Review: TeemeeySax’s Cultural Spark At Afro Nation Portugal 2024

By Emmanuel Daraloye

At this year’s Afro Nation Portugal, held at Praia da Rocha in Portimão, Asake’s headline set unfolded before a crowd of about 20,000 people, carrying the beachside spectacle of one of the world’s most visible African music festivals.

In the last decade, Afro Nation has become a crucial meeting ground for Afrobeats, amapiano, dancehall, hip-hop and the wider Black diaspora, and Asake’s performance is a fine melting point of that global exchange. The hitmaker, renowned for his Fuji-toned fusions and large ensemble-woven festival appearances, connects with his pulpy blend of African music traditions and world-class presentation. Around the full weight of his live-band arrangement at Afro Nation, saxophonist Timothy Olayinka, professionally known as TeemeeySax, added a distinct cultural current to the production.

Asake opened with “Organise,” and TeemeeySax’s riffs quickly established the indigenous feeling of the performance. In those few seconds before the vocals settled in, his phrasing carried an audacious, braggadocious lift, setting the atmosphere for Asake’s Fuji-driven sonics. His saxophone moved as an underlying harmonic line across the set, sharp and precise, shaping the performance with its own distinct identity. The sax melodies were lean, but balanced neatly within the band to give each song a brighter cultural texture.

Sonically, it was a smooth blend. Asake’s music leans heavily on percussion, talking-drum patterns, bass pressure and chanted vocal movement. Within that structure, the saxophone entered with the kind of ceremonial candour that has long powered African popular music, from Afrobeat stages to Fuji-rooted street-pop fusions. There were moments where Teemeey’s passing notes simply brushed through the arrangement, sticking to the groove like gravy on a dish. In other moments, he pushed more forcefully through the embouchure, briefly pulling the spotlight while the rest of the band reset and returned to the pulse.

During Asake’s rendition of “Joha,” his contribution became even clearer. He delivered fast melodic runs, stitching several notes together in quick bursts that lifted the energy of the performance. Those runs gave the music a spark of movement, helping to stabilise the set while reminding the audience of its central spirit, which is the celebration of indigenous artistry on an international stage. The saxophone may have strong Western origins, but in Teemeey’s hands, it became part of Asake’s African musical structure, feeding into the Fuji colour, the festival tempo and the communal thrill of the crowd.

Ultimately, TeemeeySax’s saxophone sojourn at Afro Nation Portugal ranged as emotionally fluid, culturally sensitive and fitted for large-arena performance. He understood the scale of the stage, the movement of the band, the communal feel of the atmosphere, the band and vocals sync, as well as the mood of the audience.

His playing helped translate Asake’s recorded music into a fuller festival experience, giving the songs added breath, live groove, melodrama and cultural identity. Across the set, he proved himself as a supporting musician with enough discipline to serve the headline act and a strong charismatic display that left his own imprint on the performance.