Budweiser's Electronic Music Lab, BUDx Debuts In Abuja

Saturday, 20th October, music lovers and beer lovers in Abuja experienced BUDx, an electronic music lab which brings artists, producers, DJs and fans together in one awesome brand experience. The venue, Harrow Park, was turned into a music venue that could have been well placed in Europe, not just because of the vibe or the cool young fans, excited to hear from some of the best producers within the space – but because the event was able to bring a uniqueness and authenticity not seen before.

The event, which served as a stage to underground DJs/ producers, hosted panel discussions and talks and offered insightful masterclasses by established artists for budding talent, was held across two spaces: The Main Room and Break Out Room.
The passage leading to these rooms served as the hangout zone, complete with a Budweiser bar to refresh the revelers and a coloring wall titled ‘This House is Not for Sale’. Another smaller room provided a cool feel and engagement elements such as the panoramic style televisions and illusion walls.

The BUDx store located next to the main room was stocked with limited edition T-shirts designed by Tomi Thomas in collaboration with uber trendy street wear outlet, Garm Spot.
Themed, Electronic Africa: “This House is Not for Sale”, driven by the passion and the spirit of music. The event kicked off with a masterclass titled ‘House Music defined’ by Christian Rich, the American-born Nigerian Grammy –nominated production and DJ duo consisting of twins Taiwo and Kehinde Hassan who have produced for everyone from Drake to Childish Gambino.  The duo brought their knowledge of the history of house music from the underground clubs of Chicago to its evolution to Berlin – sharing their knowledge of this genre of music.
Next up was the workshop titled ‘House Music Production 101’ by hit making producer, Sarz, who has produced for everyone including Wizkid to Wande Coal and Reminisce. At the music workshop, Sarz took the audience through his personal production process where he also shared some unreleased beats.

Another insightful discussion at BUDx was the panel titled ‘Understanding the Market and How to Monetize’ with Sarz, Ikon, DJ TTB and Sensei Lo. In a country where the music scene is growing, a lot can be learned from the successes of challenges of its trailblazers.
Budweiser Brand Manager, Franscoe Bouwer, stated “BUDx is an electronic music lab, the first of its kind, which showcases emerging talent from the region as well as introducing a series of panels, masterclasses, seminars and interactive installations which gets behind the scene in emerging markets around the globe.”

Bouwer adds “Budweiser is the King of Beers that inspires socialization and fun.”
The final master class of the day titled ‘Future of Africa House Music’ was taken by Ikon, a visionary music producer and rapper who has delivered a blueprint for creating Nigerian music.

Following the great learning experiences, guests stayed back for a super epic after party where they witnessed engaging sets - think underground room style with a lineup of some of the hottest DJs such as Aye, Sensei Lo, DJ Crown, DJ Aldeen The Sygerian, DJ Smooth and performances from Tomi Thomas and Pretty Boy D-O.
 If BUDx aimed to provide a space for Nigeria’s growing electronic music scene to engage with each other in a relaxed setting, free-flowing Buds, Grills and an awesome party – it did just that! 

October 30, 2018