• Thursday, March 28, 2024
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The N52mn bid that united an artist, a musician, and a collector

ksa-and-victor-ehikamenor-pic-from-victors-instagram

Music and art are two genres that are beautiful in an independent way. If fused together, a more complex and priceless masterpiece can be created. This was precisely the result when artist, Victor Ehikamenor transformed music legend, King Sunny Ade’s (KSA) Fender guitar into a 52.1 million naira collector’s item. This elaborately decorated guitar was auctioned during the KSA 70th celebratory concert held on Sunday in Lagos, Nigeria.

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KSA guitar back view by Victor Ehikamenor
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KSA guitar front view by Victor Ehikamenor

In the weeks leading up to the concert, the artist behind the intrinsic guitar body work spoke up on his Instagram page about being part of history. “When you are given the opportunity to add a line to the history of a legend, you’d better ask God to take your hand and guide your senses. I’ve loved King Sunny Ade’s music for the longest time and his rhythm is one of the best companion in my studio when working.” True to those words, during prep for a show in Cape Town this year, Victor worked his calligraphy magic to the beat of KSA’s song, “Appreciation”.

During a Televison interview, KSA trumped this million naira guitar as his favorite, calling it “my baby.” The value of KSA’s baby was uncertain when the auction began with an asking price of 9 million naira. Within a couple of minutes, competitive bidding saw the price almost double to 17 million naira before an anonymous bidder offered 52.1 million naira, ousting the others. The prevailing exchange rate on that day values this artistic guitar at $261,542. Some have wondered about the identity of the winning bidder, especially with the country wading waist deep in an economic recession.

It may come as a surprise to learn that investing in a guitar can offer greater returns than investing an equivalent sum in the stock market.  Limited edition guitars are known to appreciate in value as the years pass by. It is also important to keep in mind that Victor Ehikamenor’s artwork adds a significant portion to this guitar’s beauty and value. King Sunny Ade is in good company with this recent auction. Performers, John Lennon, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, and Elvis Presley had their guitars auctioned for similar prices.

On who could have offered Sunday’s winning bid, there are several guesses. Some of Africa and Nigeria’s richest men were in attendance at Sunday’s event. The truth is this guitar and its accompanying body art go beyond purchasing power games. The winning bidder will need to be someone with an appreciative eye for art, music, and the invaluable product born from the fusion of these two.