This is Opanka years ago trying to create something from the scratch.

This video should be part of a documentary on Ogene if ever there’s one.
Opanka is a legend.
He is special and doesn’t plagiarise other peoples songs. When you hear his beats, voice and songs, they are so unique.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVwJTXz7j98

KosiGee:



Respect bro. I didn’t want to sound like I was hyping Opanka...I think he is one of the most talented ogene man I know.
No disrespect to Jajaja and Ejike Nwamba. These two made ogene very attractive to lots of people but when it comes to raw talent, ogene rhythm and versatility, I’ll give it to Opanka. I think he is the most underrated ogene man. He is on my top 4.

Pls watch this video, listen to sounds, watch his hand, his balance and swag. Credit to one Eugene Skeef who was kind enough to record and upload this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKAtGmgO3mk

It's no disrespect to Igbo-jah and Ejyk. I'm sure if you ask them, deep down, they know Opanka is the more talented.
The tune in this video you uploaded sounds different. He choose to remain underground for whatever reasons. I can't believe you can't go to the market and find Opanka's CD.
Some years ago, I contracted him at his ogbo oye, abakpa home to come play at my aunt's funeral, Opanka came and stole the show. If I could, I would have uploethe performance, but his performance was recorded in a VHS cassette.
He is an Ogene god.

chimezieeze98:
What of the best masquerades?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaGSAN6zzrc


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKddOw8S_Fw
Obinagu Masquerade


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OByMzBqF5NE
Umuabi Ezike masquerade


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srTOa0AZ63Q
I[b]nyi agba oku masquerade of Amokwe[/b]

If Ijele and Agaba mmanwu isnt there my brother forget it.
Ijele is truly the mother of all masquerades.

I love Ogene musics so much

GBOLAGBURUGBURU:
I Thought IDENA is odenigboaroli that guy is a bonafide nwafo naa... or am i mistaken.

Anybody can claim anything on Nairaland. So I take certain claims with a pinch of salt.

Barryseal:


It's no disrespect to Igbo-jah and Ejyk. I'm sure if you ask them, deep down, they know Opanka is the more talented.
The tune in this video you uploaded sounds different. He choose to remain underground for whatever reasons. I can't believe you can't go to the market and find Opanka's CD.
Some years ago, I contracted him to come play at my aunt's funeral, Opanka came and stole the show. He is an Ogene god.

Ogene god is an understatement. Melodies like this should be preserved. If you love ogene and you don’t like Opanka then something must be wrong.
I pray for these guys everyday. One of friends rapped to opanka’s ogene some years ago and I wished I had recorded that.
We were talking about various Igbo musics and I mentioned ogene, then played him of his songs and he started some freestyle. It was so beautiful.

KosiGee:




Ogene god is an understatement. Melodies like this should be preserved. If you love ogene and you don’t like Opanka then something must be wrong.
I pray for these guys everyday. One of friends rapped to opanka’s ogene some years ago and I wished I had recorded that.
We were talking about various Igbo musics and I mentioned ogene, then played him of his songs and he started some freestyle. It was so beautiful.

If there were smart people heading ministries like culture and tourism in Enugu. They could embrace the Ogene music and make an industry out of it. The starting point could be a world Ogene music day just like they have for raggae music.
The perception that Ogene music is for agberos and no do wells, must be changed.

@Barryseal, Afam4eva...

This jantamanta. This isn’t pure ogene/nmanwu music...slight diversion here but the ogene incorporation gave this harmony. This song became popular after Chimaroke and Chime left office.
It’s a feel good music...funny and very beautiful.

Just to add that this beat, melody and song is popular and unique to Eke town...I think this is Igwa nshi music with Jantamanta’s ogene.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBMq8wtuJs0

KosiGee:
@Barryseal, Afam4eva...

This jantamanta. This isn’t pure ogene/nmanwu music...slight diversion here but the ogene incorporation gave this harmony. This song became popular after Chimaroke and Chime left office.
It’s a feel good music...funny and very beautiful.

