Did you know that children who play musical instruments graduate at a rate of 90.2%, compared to 72.9% for children who do not play, according to Children’s Music Workshop? That’s right. Just by teaching a child to play the piano or violin or saxophone or drums, they get better grades at school, graduate with higher GPAs, improve their reading and math scores, improve their attention span, get into less trouble at school, and do better on university tests.

It makes sense when you think about it. To learn a musical instrument, you need to pay attention, build discipline, improve confidence and communicate. To play in a musical band or choir, you strengthen your teamwork muscles and your ability to solve problems and take initiative. All these skills become valuable at school, in the family, and eventually in the workplace. It also becomes a useful skill to entertain with, serve the community with, or even earn from. We don’t have the exact numbers out of Nigeria and Africa, however, these US studies corroborate our belief that we can use music education to change the outcome of children’s lives.

So, every year, we work with The Destiny Trust in Nigeria to ensure that they have a solid chance at a great life. The Destiny Trust is focused on helping vulnerable children through a practical mix of care, education, and empowerment. Their work includes getting out-of-school children back into classrooms, running bridge learning programs for over-aged children who missed formal schooling, operating residential centers for children without safe homes, supporting under-resourced schools, and providing health outreach in disadvantaged communities. They also prepare children for the future through technology, arts, music, and skills training initiatives such as Kids Innovation Hub. In simple terms, they do more than charity, what they do is give children the opportunity to thrive. You can learn more about them here.

As we expand our show across the world, we will be looking for opportunities in each city and country to extend the reach of our sponsorship. If we can swap a musical instrument for a vice in the hands of a child, we will consider our mission complete. Even better if we can then provide opportunities on stage for them to share their craft with an ever-attentive world.

Watch the incredible dance performance by The Destiny Trust kids alongside our orchestra a few months ago. They brought to life the old skool ‘kingdom dance’ style that was very common in the 90s and 2000s.

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Thank you for being here. Please, share this newsletter with your community, visit our website, follow our pages on Instagram, X, Facebook, Tik Tok and YouTube, and stay in the loop for all the exciting shows we have planned for 2026. Also, if there is something you’d like to see at the next show, tell us by simply replying this email or leaving a comment.

Stay in tune,
Funmi Oyatogun,
Executive Producer and Creative Director,
Enchanted Concerts

Last year, at our Old Skool Christmas show, we brought back a full range of Old Skool memories. Kids danced to He Lives in You, dressed in white gloves and robes, just like in those days. Then the orchestra played classics from Onyeka Onwenu to Lagbaja, from Boney M to Oliver De Coque and Victor Olaiya. They wore throwback lace outfits, and the stage felt like a grand living room in 1999. It was surreal and magical.

But the real surprise came right at the start.

As the curtains opened, the orchestra launched into the iconic MTN classic…I Don Port O. You remember that commercial and how it took over the country? In fact, Nigerian old skool commercials are incredible because if we did a full show built only around iconic commercials, we’d never run out of material. So it was beautiful to see the audience sing along to ‘I don port o, I don port o, I don port to MTN. Kirikata kirikata…’

It was such a beautiful moment, because what’s an old skool Nigerian Christmas without sitting around the TV, watching shows and being interrupted with commercials that we all sing along to? We were not kidding when we promised to take you down memory lane. Watch the performance below.

This is where you come in.

This is a sneak peek of how we create and partner with brands. It is important to us that we work with brands we can co-create with and build out a unique and exciting experience for during, before and after the show. So, we’ve decided to publish our partnership proposal for you to see. You can view it here. Please, reply this newsletter or send me a direct email at funmi@tvpevents.com and I would be glad to discuss how we can bring you into the show in a creative and meaningful way.

See more footage from the last show.

If you’re excited for what we have in store for this year, we are too. We are bringing a major musical to you and we cannot wait to spill the beans. Thank you to the almost 800 of you who are now subscribed to our newsletter. This feels so good to have you in the community.

Subscribe now

Thank you for being here. Please, share this newsletter with your community, visit our website, follow our pages on Instagram, X, Facebook, Tik Tok and YouTube, and stay in the loop for all the exciting shows we have planned for 2026. Also, if there is something you’d like to see at the next show, tell us by simply replying this email or leaving a comment.

Stay in tune,
Funmi Oyatogun,
Executive Producer and Creative Director,
Enchanted Concerts

A few weeks ago, our team shared a video of renowned Malian kora player Ballaké Sissoko and master French cellist Vincent Ségal performing together. It was a simple video in a small room, but the post went viral on our TikTok. I scrolled through the comments and noticed that people couldn’t stop talking about how it felt like they were stepping into a stranger’s world. It got me thinking about the big picture of music: two musicians, two instruments, who may not even speak the same language, creating something the whole world can unite around.

