It was a masterclass in live showmanship and soul at the intimate launch of The Macallan Timeless Collection in Lagos. The evening, which marked the Nigerian debut of The Macallan’s redesigned Sherry Oak and Double Cask Collections, was already charged with quiet elegance before a single note was played. Then Adekunle Gold took the stage, and the room shifted entirely.
Dressed in a well-fitting suit, the Afropop singer arrived to a room buzzing with anticipation. He opened with Coco Money, a sharp and celebratory entry that immediately commanded attention, before transitioning into Bobo, a set that embodied the evening’s theme of timeless elegance with effortless precision. Drawing from hit singles across his albums, his performance felt almost tailor-made for an evening steeped in refinement. By the time he eased into Sade, his classic ode to devotion and beauty, the room had leaned in entirely.
As though determined to remind the room why he occupies a category of his own, he moved through Pick Up and Don Corleone, all hits that had guests on their feet enjoying the performance. Making sure to interact with the crowd, he also performed his crowd-pleaser songs Ogranya, High and Party No Dey Stop, closing with Many People in a finale that left the room satisfied.
The setlist was not merely a performance; it was a curatorial statement. Each song carried the kind of emotional weight and staying power that the word ‘timeless’ is so often used to describe. Much like the liquid inside The Macallan’s iconic bottles, Adekunle Gold’s music has been shaped by patience, intention and an artist who has never been in a rush to be anything other than exactly himself. The pairing made sense before he sang a single note.
It was a sentiment the artist himself articulated with a speech during his performance. “It is more of shared values and craft, excellence, legacy and class,” he said of his partnership with The Macallan. “And the beauty of taking time to make something meaningful.” Few statements better captured the spirit of the evening. Two distinct creative forces, one rooted in the tradition of single-malt Scotch whisky, the other in the rich, soulful architecture of Afrobeats, finding common ground in their mutual refusal to cut corners.
Other notable guests at the event included Gbemi Olateru-Olagbegi, Teniola Aladese, Sunky O, Beauty Tukura, and Seyitan Atigarin, among others who turned out to witness the launch of the new designs of The Macallan’s Sherry Oak and Double Cask Collections.