Just to add that this beat, melody and song is popular and unique to Eke town...I think this is Igwa nshi music with Jantamanta’s ogene.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBMq8wtuJs0

Okpute kwe na okpu henye .... It was during Chime's regime it became popular.
I loved the transition that happened @6:17... Is that not Janka? Downloading....

ayzTIGER:
do you know 77 Enugwu Ukwu, what do we call his type of music?

I think his genre is egwu ekpili. I'm not sure.

I just realised that there are many different types of music in igboland and I don't know what they are called.

Barryseal:


Okpute kwe na okpu henye .... It was during Chime's regime it became popular.
I loved the transition that happened @6:17... Is that not Janka? Downloading....

Yes that’s him. Igwa nshi/ogene ended at 06:17.

Juliusmalema:



how does this transcend to ogene musician in igboland?

You listed ogene musicians in Enugu and dubbed it igboland as cover up..

The title should be the best Ogene musicians in Enugu state.

Anambra was mentioned too.

African culture in its highest form on display here.Igbo kwenu!!!

descarado:

I think his genre is egwu ekpili. I'm not sure.

I just realised that there are many different types of music in igboland and I don't know what they are called.

Seven seven Okonkwo Asa na Enugwu Ukwu might’ve metamorphosed from ekpili. Not sure about that but he did mention that he mum was also a musician and I think ekpili might’ve been their main instrument but Seven Seven’s primary instrument was guitar. He apparently had a competition with his mum in 1947 during an ichi ozo ceremony.

His guitar was prominent in his songs and he was a story teller. I’d say that he belonged to Mike Ejeagha’s type of music. Not sure what to call that.

descarado:

I think his genre is egwu ekpili. I'm not sure.

I just realised that there are many different types of music in igboland and I don't know what they are called.

I don't think his genre is Egwu Ekpili. His music is unique and a joy to listen, too bad nobody has been able to do his type of music and start from where he stopped.

So many of them and people often mistake one for the other. Each state has their own type of Igbo traditional music. When I hear Anambra music I know, same with IMO, Enugu, Asaba except Abia and Ebonyi.

Bia Mr OP, you can't go around ranking musicians if you know little about the genre.
How can you give Ejyk Nwamba no 1 spot when all his music is cover of other ogene musicians. The part of his music people love which is "Àjà welu welu" is cover of Ajofia Nnewi "Ana welu welu". His second hit "mawa rụ m ọjị" is still cover of Ajofia nnewi "mawa rụ mụ ọjị". The rest of his track are cover from either from udu bonchi or ogene nwa Ghana, particularly from ikpachi. During rankings musicians that are into cover are not included because the credit goes to the original.
The ranking should have either ogene onye ọma who sang "onye nwụrụ" with this line "ụwa mee na ndidi bu ije enu" or ogene nwa Ghana who sang "Igbo bunk" and "ikpachi" or ogene okanga.
The fourth spot should be between pammy udubonchi and ogene nti ike. Then the rest.
Please try to project the original. I know why you put Ejyk Nwamba there, it's because you were fascinated by the great use of proverbs in Àjà welu welu, But stop being so because it was a cover from the master of Proverbs track for Ajofia Nnewi which was a song for the popular mmonwu and for omenala. Ejyk Nwamba didn't even add anything to it apart from the names of people he was hailing.
If it is Proverbs that you want listen to all the ajofia tracks, they are filled with Proverbs from A-Z.
Nevertheless, the effect of Ejyk Nwamba in ogene genre can't be ignored. He is like the Robin hood of Ogene music, without him ogene music would have been gone for good in this generation, even though most of his tracks are cover.

SmartPolician:


Ogene is generally an Enugu thing

While Anambra and Imo have highlife music.

