille and Seyi Shay.
Jungle Story 2, a sequel to the highly successful 2018 debut, was produced by his Naija Ninja productions and supported by the MTN Foundation as part of its arts and culture cause which has sponsored some of Nigeria’s most compelling art, poetry and theatre productions and the creatives behind them for almost a decade.
Speaking on the inspiration behind the production, Sound Sultan said the show was a creative expression of his opinion on current issues in the country.
“The story talks about some of the issues our country is dealing with creatively and imaginatively. Many Nigerians are going through so much on a daily basis that it is hard sometimes to take a step back and look at the bigger picture,” he said.
On the motivation behind supporting Jungle Story 2, Abasi-Ekong Udobang, Senior Manager, Program Implementation, MTN Foundation said, “Our creatives have always found the voice to speak about our country – through their art, acting and music. The message of Jungle Story 2 reminds us about how arts and culture empower us in a transformative way to make sense of the themes that have defined us as a people.”
