SegFault:

the more reason I loved him, though I believe he shouldn't have wasted his time on Nigerians he still remains a legend.

He was a revolutioner, just like his father and mother.

marsman:

He was a revolutioner, just like his father and mother.

Quite sad his whole life was turned upside down, Who was the bastard head of state when he was sent to prison.

Please house, this list is not complete until you add Dr. Sir Warrior ,Oriental Brothers International and Aloy Anyanwu.

Good job OP. I humbly suggest that Bobby Benson and perhaps Lagbaja be on this list to make it great!

The title of movie beast of no nation, was gotten from one of his songs against Buhari.

Inkosl:
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Roon9:
No lagbaja??

Show some respect bro!

The OP did a good job but the musicians are from different genres of music. Afrobeat is quite different from Highlife and also from Juju. Piling them together didn’t really do justice to the topic and their music. If you separate them, you will able to accommodate more top performers for each genre such as Kayode Fashola, Baba Eto, Dele Abiodun etc for Juju, Oriental brothers, Bright Chimezie, e.t.c for High life.

yeroba Christians are great.

yeroba Muslims are spoiling yeroba land

@op. Go edit the part on Victor Olaiya. You wrote on the title, Sir Victor Uwaifo while on the body is about Dr Victor Olaiya.

robosky02:
Top 10 Afro (Juju) and Highlife Musicians in Nigeria


Before the advent of Hip pop which has presently taken over the whole country, Afro-juju and highlife were widely celebrated throughout Nigeria from early 1950’s until late 1990’s. In recent times, hip hop music appears to be holding sway with the electronic media in Nigeria with massive airplay. The origin of this style of music was largely attributed to Ghana which later spread to Sierra Leone, Liberia, Gambia and Nigeria via Ghanaian workers, among other West African countries, by the 1930’s. The music is often performed live with groups of singers and instrumentalists called a band. Nonetheless, Sunny Adé's musical output has continued to inspire a vast generation of other Nigerian and African musicians and music lovers who believe in the big band musical set up—which the likes of Osita Osadebe, Sunny Adé and late Fela Kuti were noted for.

So in no particular order here is the list of these musicians:

Fela Kuti
With his original name as Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti, he became known widely as Fela. He was born on 15th October 1938 in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Western Nigeria. He was born into well connected Yoruba family as his father, Reverend Israel Oludotun Ransome-Kuti, was a Protestant minister and school principal and his mother, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, was a feminist activist in the anti-colonial movement. He is also the first cousin to the Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka, the first African to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. He played for some time with Victor Olaiya and his All Stars after which he formed his own music group called Afrika’ 70.

With his well-connected background, there is no doubt Fela became more famous and popular with his style of music as he was the pioneer of the Afrobeat music in Nigeria and Africa. He was also a human right activist and used his music to publicly criticize the (then) corrupt military government and also to fight European cultural imperialism as he supported traditional African religions and lifestyles. His famous music single was Water E No Get Enemy. His famous albums include: Shakara (1972), Confusion (1975), Zombie (1977), The Best Best of Fela Kuti (1999) with major concerts like Teacher Don't Teach Me Nonsense & Berliner Jazztage '78 (Double Feature), 1984. He has been nominated for Grammy awards on three separate occasions.

In 1960, Fela married his first wife, Remilekun (Remi) Taylor, with whom he would have three children (Femi, Yeni, and Sola) and divorced all his 12 wives and concubines after release from prison in 1986.

Fela was a chronic chain smoker and died on 2 August 1997 from Kaposi's sarcoma, an AIDS-related disease.

King Sunny Adé
His original name was Sunday Adeniyi and he was born on 22nd September 1946 in Oshogbo, Ondo State of Western Nigeria to a royal Yoruba family. His father was Church organist and his mother was a market trader. Sunny is well known to be one of the most influential Afro-juju musicians as he was also a song-writer and multi-instrumentalist. He formed the group called African Beats which he later changed the name to Golden Mercury whose music was characterized with the use of Yoruba talking drum

With his Afro genre of music, King Sunny became the first African to be nominated twice for a Grammy. Notable amongst his music albums are Odu (1998). In 2009 King Sunny Adé was inducted into the Afropop Hall of Fame, at the Brooklyn African Festival in the United States and he humbly dedicated the award to the Late Michael Jackson.

Currently, King Sunny Ade runs his non-profit organisation called the King Sunny Adé Foundation, and is also working with the Musical Copyright Society of Nigeria.


