Obey, KWAM1, others pay tribute, as Highlife music legend, Victor Olaiya, dies at 89

By Opeyemi Kehinde, Lagos @kennysous | Published Date Feb 12, 2020 22:11 PM

Nigerians from all walks of life have started paying tributes to the Nigerian Highlife music legend, Sir. Victor Olaiya, who passed on Wednesday in Lagos. Olaiya, who was aged 89, was said to have died this afternoon at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi Araba, where he was admitted after a brief illness.

In a statement confirming his death, the Managing Director of the Evergreen Music Company Limited, Bimbo Esho, said: “The entire music world wish to announce the death of a legend of highlife music – one of the last man standing, the last of the originals, Dr Victor Olaiya, OON. “This untimely incident happened at LUTH at exactly 12noon on Wednesday, February 12, 2020.

“We pray that the doyen of highlife music finds repose with the creator while wishing the family and entire music community the fortitude to bear this irreplaceable loss.”

Also paying tribute to the late highlife legend, veteran Nigerian musician, Chief Ebenezer Obey, popularly called “Obey Commander” described Olaiya as one of the African fathers of highlife music, a great entertainer par excellence who had contributed meaningfully to the growth of music across the African continent and Nigeria in particular. Obey added that Olaiya had laid good examples for other African musicians to emulate, having projected good morals in his musical works. “Nigeria has lost one of the African fathers of highlife music; he has contributed his quota to the development of the entertainment industry and I pray his soul rests in peace and God comforts his family. “Olaiya was a very serious-minded person who projected the highlife music throughout the entire world. “He is indeed a man to emulate. He later diverted to do business and he was a successful businessman also,” Obey said.

Similarly, the Mayegun of Yorubaland, Dr Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, popularly called KWAM 1, has condoled with the family and fans of Dr Olaiya. The Fuji music icon, in a statement released by his media office, said Olaiya has bequeathed posterity through his music to Nigerians and Africans in general. “Indeed, Sir Victor Olaiya’s death, though at the advanced age of 89, is a profound loss to the Yoruba race and global music industry; we are nonetheless comforted by the fact that he used his talent to bless humanity in general. “The world would forever be grateful to him for the joy he propagated and has bequeathed posterity through his music. “The thoughts and prayers of Yorubas across the world are with the Olaiya family at home and abroad,” he stated. Born on December 31, 1930, in Calabar, Cross River state, though his parents were from Ijesha-Iju in Ekiti State, Olaiya was extremely famous in Nigeria between the 1950s and early 1980s. His hit songs and albums include ‘Baby Jowo’, ‘Feso J’aiye’, ‘Ilu Le O’, ‘Taxi Driver’, ‘Omopupa,’ ‘Jemila,’ ‘So fun mi,’ ‘Tina Meta,’ ‘Pambotoriboto,’ ‘Aigana,’ ‘Odale Ore,’ ‘Mo Fe Muyan,’ Opataritius,’ ‘Fami Mora O’, and ‘Omolanke,’ among others.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/obey-kwam1-others-pay-tribute-as-highlife-music-legend-victor-olaiya-dies-at-89.html

Nollywood stars cover Baby Jowo

Tade Ogidan is a legendary TV and movie producer. He brought together some Nigerian actors and actresses and got them to do a cover of Victor Olaiya's classic song, Baby Jowo.

Richard Mofe Damijo is the lead singer, can you identify the other actors and actresses?


OGD All Stars - Baby Jowo (2008).



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nb_BA6kmBY

Most of the songs that I have posted have been remixes of his classic songs, but this is not a remix. This is the original.

This is one of my favourite childhood songs. Some Ghanaian musicians also sang this song.


Victor Olaiya - Bonsue



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VdiwvaOPv8

R. I. P

May God give his family the fortitude to bear this huge loss.
RIP to a Legend.
HEROES COME AND GO,
LEGENDS LIVE FOREVER!!

