Nigerian Musicians Of Yesteryears: The place Are They Now?

Olu Keep

He gained prominence late 2000 together with his hit tune ‘Yahooze’.  Olumide Edwards Adegbulu (his actual title) thrilled the children and followers of Nigerian music with swag. The hit launched in Could 2007 introduced him into limelight and music success to prominence having begun his profession in 1997, identical 12 months he launched his first album ‘Domitila’. After Yahooze’s success, the musician from Ondo State consolidated on this mass attraction with a second album, ‘Keep Reloaded’ in 2008. Yahooze could possibly be mentioned to be the heralding of an open declaration of assist for web fraud and lavish spending by an ‘An inventory’ artiste, now a norm within the Nigeria music trade. Olu in 2008 carried out Yahooze on the Royal Albert Corridor, London and was reported to have introduced on stage Colin Powell, the previous United States Secretary of State.

Nawti, Catch Chilly, Story of My Life and others from the fashionable artiste had been songs of the occasions. The musician who’s now based mostly within the U.S has not recorded a tune identified to all however remains to be within the music trade.

Baba Dee

He was a dance corridor musician and music govt. Dare Fasasi whose stage title is Baba Dee, additionally delved into film directing and acted in some TV soaps.

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Baba Dee whose youthful brother is the late musician, Sound Sultan and collectively they based Naija Ninja Leisure Manufacturing Firm that had artistes like Karma Da Rapper, Younger GreyC, Blacka and Sean Tizzle who left the label to chart a solo profession and later received Headies Subsequent Rated award class.

His brother, Sound Sultan identified for hits Jagbajantis, Arithmetic and the emotional ‘Motherland’ impressed many artistes and sadly died on 11 July 2021.

Baba Dee’s maiden album ‘Most Needed’ was launched in 1997 and he had different songs together with his final identified music undertaking in 2018 titled ‘Stand 4 Highway’. The music govt directed his first film, Head Gone, in 2014 and in line with experiences, it made appreciable success. Presently he’s doing nicely with different companies and music and its allied enterprise stays in background for the dutiful and celebrated entertainer.

African China

One of many musicians that Nigerian music lovers and followers of the early 2000s won’t overlook is the melodic voice and music of African China. The musician whose title is Chinagorom Onuoha was identified for songs of advocacy that spoke concerning the ills within the society. African China with songs like ‘Leta To My President’, ‘No Situation Is Everlasting’ and ‘My President’ expressed the outcry of the frequent man and in addition urged individuals to do good.

Among the pidgin English-laden lyrics like ‘Mr President’ launched in 2000  has this: ‘Mr Meals e no dey, Brother eh water no dey, And our nation no good o, On a regular basis for thief someday for proprietor e, Poor man wey thief maggi, Omo dem go present him face for crime fighter (Crime fighter), Wealthy man wey thief cash, Omo we no dey see their face for crime fighter

‘……Make una lead us nicely, No let this nation to fall inside nicely, Mr President, Lead us nicely, For those who be Governor

Govern us nicely, For those who be Senator Senate am nicely,

For those who be police Police nicely nicely no dey take bribe

Oya lead us nicely (Nne me e), Govern us nicely

‘Gasoline no dey na how we wan survive, Many youth prepared for work, However as work no dey Na how dey wan survive

We be big of Africa However….to get visa enter Ghana na WAEC, ….Make una lead us nicely, No let this nation to fall inside nicely’

African China, one of many Ghetto musicians stays an icon of Nigeria’s music journey. Yours sincerely met him few years in the past at a gig at Surulere, Lagos as he nonetheless seemed like a chip off the outdated block, nonetheless making music and travelling for excursions.

Oritz Williki

Pupa Oritz is without doubt one of the golden generations of Nigerian reggae musicians who blossomed within the 80s. The likes of late Majek Fashek, departed Ras Kimono and the dwelling veterans Amos Mcroy, Victor Essiet’s Mandators amongst others represented the golden period of reggae music in Nigeria.

Oritz Williki’s Tribulation gained recognition upon the success of his 1989 report produced partially by Lemmy Jackson. Others like Conqueror (1990), Wha Dis Wha Dat (1991) which had ‘Coronary heart of Stone’ single

Pupa Oritz from Warri, Delta State was like a soldier within the music trade, serving to to battle the battle of music copyright infringement rights, whilst a member of the Music Copyright Society of Nigeria (MCSN), a rival affiliation to the Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON).

Presently, the grandpa is mentoring a few of at this time’s musicians and nonetheless soldering on as a chieftain in MCSN.

 Mike Okri

His title stands tall within the annals of Nigerian music historical past. Mike Okri is a musician, songwriter and probably the most wanted music professionals within the late 80s and 90s on account of his golden voice. His hit tune, ‘Time na Cash’ launched in 1989 amongst others of his repertoire is a traditional. Mike who got here into the scene when the music trade was in an period of mega report labels, pure musical expertise and extra avenues the place musicians might carry out dwell music and receives a commission. He was signed to Benson and Hedges Music Label the place he launched his hit songs like Omoge, Rhumba Model, Oghenekevwe (God’s reward) and Ayeme.

Mike Okri within the 2000s relocated to the USA and he’s nonetheless inside the fringes and corridors of the Nigerian music scene, shuttling between his US residence and Nigeria root. Musician Adaora featured Mike Okri within the remix of his ‘Time Na Cash’. It’s to be famous that expertise has caught up with totally different ventures and in music, musicians of yore need to report once more the movies of their tune and publish on their YouTube channel to earn additional revenue which todays artistes and skitmakers in addition to content material creators experience.

INFINITY

A preferred Nigerian group, Infinity made up of Kehinde Akinbode, Joe Okougbo, David Thomas, Samson Nnogo and Sunny Steve. Their breakthrough was the debut album ‘Olori Oko’, which was their third try and launch a disc. The video for the tune ‘Olori Oko’ topped quite a few classes on the 2007 Nigerian Music Video Awards, profitable the Track of the Decade at one other prestigious award ceremony.

Now Infinity is a gaggle of three males; Nnogo Samson, Sunny Steven & Joseph Okougbo, drawn to one another by their ardour for music are nonetheless thriving and never absolutely into music now, based mostly in Abuja. Kehinde Akinbode often known as Kenny and David Thomas have gone solo with the previous now based mostly in UK.

Model Plus

The group made their fashion of Rhythm and Blues (R&B) in style within the early 2000 with hits like Olufunmi, Name My Identify, Iya Basira, Think about That, Drives Me Loopy amongst others.

The group, a trio manufactured from Shifi Emoefe, Tunde Akinsanmi and Zeal Onyecheme began as college students of the Federal College of Expertise Akure, FUTA, and have become probably the most wanted music teams within the 2000s, giving music lovers, melodies they relish from in style artistes from the USA. One of many Trio, Tunde has left the group leaving the famed Styl-Plus a duo and based mostly in Abuja. The group remains to be an merchandise 20 years after as they’re nonetheless doing what they love greatest which is to entertain.

Different musicians worthy of point out are Mr Ragamuffin- Daniel Wilson who has veered into oil & gasoline enterprise, Azadus, Ruggedman, Nikki Laoye, Alariwo, Sweet Cee, Baba Fryo, Tosin Martins, Folake Umosen, Midnight Crew, a foremost gospel quartet now into their very own private music careers; Kayswitch, Trybesmen and the well-known Plantashun Boyz who went solo bringing the most effective of Tuface Idibia and his former band members, Faze and Black Face; and others from the normal juju and fuji genres. Nigerian musicians are certainly main lights in African music and the nation possesses a depth of expertise and wealthy cultural heritage to be tapped.