The crowd at First Avenue was eager to welcome Ogi, the Nigerian-American musician supporting Masego, to the stage on Thursday, March 23. The Midwestern raised singer-songwriter had some technical difficulties during her first song of the night, but she laughed them off with ease and restarted the song once the issues were fixed. The audience was immediately enamored with her and encouraging cries of “Let’s go, girl!” and “It’s a vibe!” rang from the crowd as she sang. The feeling was mutual as Ogi (pronounced Oh-Gee) exclaimed “I like y’all!” and expressed how grateful she was to be there.
Ogi was joined onstage by guitarist Josh Porter. The addition of his smooth R&B guitar riffs complemented her voice well as she effortlessly navigated complex harmonies and high notes. Her lyrical themes ranged from friendship and romantic relationship issues, to self-identity struggles. Ogi’s debut EP Monologues is out now.
The crowd could hardly contain their excitement when Masego sauntered onstage playing his saxophone. The adoring screams were heard throughout his set, and grew louder still when he would reach into a suitcase and throw handfuls of money into the crowd.
Masego’s use of saxophone and keyboard blended seamlessly with his voice, and it was clear that he was feeling the music as he swayed and danced throughout the night. He performed hits such as “Mystery Lady,” “Two Sides (I’m So Gemini),” and “You Never Visit Me,” and the crowd eagerly sang along.
Masego, born Micah Davis, was raised in Jamaica and Virginia. His stage name means “blessings” in Tswana. The Grammy-nominated singer and multi-instrumentalist fuses jazz with trap, hip-hop, and R&B and is praised for his ability to blend multiple genres and styles. Masego is currently on tour in support of his latest self-titled album Masego, which is available now. The tour ends on April 28 in Los Angeles.
Ogi
Masego