Osita Osadebe
His full name was Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe, and he was born on March 1936 in Atani, Anambra located in Southeastern Nigeria. Chief Osadebe as he was popularly (because he is a titled high chief in Igboland) called is a singer-songwriter, and record producer and was also known as the father of Igbo highlife music. His music was influenced by his personal life experience, trials, and tribulations.

Chief Osadebe released his first album of his career in 1958 and later established his record label called "Polygram Records Nigeria." He went on to write over 500 songs; half of these songs were released commercially. Notable amongst his music albums are Kedu America

On 11 May 2007, Chief Osadebe passed away in St. Mary's Hospital Waterbury, Connecticut, USA after suffering from severe respiratory difficulties.

Dan Maraya Jos
His full original name was Adamu Wayya Maraya, and he was born in 1946 in Bukur, near Jos, Plateau State, located in North-central Nigeria. Dan Maraya whose name literally means “The Little Orphan of Jos” was widely known for his use of trademark Kuntigi (a small, single-stringed traditional lute normally oval-shaped sardine covered with goatskin) while performing his famous praise songs.

His songs were very famous in throughout the Hausa part of the country, as he was invited to sing in traditional gatherings, marriages and different other local and national ceremonies. His first and perhaps the most popular of his music is Wak'ar Karen Mota (meaning "Song of the Driver's Mate). Others include Jawabin Aure (meaning Discourse on Marriage), Auren Dole (meaning Forced Marriage), and Gulma-Wuya (The Busybody). Dan Maraya died on 20 June 2015.


Sir Victor Uwaifo
Victor Abimbola Olaiya was born on 31st December 1930 in Calabar, Cross River State located in Southern Nigeria. His Yoruba parents were Alfred Omolona Olaiya and Bathsheba Owolabi Motajo, who hailed from Ijesha-Ishu in Ekiti State. He was regarded as one of the pioneers of Highlife music in Nigeria as Alhaji Alade Odunewu of the Daily Times described him as "The Evil Genius of Highlife” has collaborated with the likes of Ghanaian highlife musicians including E. T. Mensah. Victor is also a trumpeter and group leader

Sir Victor is highly educated and formed his own band called the Cool Cats in 1954 and renamed the group to All Stars Band in 1963, which once had and trained some popular music icons like the drummer Tony Allen and vocalist Fela Kuti in his group. Popular of his music albums include Odale Ore b/w Mofe Muyon (1958), Olaiya's Victories (1961), Highlife Reincarnation(1981), Baby Jowo(Baby Mi Da)with 2face (2013).

Olaiya married many wives. He has children and grand children. One of his daughters, Moji Olaiya is an actress and his son Bayode Olaiya currently sings with him.

Fatai Rolling Dollar
Prince Olayiwola Fatai Olagunju was born on 22 July 1927 in Ede, Oyo State of Western Nigeria. He is a foremost Nigeria Juju and highlife musician whose trademark music was characterized by the use of guitar. He formed his eight-man band group called African Rhythm Band in 1957 and together they produced one of his greatest hit tracks called "Won Kere Si Number Wa." He once had the famous Ebenezer Obey in his band group and mentored him.

Rolling Dollar was married to three wives and had 16 children. He died at the age of 86 on 12 June 2103 after he was diagnosed with a lung cancer and was buried in his home at Ikorodu, Lagos.

Ebenezer Obey
Ebenezer Remilekun Aremu Olasupo Obey-Fabiyi was born on April 3, 1942, in Idogo L.G.A of Ogun State located in Western part of Nigeria. He is also amongst the pioneer Juju musicians in Nigeria as he was popularly nicknamed the "Chief Commander". Ebenezer formed his own band called International Brothers in 1964 whose playing style is characterized by Yoruba percussion style and use of more drum kits, guitars, and Yoruba talking drums. However, Ebenezer somehow got converted and switched to full gospel music in the early 1980’s.

His popular songs include Ewa Wo Ohun Ojuri (1964), Ija Pari I (1971), Joy of Salvation (What God Has Joined Together) 1981, Count Your Blessing (On the Rock) 1990, Good News (1993) and others.

Ebenezer got married to his wife Lady Evangelist Juliana Obey-Fabiyi in 1963, who later died at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital on 23 August 2011 at 67years and together they have several children and grand children.