It also got me thinking about the state of the world right now with wars in the Middle East, conflict in Northern Nigeria, even hostility in parts of the United States and South Africa. I’m no political expert, and I’m certainly no diplomat but I do wonder what role our concerts can play as they travel the world and grow into a global conversation. If we can bring the most unlikely people together to pause, breathe, and experience the magic of storytelling and orchestra, perhaps we can play a small role in that bigger conversation?

I think there’s something there.

I wonder if one day, the same story that’s told on stage in Surulere could be told on stage in San Francisco and then in Saskatoon, Samaria, Sanaa and Sydney. I wonder if that could help bridge the divide that seems to be eroding our sense of community and humanity. I wonder if our shows could help people see through the fears of another person from across the world and help them share in their dreams? I wonder. Because I wonder, I am willing to try.

We need you.

We are building out the biggest and best show so far for November and December, 2026 and we need you. We are looking for new sponsors to join our current list of partners. If you would like to reach a global audience of culturally savvy and engaged people in Nigeria, Canada, the UK and the USA, please reach out to me at funmi@tvpevents.com or just reply this newsletter. I’d love to share the vision and share how we can make magic happen for your brand. We love partners who are bold, refined and looking for creative ways to grow their audience.

Before you go…

Have you caught up on our previous shows on YouTube? This weekend, we will share brand new videos from our Old Skool Christmas show. You don’t want to miss the snippets, like this September performance of the Nigerian Supporter’s Club Medley on stage at MUSON. It felt like we were at a stadium, watching the Super Eagles play. Perhaps, this orchestra was what was missing to help push our boys to the World Cup.

Thank you for being here. Please, share this newsletter with your community, visit our website, follow our pages on Instagram, X, Facebook, Tik Tok and YouTube, and stay in the loop for all the exciting shows we have planned for 2026. Also, if there is something you’d like to see at the next show, tell us by simply replying this email or leaving a comment.

Stay in tune,
Funmi Oyatogun,
Executive Producer and Creative Director,
Enchanted Concerts.

As I stand here on stage with the curtains drawn, I would like to share a confession: 2025 was the year that we did the hardest things we’ve ever done. It was harder than the mountains I have climbed (Everest Basecamp, Kilimanjaro, etc), harder than producing a birthday party on a yacht for 100 international guests, and it was harder than fighting with customs to clear our puzzles shortly after COVID-19. We created an alternative genre of live music where full concerts are performed with orchestras and stories are brought to life, anchored by a storyteller on stage. It was hard, but we did it and that’s all thanks to you.

Thank you for filling our halls, for engaging with us on social media and for asking the question: ‘when are you coming to our city?’ In September, we celebrated Greatest Nigerian Classics: an orchestra and storytelling showcase of Nigeria’s music and history. This show went to three cities: Toronto, Calgary and Lagos. Then, in December, we hosted the Old Skool Christmas orchestra and storytelling show in Lagos. Also in December, we brought the Enchanted Concerts experience to Owambe Exhibition in Lagos and to the international arrivals hall at the Calgary Airport (YYC).

To enjoy highlight moments from our last shows, check out this live performance of Lagbaja’s Never Far Away below. In September, we had the entire audience at MUSON Center singing along at the top of their voices. So we brought the song back to the show in December and again, we had the whole house swaying and singing. This might just be the most loved, most nostalgic, most sing-along song that has ever come out of Nigeria. What do you think, do you agree or disagree?

What to expect in 2026.

You enjoyed our show(s) in 2025 and now, we are bringing you something so exciting in 2026. We are planning a world tour (😲) of a major musical production, reimagined by us. We are so excited about this and we know that everyone who loves good music or a good story would love this show. We will keep you updated once we announce the show and once tickets go live, so don’t miss our newsletters. Just visit out brand new website, sign up for our newsletter and look through clips and photos from last year’s shows while we work behind the scenes.

We will also share cool things happening in the world of live music, orchestras and stage productions. In fact, you will be the first to know when things like exclusive vinyls and back-stage tickets to our rehearsals open up.

Until next time…

Thank you for being here. Please, share this newsletter with your community, visit our website, follow our pages on Instagram, X, Facebook, Tik Tok and YouTube, and stay in the loop for all the exciting shows we have planned for 2026. Also, if there is something you’d like to see at the next show, tell us by simply replying this email or leaving a comment.

Stay in tune,

Funmi Oyatogun,

Executive Producer and Creative Director,

Enchanted Concerts.