Abuja Jazz Club - best night out so far here!!

So how did I end up drinking red wine and dancing with some of the most important business men and government officials in a hotel conference room listening to a live jazz band……………….

Sometimes you just never know where life will take you, one chance conversation can open all kind of doors and that is just what has happened to me here in Nigeria. On my first 13 hour bus trip to Abuja I was lucky enough to have the company of 12 other lovely people and we had great conversation! One of the very lovely people was Vince, who also paid for my taxi fare and to be escorted by another female passenger as he was worried about my safety. Vince and I kept in touch and we met up in Abuja again on my next visit and he invited me to go to his members only jazz club! In England I’d find ways to say no to this invitation, but here if you don’t have an open mind you will find yourself sat alone in the dark reading my kindle by candlelight!

So of course I said yes to the invitation and took along two fellow VSO volunteers Robert and Stacey. We were rewarded with red wine for being the first people to arrive, then found out that Vince was the MC for the evening and later on found out he was a very talented bongo player! Stacey and I were awarded with our very own Abuja Jazz Club mugs:

 

 

Then the real fun began – the band were fantastic, Stacey and I were forced to sing and were held hostage until someone paid the N1,000 release fee so we could return to our seats. Being Vince’s special guest I of course was released last!

Then we danced the night away! As girls we could only dance when dancing with a man – something we only found out when Robert left Stacey and I alone when going to the toilet and we were quickly grabbed by a professor and temporarily came part of his entourage! Then I experienced the Nigerian custom of spraying – keep your minds clean – it’s the custom of showering money onto people whilst dancing!



 

 

Me and the lovely Vince!

 

 

 

 

It was so random but so much fun! The welcoming nature and kindness of people like Vince just blows me away and makes me so glad I said yes to Nigeria!