Oliver De Coque
The man who people normally say he resembles the great Ikemba, Chief Odumegwu Ojukwu (who lead the Biafran Army during the Nigeria Civil War), was born on April 14, 1947, in Ezinifite, Anambra State in Eastern Nigeria to Igbo parents. He is one of the most famous Nigeria’s Igbo Highlife singers, songwriters, musicians or guitarists whose songs are praise songs for individuals and social clubs. He formed his band group called Ogene sound super of Africa, which blended modern high life and traditional Igbo music. His famous songs include a song dedicated to a powerful and popular club called People’s Club of Nigeria which consists of the richest men in Igboland, Apprecitaion, Egwu anyi Si Na Mmiri, Baby Don’t Cry, Odiri (2002), Nwa bu Nwa (1976) and others.

Oliver De Coque married many wives with many children and his 32-year-old son, Darlington nicknamed Safin De Coque is also a musician but unlike his father, he does Hip Pop. Oliver died on June 21, 2008, at the age of 61.

I.K Dairo
Isaiah Kehinde Dairo was born in 1930 in Offa, Kwara State in Western Nigeria. Dairo rose to fame shortly after he formed his musical group called the Morning Star Orchestra in 1957. His band made use of unique musical instruments like the double toy, akuba, ogido, clips, maracas, agogo(bell), samba (a square shaped drum) and an amplified accordion, which was played by Dairo making him the first high-profile musician to play the accordion.

His popular music includes Mo ti yege, Yoruba Solidarity, Erora Feso Jaiye, Salome 92, Ashiko (1994). Dairo died in the year 1996 at a tender age of 39.



Sir Shina Peters
Oluwashina Akanbi Peter was born on May 30, 1958, in Ogun State, western Nigeria. Sir Shina Peters as he was commonly known is an afro-juju musician whose style of play is described as a rhythmic collaboration of both Afrobeat and juju with the use of guitars and other local musical instruments which pierced Ethnic, Cultural and language barriers in Nigeria. He was said to have changed and revolutionized the Juju Music scene in Africa with his band group called International Stars which he formed in the late 1980’s. He has over 16 music albums which have led him to tour the shores of South Africa, Europe, Germany, United Kingdom, Italy and United States. Notable among them are Ace, an Afro-Juju Series 1 (1989), Shinamania (1990), Dancing Time (1991), Kilode (1995), Pay Back Time (2005).

Sir Peters is currently signed to Orbit Entertainment, a USA agency in New York that he co-owns.

https://spinditty.com/genres/Top-10-Afro-Juju-and-Highlife-Musicians-in-Nigeria

robosky02 You named Sir Victor Uwaifo in your list and went on to describe Victor Olaiya. They are not the same person. PLEASE CORRECT YOUR POST.

Please do Victor olaya and Victor uwifo are two different people

This is for the senior citizens on nairaland





Not indomie generation

But u missed up the names of Sir Victor Olaiya and Uwaifo

Roon9:
No lagbaja??

thought I m the only one thinking in that direction

robosky02:
This is for the senior citizens on nairaland





Not indomie generation

Who be this one?

ChiefSupplier55:


Who be this one?

Senior citizen



And you? ......indomie generation right?

toxxnoni:


How much?

Drop ur whatap numba

i thought fela was an afrobeat musician

The 12 Nigerian Kings of Highlife Music



While Nigerian music has undergone serious metamorphosis in recent history, there are still songs that we hold close to our hearts and influenced the style of virtually most, if not all Nigerian musicians.

They are songs that even the young generation listen to and are on the music playlists of a lot of Nigerian weddings, both at home and abroad.

Highlife makes up a bulk of it.

highlife

These are the artistes whose highlife songs that were popular before some of us were born, a lot of us grew up with and majority of us continue to enjoy to this day.

12. Flavor N’Abania


How can we write about highlife without mentioning Flavour? Otherwise known Chinedu Okoli, he is the modern proponent of highlife music.

23 November 1983, he began his musical career as a drummer for a local church in his hometown of Anambra State.

His hit songs include: Nwa Baby (Ashawo Remix), Ada Ada and Golibe.



11. Tunji Oyelana

A former lecturer, Tunji Oyelana, was born October 4, 1939. He is credited with having sold the most albums by a Nigerian High Life musician.

With Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka, he composed, I Love My Country.



Both were charged with treason in 1996, and forced into exile by Sani Abacha, while touring internationally with Soyinka’s play The Beatification of Area Boy.

