Nigerian Musicians Of Yesteryears: Where Are They Now?

Olu Maintain

He gained prominence late 2000 with his hit song ‘Yahooze’.  Olumide Edwards Adegbulu (his real name) thrilled the youngsters and followers of Nigerian music with swag. The hit released in May 2007 brought him into limelight and music success to prominence having begun his career in 1997, same year he released his first album ‘Domitila’. After Yahooze’s success, the musician from Ondo State consolidated on this mass appeal with a second album, ‘Maintain Reloaded’ in 2008. Yahooze could be said to be the heralding of an open declaration of support for internet fraud and lavish spending by an ‘A list’ artiste, now a norm in the Nigeria music industry. Olu in 2008 performed Yahooze at the Royal Albert Hall, London and was reported to have brought on stage Colin Powell, the former United States Secretary of State.

Nawti, Catch Cold, Story of My Life and others from the stylish artiste were songs of the times. The musician who is now based in the U.S has not recorded a song known to all but is still in the music industry.

Baba Dee

He was a dance hall musician and music executive. Dare Fasasi whose stage name is Baba Dee, also delved into movie directing and acted in some TV soaps.

Baba Dee whose younger brother is the late musician, Sound Sultan and together they founded Naija Ninja Entertainment Production Company that had artistes like Karma Da Rapper, Young GreyC, Blacka and Sean Tizzle who left the label to chart a solo career and later won Headies Next Rated award category.

His brother, Sound Sultan known for hits Jagbajantis, Mathematics and the emotional ‘Motherland’ inspired many artistes and sadly died on 11 July 2021.

Baba Dee’s maiden album ‘Most Wanted’ was released in 1997 and he had other songs including his last known music project in 2018 titled ‘Stand 4 Road’. The music executive directed his first movie, Head Gone, in 2014 and according to reports, it made considerable success. Presently he is doing well with other businesses and music and its allied business remains in background for the dutiful and celebrated entertainer.

African China

One of the musicians that Nigerian music enthusiasts and followers of the early 2000s will not forget is the melodic voice and music of African China. The musician whose name is Chinagorom Onuoha was known for songs of advocacy that spoke about the ills in the society. African China with songs like ‘Leta To My President’, ‘No Condition Is Permanent’ and ‘My President’ expressed the outcry of the common man and also urged people to do good.

Some of the pidgin English-laden lyrics like ‘Mr President’ released in 2000  has this: ‘Mr Food e no dey, Brother eh water no dey, And our country no good o, Everyday for thief one day for owner e, Poor man wey thief maggi, Omo dem go show him face for crime fighter (Crime fighter), Rich man wey thief money, Omo we no dey see their face for crime fighter

‘……Make una lead us well, No let this nation to fall inside well, Mr President, Lead us well, If you be Governor

Govern us well, If you be Senator Senate am well,

If you be police Police well well no dey take bribe

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

‘Fuel no dey na how we wan survive, Many youth ready for work, But as work no dey Na how dey wan survive

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

African China, one of the Ghetto musicians remains an icon of Nigeria’s music journey. Yours sincerely met him few years ago at a gig at Surulere, Lagos as he still looked like a chip off the old block, still making music and travelling for tours.

Oritz Williki

Pupa Oritz is one of the golden generations of Nigerian reggae musicians who blossomed in the 80s. The likes of late Majek Fashek, departed Ras Kimono and the living veterans Amos Mcroy, Victor Essiet’s Mandators among others represented the golden era of reggae music in Nigeria.

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

Pupa Oritz from Warri, Delta State was like a soldier in the music industry, helping to fight the war of music copyright infringement rights, even as a member of the Music Copyright Society of Nigeria (MCSN), a rival association to the Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON).

Presently, the grandpa is mentoring some of today’s musicians and still soldering on as a chieftain in MCSN.

 Mike Okri

His name stands tall in the annals of Nigerian music history. Mike Okri is a musician, songwriter and one of the most sought after music professionals in the late 80s and 90s on account of his golden voice. His hit song, ‘Time na Money’ released in 1989 among others of his repertoire is a classic. Mike who came into the scene when the music industry was in an era of mega record labels, pure musical talent and more avenues where musicians could perform live music and get paid. He was signed to Benson and Hedges Music Label where he released his hit songs like Omoge, Rhumba Style, Oghenekevwe (God’s gift) and Ayeme.

Mike Okri in the 2000s relocated to the United States and he is still within the fringes and corridors of the Nigerian music scene, shuttling between his US residence and Nigeria root. Musician Adaora featured Mike Okri in the remix of his ‘Time Na Money’. It is to be noted that technology has caught up with different ventures and in music, musicians of yore have to record again the videos of their song and post on their YouTube channel to earn extra income which todays artistes and skitmakers as well as content creators revel in.

INFINITY

A popular 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 attempt to release a disc. The video for the song ‘Olori Oko’ topped numerous categories at the 2007 Nigerian Music Video Awards, winning the Song of the Decade at another prestigious award ceremony.

Now Infinity is a group of three men; Nnogo Samson, Sunny Steven & Joseph Okougbo, drawn to each other by their passion for music are still thriving and not fully into music now, based in Abuja. Kehinde Akinbode known as Kenny and David Thomas have gone solo with the former now based in UK.

Style Plus

The group made their style of Rhythm and Blues (R&B) popular in the early 2000 with hits like Olufunmi, Call My Name, Iya Basira, Imagine That, Drives Me Crazy among others.

The group, a trio made of Shifi Emoefe, Tunde Akinsanmi and Zeal Onyecheme started as students of the Federal University of Technology Akure, FUTA, and became one of the most sought after music groups in the 2000s, giving music lovers, melodies they relish from popular artistes from the United States. One of the Trio, Tunde has left the group leaving the famed Styl-Plus a duo and based in Abuja. The group is still an item two decades after as they are still doing what they love best which is to entertain.

Other musicians worthy of mention are Mr Ragamuffin- Daniel Wilson who has veered into oil & gas business, Azadus, Ruggedman, Nikki Laoye, Alariwo, Candy Cee, Baba Fryo, Tosin Martins, Folake Umosen, Midnight Crew, a foremost gospel quartet now into their own personal music careers; Kayswitch, Trybesmen and the famous Plantashun Boyz who went solo bringing the best of Tuface Idibia and his former band members, Faze and Black Face; and others from the traditional juju and fuji genres. Nigerian musicians are indeed leading lights in African music and the nation possesses a depth of talent and rich cultural heritage to be tapped.