You know very little about about igboland, Ogene actually started from Awka (the home of the black smith's)

Fedrick100:
This List is not complete if there’s no umuobligbo

Ụmụ obiligbo is not into ogene but another genre known as ịgba, you can hear it from their lyrics, "ịgba mụ ooo".
Ịgba is a very old genre that most people enjoy but don't know it's a different genre from highlife , the most famous musicians from this genre include "Show promoter", "ibealoke chukwukeziri" the Apama crooner, ọzọ emee and pericoma na ani ajọ arụ

Antoeni:
You are not serious quote author=onuko post=94138919] udubunch is not ogene music, it's ubo music

God of mercy, who said udu bonchi is into ụbọ genre?
DO you know the genre you just mentioned?
This is the most difficult genre in igboland, it is too difficult that we don't have any contemporary musician into it.
The only musician that successfully mastered the genre is the only person that goes with the title "gentleman", the one and only Gentleman Mike Ejeagha

I listened to one and I wish anyone can get me the name and link where I can find more of his video. The lyrics is like : "2baba king Solomon of our time, anty bobrisky I hear say you cut your TomTom,......."

UdechiHD:
Anybody can claim anything on Nairaland. So I take certain claims with a pinch of salt.

This old ffaggat, following me around like a beggar...tufia

KosiGee:



Calm down bro. This isn’t an Anambra vs Enugu fight. I don’t know how old you are or how old some of the posters here are including Afam.

Ogene actually is an Anambra thing. Agaba, Okwomma, Okoti masquerades were very popular in Anambra back in the days and the primary musical instruments for these legendary masquerades are Ogene.

Nri, Agukwu, Enugwu ukwu, Awka, Achi towns were very popular with their masquerades and ogene sounds. These were when the Inyiagbaoku masquerades were very popular in Enugu....

In the 70s/80s, if you went to Obiagu and Onuasata during Easter, New Year and other festivities, the big masquerades were Ayaya masquerades...Ejike Nwamba honed his ogene skills as a child celebrity with Ayaya...pioneers of this great masquerade were mixed...Anambra, Enugu and Imo residents in Enugu....

Then you have the Ogui Boys from Oba street, Egede Lane, Ogidi st etc. This was mainly populated by people who work at the ‘ Timber shed’ around Oba street. Most of these workers and Ogui Boys group were from Ekwulobia town.

Around Moore House st Ogui, there was the Moorwhouse boys headed by Ogenna Ikeme who was at National grammar school Nike at the time, he later played for Rangers and Vasco. Then there another guy who leads or holds their ite/akpa ogwu...his nick name was Taata. One young ogene celebrity called Chido was their chief ogene man, Chido attended Maryland Boys.

There was no distinction between Anambra and Enugu at the time...but in Okoti, Okwomma masquerades, Anambra people were very conservative, Enugu guys had other masquerades...Amagunze boys had a popular and scary group called ‘Black Children’ of Amagunze. They wore blacks with red bands on their heads. The men who were in this group should be in their 60s-70s now....Ayaya group apart from the Nwambas should be in their 60s-80s...same as Ogui Boys whose slogan was ‘ Ogui adi agba boi.

There were other groups from Abakpa, Awkunanaw.

You can’t really start talking about Ogene music in anywhere without mentioning Ogene Ikpachi of Nri. They had their music on vinyl. Their strength was their ogene songs. Most of what the new generation ogene musicians like Ejike, Igboja, Donchester sing now were old songs done in the 70s-80s by Nri people.

Try and listen to ogene with an unbiased mind.

Igbojaja is popular because he is readily available and interacts with guys who come to Okpara sq to exercise and also his YouTube channels.

Ejike Nwamba is popular, he is an old hand and also has YouTube channel.

Shidodo used to be very popular. He popularised ogene music. His cassettes and CDs could be bought at Obiagu junction.

Pls check out Owoblow and Man pass man. He plays undiluted ogene.

If you love egwu nmanwu and ogene...search and listen to Awutolo and Fada from Enugu Ukwu with their Ogene Nkpakija. Awutolo is dead now but his songs can’t be touched. He is a legend.