10. Sonny Okosun

Born on January 1, 1947 in Enugu, he was from the Edo State. He was one of the leading Nigerian musicians from the late 1970s to mid 1980s.

He formed his first band, The Postmen, in Enugu in 1965 and joined Melody Maestros, a band led by Victor Uwaifo in 1965. From 1972 to 1974 he led a group known as Paperback Limited and then formed a new band, Ozziddi. Some of his popular songs are Fire in Soweto, High Life and Which Way Nigeria. Okoson continued his career in music as a gospel musician in the early 90s.



He died aged 61 of colon cancer on 24 May 2008.

9. Dr. Orlando Owoh


Born Stephen Oladipupo Owomoyela in February 1932, in Osogbo, he was a notable highlife musician and band leader. He was initially in the carpentry trade until 1958, when he was hired by Kola Ogunmola Theatre Group to play drums and sing.

Omimah Band
Dr. Orlando Owoh and his Omimah Band via Groovemonzter

He went on to form Dr. Orlando Owoh and his Omimah Band in 1960 and Dr. Orlando Owo and his Young Kenneries Band in 1975; and over a musical career of forty years became one of the leading proponents of highlife music. He had over 45 albums to his credit.

Dr. Orlando Owo and his Young Kenneries Band via GrooveMonzter
Dr. Orlando Owo and his Young Kenneries Band via GrooveMonzter

Some of his well known songs are: Yellow Sisi, Ajo Ko Dun Bi Ile, Ololufe gbao temi, Omo pupa and No Friend/Aiye Lokun.



Orlando Owoh died on November 6, 2008 and was laid to rest at his Agege residence in Lagos.

8. Celestine Ukwu and his Philosophers National
Celestine Ukwu

Born Celestine Obiakor in 1940, Efik, Nigeria, d. 1979, Onitsha, Nigeria. he was on the verge of national breakthrough when the Nigerian civil war brought touring and recording to a grinding halt. He re-emerged in 1970 with Philospher’s Stone.



He released his biggest hit Money Palaver in 1976. He died later the same year.

7. Prince Nico Mbarga

Prince Nico Mbarga was born to a Nigerian mother and a Cameroonian father in Abakaliki on 1 January, 1950.

He is renowned for his hit song Sweet Mother, recorded with his band Rocafil Jazz; as well as Aki Special.

He was killed in a motorcycle accident on June 24, 1997.


6. Dr. Sir Warrior and The Oriental Brothers InternationalWarrior & Oriental Brothers
Born Christogonus Ezebuiro Obinna in 1947 in Imo State, the Ultimate Dr. Sir Warrior, was the leader of the Oriental Brothers International Band which was famous in the Nigerian Igbo highlife music scene for several decades.

He began performing at the age of 11, when joined a men’s choral group specialising in a music form known as Èsè. By 16, he had achieved fame for his voice and performance of Èsè music.

It is said that the Oriental Brothers played a very important spiritual role in keeping many Igbo sane. as they were severely traumatized by the civil war.



He introduced the Oyorima concept, which is an Igbo word that means a refined feeling of rhythmic movement and balance. The same Oyorima that Flavour mentions in his music.

He released the popular song Ofe Owere five years before his death in June, 1999.

5. Jim Rex Lawson

Also known as Cardinal Rex, he was born to parents of Igbo and Kalabari descent in 1935.

Lawson played with Sammy Obot, Bobby Benson, Victor Olaiya, Chris Ajilo, and other Ghanaian and Nigerian musicians and bands. With the Majors Band, they recorded the hits: So ala teme, Yellow Sisi, Gowon Special, and Jolly Papa.

Lawson died in 1971 in a car accident on his way to play a show in Warri. He was 36 years old. His band continued as the Professional Seagulls after his death.
His most popular songs are Yellow Sisi, Love Mu Adure and Sawale. Sawale was remixed by Flavour to make the popular hit song, Nwa Baby (Ashawo).

4. Victor Olaiya
sir-victor-olaiya

Victor Olaiya was born on 31 December 1930, in Calabar, Cross River State, and is the 20th child of a family of 24. He hails from Ijesha-Ishu in Ekiti State and comes from a very rich family.

After leaving school he moved to Lagos, where he passed the school certificate examination in 1951 and was accepted by Howard University, US, to study civil engineering. He instead pursued a career as a musician, to the disapproval of his parents.

