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August 1983, musician Francis Goldman Aporiegah arrived at the old Afrika Shrine on Pepple Street, Ikeja Lagos, from Accra Ghana. It was meant to be a brief stopover. He was scheduled to travel by road through the Sahara with friends. They were going for a show in Cairo, Egypt.
The old Afrika Shrine, founded by the legendary Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, was more than just a music venue. It was the beating heart of Lagos nightlife — a space where music, culture, and politics intertwined. For a young musician like Goldman, stepping into the Shrine was stepping into history, energy, and possibility all at once.
At the time, Lagos was embracing a burgeoning reggae scene. Local clubs and street corners pulsed with the rhythm of Marley, Tosh, and African reggae pioneers. Bands experimented, collaborated, and infused traditional sounds with the unmistakable reggae beat. Goldman’s arrival coincided with this wave, and his mastery of reggae quickly found a home in the city.
‘Colour No Race’ – 1983
Music was made. One day became a week, a week became a month — and then years. Roots were quietly planted.
Almost forty-three years later, the journey to Cairo is still pending. What was once a temporary pause became a lifetime.
Lagos keeps people because it moves in ways the map cannot predict. Its streets, its music, its people — they don’t just host you; they shape you. They make you stay. They make you belong.
For Francis Goldman, Nigeria became home.
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