CNN’s African Voices Changemakers Meets Cecil, Keke Hammond, Couple Behind Flytime Fest

In the latest episode of African Voices Changemakers, CNN’s Larry Madowo meets Cecil and Keke Hammond, who run Rhythm Unplugged and Flytime Fest, a concert where many now world-famous Nigerian artists performed for the first time.

CNN got front row seats to Flytime’s 20th anniversary show and spoke to the power couple about their impact on the global Afrobeats movement.

Cecil Hammond launched Flytime’s flagship show, a one-night concert called Rhythm Unplugged, in 2004.

He explains that this pioneered and revolutionised the rise of Nigerian music, saying, “Most of  the big artists you have today, Flytime actually started their first individual shows. Nobody ever used to do that, and it was a big risk we were taking.”

Cecil tells Madowo about how they devised the idea for Rhythm Unplugged, “Rhythm Unplugged came about 20 years ago when I realised there were no concerts for mainstream artists. We had to find a platform for them to come perform and for the audience to come see their favourite artists basically. Back then comedy was way bigger than music.”

He explains that once people started listening to more Nigerian music, radio stations had a demand for more music and artists.

He says, “The first show we had over 30, 40 artists and comedians literally on the first show. And it was sold out. We had our next show three months later, and the next show four to six months later because it kept on being a success, a success, a success. And it just shows that this is what people, Nigerians wanted to see.”

Long before becoming Flytime’s Chief Operations Officer, Keke Hammond says she admired the brand’s dedication to promoting Nigerian talent and got her first Flytime experience around 2007.

She tells Madowo, “I’d heard about the franchise, about Rhythm Unplugged and how it was this platform for comedians and Nigerians to perform and how there’s been nothing like it in the Nigerian scene. And most importantly, he didn’t have international artists on the bill deliberately, and I loved that.”

In Lagos, Flytime Fest is already a Detty December staple, and Cecil and Keke aimed to seal their legacy with their 20th anniversary show.

Keke discusses the importance of this celebration to commemorate the contributions Flytime has made towards Nigerian music, “There are so many different things that Rhythm Unplugged and Flytime Fest has contributed to, where Afrobeats is now from a global standpoint. I would say that I’ve seen that growth from our point of view as well as from the artist’s point of view. And then there’s also now the inclusion of international artists. Why? Because our artists are global, right? And so, if our artists are going to the US or to the UK or to Asia, why can’t we also bring the people that they’re working with who they are featuring on their music to Nigeria as well.”

Nigerian artists like Davido, Tems, and others are making waves outside the country.

They’ve sung on stages around the world, but before the global acclaim, Flytime was a starting point.

Cecil reminisces on the array or performers he has witnessed at Flytime over the years, “I’ve seen over 300 artists perform on our stage, and only like 10 to 20 or 20% of them are still around right now.”

Keke continues on Davido’s journey, “If we think about someone like Davido, he started when he was very young, but didn’t have the platform. Thankfully there was a place like Rhythm Unplugged, which was his first stage. So, we want to continue to be a part of those stories because they are so beautiful.”

The Hammonds say they invest a lot of resources to provide the artists and the crowd with a memorable experience. Keke elaborates, “Our artists are global, right? And they’re performing at like Madison Square Garden, the O2 and things like that. So, when they come here, they don’t want to reduce their production quality. So, the onus on us to make sure that we get the equipment from wherever to be able to deliver that same quality.”

Looking to the future, the couple say they wish to progress by expanding outside of Nigeria, “I would say that our evolution is evolving, right? Beyond just the curation of festivals. There are other ecosystems that will be integrated into the creation or curation of events.”

African Voices Changemakers airs on CNN International at the following times:

Saturday 8th March 2025 at 0830 WAT and 1200 WAT

Sunday 9th March 2025 at 0430 WAT and 1800 WAT

Monday 10th March 2025 at 0300 WAT

Saturday 15th March 2025 at 0730 WAT and 1100 WAT

Sunday 16th March 2025 0330 WAT and 1800 WAT

Monday 17th March 2025 0300 WAT

 

https://edition.cnn.com/specials/africa/african-voices-changemakers