polarman: I am really surprised to see this thread. It shows that many people are getting more matured at heart. Highlife music is a real great genre. I have seen many greats but we have forgotten THE GREATS of highlife. Do you remember names like E.C Arinze, Tunde Osofisan (still lives in Festac,if my memories are still sharp), The late Zeal Onya (The trumpeter of great repute), Y.S Akinbo (Fela's Saxophonist of Ojuelegba) - he plays some beautiful highlife, Ambrose Campbell (of the Oh Bladi, Oh Blada song, still alive in USA), E.T Mensah (the King of Ghana Highlife), Bobby Benson (Ikorodu man with a large presence in Fadeyi Area of lagos).

The Pre- and Early Independence years were the Highlife era but the tides have changed to Hip-hop (where everyone hips and hops to music). A horns man so i know why i have spoken about these greats.

Eyop: Interesting...I love highlife and as a matter of fact am an 100% Old skool person and don't belong to the 21st century kind of music(musics that doesn't last maximum 6months no one hears of it again). My favourites are musics from my DRC brothers and so many other African music not necessarily Nigerian artiste. The below are some of my favourite artist that i have their albums right from the 60's till date:

(1) Koffi Olomide
(2) Franco Luambo Makiadi AKA OK'Jazz
(3) Bopol Mansiamina
(4) Nyboma
(5) Doctor Nico
(6) Monique Seka
(7) Diblo Dibala
( Tchico Tchicaya
(9) Freddy de Majunga
(10) Jean Baron(Et Le Groupe Loketo)
(11) Aurlus Mabele
(12) Mbilia Bel
(13)Zaiko Langa Langa
Etc Etc Etc

peppyluv02: Kam we nye gi warning. Hapum aka akporom gi asi!
Go and meet your gay partner kalvan

makazona:

thank u sir.please teach me. cz i am willing to learn from the master like you

OrlandoOwoh:
I'm not a master. I'm also a learner. All said was that some names on your list are not highlife musicians. Onyeka Onwenu, Sikiru Ayinde Barrister, Ebenezer Obey, etc. Barrister and Obey play fuji and juju respectively. While juju is closely related to highlife, fuji is quite different because of its use of majorly percussions. Juju could be defined as an advanced stage of highlife. Obey and Sunny Ade who are popular with it are known for using multiple guitar. Can you imagine a band playing with two bass, a lead, a Haiwan guitar, a steel guitar, a pedal guitar? Sometimes in all, there could be up to 6-8 guitarists.

Fela was not a highlife musician but afrobeat. Though when he started he was singing highlife (Oni dodo oni moi moi), he later switched to jazz when he introduced multiple horns. This was where Rex Lawson had problem with, asking to choose whether he belonged to highlife or jazz, not fusing both.
I realize that some of us Yoruba and Igbo mistake songs in our native language for highlife.

LeoFish92:
then I'd call you my master, haven't been that long in music, since last year

makazona:

dats true.i gat my guys too in NSK too.i grew and played in Enugu till NYSC took me out sha

OrlandoOwoh:
Njiri gi aka? Ihe Orlando choro wu ka mu na gi me ka ndi anyi (Yoruba na Igbo) bi n'udo. Mu na gi we ike me ya. Biko, Peppy m.

peppyluv02: Oh! You want me and you to bring peace between Igbos and yorubas? But you are the chief tribalist on this forum and your partner kalvan won't stop following me...

OrlandoOwoh:
You and I can. Peppyluv02 m, o 6 o'clock mass ki i je?

makazona:

thanks a million.but remember,they were also highlife style genres/sub genres.or better put highlife baptized.so nt wrong to be loosely grouped together sir

OrlandoOwoh:
I group highlife into two types, guitar and horn. The guitar highlife (also known as palmwine highlife) is the type where the guitars are used to produce strong rythm. Orlando Owoh, Olive de Coque, Victor Uwaifo, Ralph Amarabem etc. The horn is made up of trumpets, trombones, sax, clarinet, etc. Osita Osadebe, Rex Lawson, Victor Olaiya, etc are in this category. Mike Ejeagha plays both. In "Onye Ori Utaba" he played palm wine but in "Onye Imkpesa" he played horn.

Onyiibazz:

So you're serving currently? Am stil in NSK sha, school things!

makazona:

No am through with my service (batch B,2013).but working where i served

ceaser:

I have two tracks of Mbilia bel. "Boya ye" and another which I can't remember now

Eyop: Interesting...I love highlife and as a matter of fact am an 100% Old skool person and don't belong to the 21st century kind of music(musics that doesn't last maximum 6months no one hears of it again). My favourites are musics from my DRC brothers and so many other African music not necessarily Nigerian artiste. The below are some of my favourite artist that i have their albums right from the 60's till date:




Happy sunday bro.pls I don't know if you have djanka diabate and the track is tote.

(1) Koffi Olomide
(2) Franco Luambo Makiadi AKA OK'Jazz
(3) Bopol Mansiamina
(4) Nyboma
(5) Doctor Nico
(6) Monique Seka
(7) Diblo Dibala
( Tchico Tchicaya
(9) Freddy de Majunga
(10) Jean Baron(Et Le Groupe Loketo)
(11) Aurlus Mabele
(12) Mbilia Bel
(13)Zaiko Langa Langa
Etc Etc Etc

peppyluv02: Hmmm how did you know I went for 6am mass?

makazona:

now u are there.meanwhile it seems u are multilingual.am i correct or cowrong

GudluckIBB:


Happy sunda bro.pls I don't know if you have djanka diabate with the title Tote.

OrlandoOwoh:
Something inside me. Cheregodi, i me ekpere na Orlando?

ceaser:

I have two tracks of Mbilia bel. "Boya ye" and another which I can't remember now

peppyluv02: Don't understand...

Eyop:

[b]Happy Sunday my brother. Djanka Diabate is from Guinea and a fantastic artist. However i do not have that track. I forgot that my nairaland e-mail address is not accessible so that's why i couldn't PM you. But i want to reveal a secret to you on how you can get any type of music in the world but the rule of the site is that you must be ready to share files with members i.e as you are downloading music from other members,they can as well download the ones you have. If interested,send me your e-mail address and i will e-mail you.

You will agree with me that it's very difficult to get Franco alias OK Jazz albums in the open market mostly the very good ones but i was able to get over 100 tracks of that guys music online same with Koffi Olomide. Even when i chatted with him(Koffi Olomide) online and i mentioned some tracks to him he smiled and ask how i got them since am not even in DRC. Most of my musics are gotten online and am up to date. I have no interest in Nigerian music apart from High life that's why you cannot see me buying Tuface,P square,D banj,etc because their music do not last. Imagine OK Jazz that reigned in the 60's,70's,80's and he died 1989 but till date anytime i slot in OK Jazz CD to play,people that knows good music wants to associate with me. [/b]

GudluckIBB:

Ok I will send u an e mail address tomorrow.I will have to create one tomorrow and send to you.I'm just been careful of yahoo boys no laptop in nairaland if not I wud have sent my email to u now. Tomorrow I will do just
Thanks bro

Eyop:

Ok no problem...do you know about the Togolese artist Nimon Toki Lala


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgvHrjSHBRE

Eyop: Interesting...I love highlife and as a matter of fact am an 100% Old skool person and don't belong to the 21st century kind of music(musics that doesn't last maximum 6months no one hears of it again). My favourites are musics from my DRC brothers and so many other African music not necessarily Nigerian artiste. The below are some of my favourite artist that i have their albums right from the 60's till date:

(1) Koffi Olomide
(2) Franco Luambo Makiadi AKA OK'Jazz
(3) Bopol Mansiamina
(4) Nyboma
(5) Doctor Nico
(6) Monique Seka
(7) Diblo Dibala
( Tchico Tchicaya
(9) Freddy de Majunga
(10) Jean Baron(Et Le Groupe Loketo)
(11) Aurlus Mabele
(12) Mbilia Bel
(13)Zaiko Langa Langa
Etc Etc Etc

makazona: Some Highlife music Notables.

Bright Chimezie, Bobby Benson,Bongus Ikwue
Celestine Ukwu,Gentleman Mike Ejeagha
Chris Mba,Ebenezer Obey,Edu Ghana,Fatai Rolling Dollar,Fela Kuti(later to afro beat),I.k.Dairo, Ali Chukwuma,Jonezz,Mike Okorie
Ikenga Super Stars,Paulson Kalu,St.Augustine,Inyang Henshaw
King Robert Ebizimor,Lagbaja,Nelly Uchendu,Okukuseku
Oliver De Coque,Onyeka Onwenu,Orlando Owoh,Oriental Brothers
Osita Osadebe,Peacock Band,Rex Lawson, Professional Seagulls
Sikiru Ayinde Barrister,Sonny Okosun, King SunnyAde
Victor Olaiya,Victor Uwaifo, Prince NicoMbarga
Dr Sir Warrior, Babá Ken Okulolo, smart williams,Ogbogu Okonji,Lawrence Obusi,Jerry Hansen,Obuoba J.A Adofo,Mame Gyaisu.

Feel free to add yours.

Eziachi:
I love your collections too and I had almost every single album of all of them, but they are not highlife. They are Rumba/Soukous in genre terms.

newguy1: Ebenezer obe n king sunny ade did d deeds 4 me men asin y growing up.can do without listening 2dem daily. Shout out 2 maself 4 making ma first fp.wait o sunny ade na juju him dey sing?

isaco: I am a gospel highlife artist myself, I have my own Album presently on video, I perform in any occasion. I love highlife artist like Orlando Owo, Ebenezer Obey, KSA, Shina peters, Oliver , Bright chimeze, watch my videos www.youtube.com/my_videos?guid=&hl=en&gl=DE&client=mv-google

Lanceslot: Osedebe, Oliver de Coque, Emeka Morocco, Ozoemene Nsugbe; The man that sang 'ada na egbu azu' ...... I enjoy listening to highlife more than our circular music.