This bring this Evergreen song to us all over again.

Baby Jowo Victor Olaiya feat 2Baba


Baba Victor Olaiya :
E ba mi so fun sisi yen ko ma i lo o,
Mo ti so wipe faaji t'ele la wa.
E ba mi so fun sisi yen ko ma i sa lo,
Mo ti so wipe faaji t'ele la wa.
Sisi j'owo, ma i lo o.
Omode nse mi, dear mi da.
Duro de mi, ko gbe mi s'aya
Ko wa fife tutu s'aya mi o

2 Face :
I say make you stop am before you make person mad o
Ejo Ejo Ejo Ejo E so fun sisi yen Ko ma i lo ma i lo.
My baby bebe nlo, bebe nlo.
Me and you together,
Together Na you go be my omo to san, omo to san Na you,
Only youuuuu Somebody tell am say, Like this, like that Victor Duro de mi, ko gbe mi s'aya
Ko wa fife tutu s'aya mi o.
Tuface Ko bu a t'elo, ka'la do/6x Because Omo tu ga'ra 6x


Once again : RIP Great Man.
Sleep well sir.

HEROES COME AND GO,
LEGENDS LIVE FOREVER!!

Jonah507:
Verse 2( 2 face)
Ala do'o koho gwun tan noo(x2)
Because ohum' otu gaga
Oyi a hum' otu gaga

Thanks Jonah!

Calling Victor Olaiyan his mentor is a great show of humility from Tuface.
Because Tubaba took him on shows sometimes so he'd have something to take back home because Baba and the many women he married mismanaged the proceeds of his fame.

We all know Victor Olaiya may have been talented in highlife but his songs struggled and were not as evergreen or mass-loved like Nico Mbarga's until Tuface helped him remix "Baby Mi Da".
Prior to then, he was just a regional local champion; a favourite amongst mediocre bar-goers.

Unlike Dan Maraya Jos who was loved in the South East or Osita Osadebe that was worshipped in Kano, Victor's songs never made it to the SouthEast till Tuface made it more acceptable.

Compared to his fame, I'd say he died in penury and that is a shame because a man like Victor should have been richer than Otedola.
The least the governors of the SouthWest states could have done for him was to give him the contract of composing an anthem for their Amotekun vigilante.

Victor Olaiya is dead, but his good music lives on.

K

Sad

May his soul RIP... A true fan here!

Mods, oya modify the title of this thread and include my name.

What's tha business?

Memories

Legendary singer...i loved his Iye Jemila. These ones fathered the naira marleys of today with raw lyrics like "come and give me cold boobs to suck"..ko wa fun mi ni oyan tutu mu o.

Buhari continues to ridicule himself

How will he be remembered

Who will pay tribute to him when his time comes.

Zombies belong to the deepest and hottest part of hell

We just lost an icon

Ooja laaye.... suuureee ooo

R.I.P to the Legend

ZombieHUNT:
Buhari continues to ridicule himself

How will he be remembered

Who will pay tribute to him when his time comes.

It is finished!

Officialgarri:

I swear
A rare picture of his brain....

GBAM!

Aww an icon is gone rip Victor Olaiya. Your legend lives on!!!

RIP to the legend.
I checked the social media handles of some of the so called Nigerian celebrities who were busy paying tribute to Kobe Bryant (I am not saying they did wrong by paying him tribute) who many of them didn't even know until his demise but a legend in their own backyard died and they didn't even give a f*ck.
#Hypocrites

NwaAmaikpe:

Good morning sir

In yoruba land Christian's listen to juju and high life music while Muslim listen to Fuji music ogboni people listen oro music,

R I P
A legend is a legend, thank you sir.

K

cool

May his soul rest in peace.

a life well spent...wud surely miss an icon... remember d day I saw him n 2face perform dier hit single live somewhere in Abuja...met him at backstage n joking asked him for tips bt baba said dt dm Neva pay am pension oo