If you want to hear and appreciate ogene that’s different from Nwamba and Igbojaja....listen to Ogene Opanka....Ogene Opanka Ijele. This guy is easily recognisable. He balances a bottle of beer or alcohol on his head before he starts. He is really talented. He is into Ogene and Egwu nmanwu.

Then there is Donchester and Jantamanta is is another talented guy.

Good

ayzTIGER:
I don't think his genre is Egwu Ekpili. His music is unique and a joy to listen, too bad nobody has been able to do his type of music and start from where he stopped.

So many of them and people often mistake one for the other. Each state has their own type of Igbo traditional music. When I hear Anambra music I know, same with IMO, Enugu, Asaba except Abia and Ebonyi.

Okonkwo Asaa Iyaji played ekwili music. He even said it himself.

UdechiHD:
You sef dey fall hands. So JuliusMalema aka Osagyefo, Meleszenawi, IDENNA the imposter is whom you foolishly label Igbo? Between you and him, I don’t know who is more foolish. I want to believe you’re a clown for still not knowing that the dude and all his monikers have never even cross Agbor let alone come from Igboland.

My name will never depart from your mouth again.

Just avoid Omambala ethnic nationality pls

KosiGee:



Calm down bro. This isn’t an Anambra vs Enugu fight. I don’t know how old you are or how old some of the posters here are including Afam.

Ogene actually is an Anambra thing. Agaba, Okwomma, Okoti masquerades were very popular in Anambra back in the days and the primary musical instruments for these legendary masquerades are Ogene.

Nri, Agukwu, Enugwu ukwu, Awka, Achi towns were very popular with their masquerades and ogene sounds. These were when the Inyiagbaoku masquerades were very popular in Enugu....

In the 70s/80s, if you went to Obiagu and Onuasata during Easter, New Year and other festivities, the big masquerades were Ayaya masquerades...Ejike Nwamba honed his ogene skills as a child celebrity with Ayaya...pioneers of this great masquerade were mixed...Anambra, Enugu and Imo residents in Enugu....

Then you have the Ogui Boys from Oba street, Egede Lane, Ogidi st etc. This was mainly populated by people who work at the ‘ Timber shed’ around Oba street. Most of these workers and Ogui Boys group were from Ekwulobia town.

Around Moore House st Ogui, there was the Moorwhouse boys headed by Ogenna Ikeme who was at National grammar school Nike at the time, he later played for Rangers and Vasco. Then there another guy who leads or holds their ite/akpa ogwu...his nick name was Taata. One young ogene celebrity called Chido was their chief ogene man, Chido attended Maryland Boys.

There was no distinction between Anambra and Enugu at the time...but in Okoti, Okwomma masquerades, Anambra people were very conservative, Enugu guys had other masquerades...Amagunze boys had a popular and scary group called ‘Black Children’ of Amagunze. They wore blacks with red bands on their heads. The men who were in this group should be in their 60s-70s now....Ayaya group apart from the Nwambas should be in their 60s-80s...same as Ogui Boys whose slogan was ‘ Ogui adi agba boi.

There were other groups from Abakpa, Awkunanaw.

You can’t really start talking about Ogene music in anywhere without mentioning Ogene Ikpachi of Nri. They had their music on vinyl. Their strength was their ogene songs. Most of what the new generation ogene musicians like Ejike, Igboja, Donchester sing now were old songs done in the 70s-80s by Nri people.

Try and listen to ogene with an unbiased mind.

Igbojaja is popular because he is readily available and interacts with guys who come to Okpara sq to exercise and also his YouTube channels.

Ejike Nwamba is popular, he is an old hand and also has YouTube channel.

Shidodo used to be very popular. He popularised ogene music. His cassettes and CDs could be bought at Obiagu junction.

Pls check out Owoblow and Man pass man. He plays undiluted ogene.

