By Dee Adesoye
How the Amapiano Takeover got built.
A week-by-week diary of curating a 120-cap room around three guest DJs flying in from Lagos and Joburg.
The first message went out on a Sunday. Five DJs on a group chat. Three said yes by Wednesday. Two ghosted us until Friday and then sent back essays.
We had a venue locked by week two. A rooftop in Maitama with a sightline that, on the right night, makes the city look like it is yours. Capacity 120. We picked 120 because 100 felt too quiet and 140 felt too loud. The room teaches you about its own ceiling.
By week three the cover image was wrong twice. The first one was too clean. The second one was too aggressive. The third one was the one. We knew because nobody had a note.
Week four we ran the music. Three sets, six hours, one transition Chief still talks about. The DJs were on a WhatsApp group with us and they were on a WhatsApp group with each other. The crossover was thick. The energy was right.
We sold out in 36 hours.