Greetings again from the darkness. There may be no more effective way to change the outside world’s perspective of a culture or country than through music. That’s the path Wizkid is taking to re-introduce the world to his home country of Nigeria and transform the image. Documentarian Karam Gill continues his focus on those in the music industry who have loftier goals than just hit records.
The globalization of music has made it possible for just about anyone to listen to music from most any country and from most any artist. Wizkid, Nigerian born Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, certainly looks the part … fancy clothes, plenty of bling, and fashion shades. More importantly, he’s a talented performer who connects with an audience through his Afrobeats. He’s been a star for about 15 years and broke through in the United States about five years ago.
Director Gill uses a scheduled concert at Tutenham Hotspur Stadium as structure for the film. The countdown to the big show includes Wizkid’s preparations as well as the challenge his mother faces with a cancer diagnosis. We see Wizkid as an Ambassador for Nigeria and begin to understand why he is held as a beacon of hope. The payoff for the build-up is that we see him in concert and watch as his fans groove en masse. The question is asked, “What do you stand for?”. It seems clear Wizkid is working to change the perception of Nigeria.
Premieres on HBO on December 11, 2025 as part of the Music Box Series
Movie Reviews from the Dark 