Seyifunmi Michael brings Afrobeats to the MUSON Orchestra stage

Imagine Afrobeats, but with violins and cellos! That's exactly what went down on November one at the 30th MUSON Festival, as producer and orchestrator Seyifunmi Michael pulled off something spectacular. He showcased full orchestral versions of Adekunle Gold’s “Many People” and Teni’s “Uyo Meyo,” all backed by the legendary MUSON Symphony Orchestra.

Seyifunmi Michael, formerly known professionally as SeyiKeyz, is best known as a producer, but his work has increasingly moved into orchestral arrangement and live music direction. This performance was a full-circle moment for him, showing just how far Nigerian music has evolved.

The Agip Recital Hall was bursting at the seams, proper packed, for this show that kicked off just after 6:00 PM. But forget the usual Afrobeats concert chaos; the room was giving soothing, serene calm – a whole different vibe, perfect for the occasion. The crowd was a proper mix of old school and new school, though our older ones definitely held it down in numbers.

MUSON Centre in Onikan, Lagos, is like the OG home for classical music in Nigeria. Their annual festival is a major event on Lagos' classical calendar, and this year’s 30th edition, themed “Music Sustained,” was a big one. They were also celebrating 43 years of MUSON and two decades of their Diploma School of Music, which has raised over 500 graduates. The orchestra concert was one of the festival’s main events, with the MUSON Symphony Orchestra conducted by German maestro Walter-Michael Vollhardt on November one.

What made this year's edition stand out pass others? Na Afrobeats! Imagine contemporary Nigerian pop sharing a stage with classical masterpieces. The concert, titled Symphonic Humanity (Love, Fights, Legends), first served us Prokofiev and Rossini, then closed its first half with our very own Afrobeats segment – Teni's “Uyo Meyo” and Adekunle Gold's “Many People,” arranged by Seyifunmi Michael himself.

Maestro Vollhardt recalled that it was the first time in roughly a decade that Nigerian popular music has featured in the orchestra concert. The orchestra last did Fela Kuti’s “Water No Get Enemy” about eight to ten years ago. So when Seyifunmi brought his idea, Vollhardt thought it was wonderful. The moment is timely and, for the institution, a watershed.

The real ginger? Seyifunmi wasn't just doing covers; he literally rewrote his own records! He has original production credits on both “Many People” and “Uyo Meyo,” so this was him taking his babies and giving them a whole new, symphonic glow-up.

The inspiration hit him on a flight to Houston, Texas, while “Uyo Meyo” was playing in his earphones. He said he started crying and cried for a very long time, and at that moment he began hearing the song in another dimension, with an orchestra version playing in his head. As soon as he landed, he shot his shot with MUSON, proposing to infuse Afrobeats, and they said yes! He submitted his two song titles, got approval, and the rest, as they say, is history.

“Many People” is off Adekunle Gold’s 2025 album Fuji, a proper homage to Nigeria’s Fuji tradition, featuring big names like Yinka Ayefele. And “Uyo Meyo” is Teni’s monster hit that even bagged Best Recording of the Year at The Headies 2019. Converting these studio bangers for an orchestra wasn't easy though. Seyifunmi said the songs were created in the studio, not for orchestra, so he had to keep their essence so they would not sound far from what people are used to, while infusing the richness of classical music. According to attendee Wunmi Omobaloye, the arrangements were “true to the standard of music that we expect at an orchestra.”

Let’s be honest, this isn't just a one-off; there’s a proper vibe building between Afrobeats and classical orchestras since mid-2025. Wizkid set the ball rolling in June 2025 at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, performing with the Color of Noize Orchestra – first Afrobeats artist to do that with a full US orchestra. Then Asake shut down Brooklyn’s Kings Theatre on November eight, 2025, for Red Bull Symphonic, backed by a 33-piece orchestra.

And our very own Adekunle Gold, Seyifunmi’s long-time collaborator, has been right in the thick of it too. He became the first Nigerian artist to headline an orchestral concert at London’s Royal Festival Hall on November twenty-three, 2025. Guess who was among the orchestrators for that live album and then served as Music Director and Orchestra Arranger for subsequent shows? Yes, Seyifunmi! Those shows included a sold-out night at Lagos’s National Theatre on December 26, 2025. It’s clear this fusion is here to stay, and we are absolutely loving it. What's next for this classical Afrobeats wave?