In 1954 Olaiya formed his own band, the Cool Cats (later the All Star Band), playing popular highlife music. His band was chosen to play at the state ball when Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom visited Nigeria in 1956, and later to play at the state balls when Nigeria became independent in 1960 and when Nigeria became a republic in 1963. On the latter occasion, Olaiya shared the stage with the American jazz musician Louis Armstrong. During the Nigerian Civil War of 1967–70, Olaiya was given the rank of a lieutenant colonel (honorary) in the Nigerian army and his band played for the troops at various locations. The Cool Cats later travelled to the Congo to perform for United Nations troops.

Victor Olaiya is still very much alive and as recent as July 2013, he released a music video remix of Baby Jowo with 2face Idibia and was received with much acclaim.

3. Oliver De Coque
Oliver de Coque

Popularly known as Oliver De Coque, Chief Dr. Oliver Sunday Akanite was born on April 14, 1947 and hails from Ezinifite in Anambra state. He recorded more than 73 albums to his credit making him the most popular High life king of Africa.

His music band group Ogene Sound Super of Africa, blended modern high life and traditional Igbo music. He started playing music at the age of 17 with Ekpili.

Some of his popular songs are: People’s Club, Identity, Tolerance (Eleta Aghara) and No More War.

2. Victor Uwaifo

Born on 1 March 1941 in Edo state, Benin city, he is one of the musicians who popularised highlife music in Nigeria.

His popular songs include Guitar Boy, Mami Water (inspired by a real life encounter at the Bar Beach) and Joromi (taken from a folklore story of the same name, about the warrior who fought in the underworld and never returned).

Apart from singing, he is also a writer, sculptor, and musical instrument inventor. He also served as commissioner for arts and culture in Edo State under the government of Lucky Igbinedion and is a lecturer at the Department of Fine and Applied Arts at the University of Benin, Benin City.

1. Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe

Born in March, 1936, in Atani, a city in Anambra state, he came from a line of singers and dancers. His interest in music began in his high school years in Onitsha.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEK5bBkr5Sk

His career spanned over 40 years and he has written over 500 songs, half of which were commercially released. His popular hits include: Osondi Owendi (meaning “one man’s meat is another man’s poison”), Nwannem Ebezina, Kedu America and Onuigbo.

He died in St. Mary’s Hospital Waterbury, Connecticut on 11 May 2007.



Other highlife kings are:
E.C Arinze, Ey Ohunta, David Egbo, Fatai Rolling Dollar, Bright Chimezie, Ikem Mazeli, Bola Johnson, Solomon Ilori, King Bruce, King Ubulu, Gooddy Ezike, Lungu Lungu, Baba Ken Okulolo, Roy Chicago, Peacocks International, Gentleman Mike Ejeagaha, Tunde Nightingale, Waziri Oshomah, Adeolu Akinsanya and Kayode Fashola.

The list is incomplete without inyang ita henshaw, sir wilker, solototo, late king solo boy, Etc. From akwa ibom state

All of them make sense unlike these modern noise makers

Where is Sunny Okosun? Bongo sikwe? Chris Allen? Bright Chimezie? Cellestine Ukwu?. hmmm!!.hmmm!!!. I recall the good old days of soul inspired evergreen music with nostalgia.

These are nostalgic sounds

Lemmy123:
Where is Felix Liberty and Sunny Okosun??

Felix liberty played pop.same league as daniel wilson.not highlife or afrobeat.

Where is Dípò Shodipo, the first one-man band in Nigeria? And where your ranked Ebenezer Obey is too low for his exploits. Even Sunny Ade always respect bàbà commander. He made juju music so easy and educative with his miliki style. Music has gone with those men, all we have now is incoherent noise-makers. Those men doesn't need to tattoo, pierce their ears, dread their hairs, bleach etc for them to be heard. Our artistes now are a far-cry to those REAL men. Those bàbà's musics are evergreen.

fiercehillz:
Sir Victor Uwaifo abi Victor Olaiya...

Learn to be patient and just read, thousands of people are laughing at you now

PureGoldh:
Men wey sabi

Quote me anywhere.....Dx men's songs are evergreen.

Any old chune from any of them sounds fresh when played ...They know what music is all about

Bright chimezie

You can't talk about Nigeria music without Bobby Benson.Most of all this legends played in his band.

Sunny Ade remains the king of them all

Dan maraya aint a highlife or juju musician