If you love egwu nmanwu and ogene...search and listen to Awutolo and Fada from Enugu Ukwu with their Ogene Nkpakija. Awutolo is dead now but his songs can’t be touched. He is a legend.

If you want to hear and appreciate ogene that’s different from Nwamba and Igbojaja....listen to Ogene Opanka....Ogene Opanka Ijele. This guy is easily recognisable. He balances a bottle of beer or alcohol on his head before he starts. He is really talented. He is into Ogene and Egwu nmanwu.

Then there is Donchester and Jantamanta is is another talented guy.

You've said it all but forgot to mention that Ejyk Nwamba is yet to have an independent track. All his hit are cover from Ajofia Nnewi, especially "Ana weru weru" which he covered as "àjà weru weru".
I think it's high time Ejyk Nwamba gave credit to Ajofia Nnewi crooner for all his tracks he has been using. We can't move forward without respecting copyright laws

The Ogene music originated from Enugu people.
It all started when Chukwu Okike Abiama give Enugu people war victory over the neighbors the Igalas & the Idomas. It was a war masquerade fought with irons Spears, shade, bow and arrow, gun,cutlass etc. They use their war arsenal as the instrument for the victory music and that's how Ogene music originated

Bkayyy:

You've said it all but forgot to mention that Ejyk Nwamba is yet to have an independent track. All his hit are cover from Ajofia Nnewi, especially "Ana weru weru" which he covered as "àjà weru weru".
I think it's high time Ejyk Nwamba gave credit to Ajofia Nnewi crooner for all his tracks he has been using. We can't move forward without respecting copyright laws

Copyright infringement is a sad reality. I think every artiste should get permission to use other people’s works or at least acknowledge the source...However Ejike Nwamba in my opinion is ironically one of the most commercially successful of the ogene guys.

He has great personality, he reaches out to people who acknowledge and pay for his services.
I believe that he should acknowledge the source of his borrowed songs but I don’t think Ajofia Nnewi would hinder his success. That’s being paranoid...Ajofia Nnewi though is in a class of his own with his esoteric philosophical renditions...very scary masquerade, comes out with so much knowledge and deep sacred vibes.
Listening to it, you’d think you are in some haunted environment hearing the voice of the ghost of some 1000 year old catholic priest officiating a mass.

Abeg make una patronise me to see food chop, biko.

Igbo amaka

gurujoe:
The Ogene music originated from Enugu people.
It all started when Chukwu Okike Abiama give Enugu people war victory over the neighbors the Igalas & the Idomas. It was a war masquerade fought with irons Spears, shade, bow and arrow, gun,cutlass etc. They use their war arsenal as the instrument for the victory music and that's how Ogene music originated

I don't believe this story but like I said Enugu is leading in ogene but they didn't invent it and some of the oldest masquerades In Anambra use the instrument

Op, God bless u for this post... Ausuma malika and Ejyke nwamba are my favorite ogene musicians... For those of you arguing over which state has the best ogene musicians, I'll give it to Enugu state..they beat us hands down
We Anambrians are better in high life music.

oglalasioux:
They will soon spoil it with guitars and piano like Morroco did to ekpili music.

God bless you!

Morocco should be totally banned from singing.

He has never been original and will never be.

even his old ekpili music he copied all from the legend Ekwegbalu Anyawu - the doctor of ekpili himself! the great!


"nnemu na nnamu anyanwu n'enigwe!"
"ewu nwojojo di ngederegwuee!
"ewu nwolololu ngederegwuee!
"ewuwa ngedere ngedere gwuee!
"ngederegwu! ngederegwu okwa ajayama! ngederegwu ekwe ikee!"


Ekwegbalu dey kill me with his ekpili music!

God keep Blessing my father for exposing me to these great musics which i still enjoy to date. May my Father's gentle and lively soul keep resting in peace! Amen!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRAWbcgu03s

Nice!

You all may want to see this explanation of 'Ofala' festival:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrObqhHRqP0