posted
If you ask me the origin of highlife music I would probably tell you it originated from East and Central Africa, Congo to be precise. I never was a highlife music buff; I had always relied on imported music--from soul to rhythm and blues, from country to rock and roll, from jazz to jazz-fusion, and from funk, pure funk to hip-hop, reggae and pop--not the kind of pop sensationalized by Milli Vanilli and Boney M.
In highlife, I would say Rex Lawson and Eddie Okonta are my favorites. Okonta was a musical genius. He was a wind instrument player whose swinging and raising the trumpet high with his eyes closed turned his fans and admirers on.
One of his early projects "Ajoa" was a mind-blowing sensation. His was all about love, women and passion unlike what Oliver de Coque and his brother Eugene have turned highlife into. I will never spend a dime to watch any of these spraying money-in-your-face name praising musicians. Whatever happened to the days Oriental Brothers entertained, Paulson Kalu sang with compassion, Ali Chukwuma danced, Ozoemena nwa Nsugbe thrilled his audience with folklore, Mike Ejeagha and his akuko na egwu, Prince Nico Mbarga and Ikenga Super stars with their ikwokirikwo stuff? These were the days of true and defined highlife music.
Can anybody compare Oriental Brothers' "Anamelechi," Rex Lawson's "Ibinabo," Mbarga's "Akii Special," the controversial "Asampete nwanyi oma," allegedly stolen by Osadebe Boys and later released in London by the group Nkenga and other high notes in highlife music compositions, in those days to the nonsense that we see today in the Coque brothers?
Apparently the Coque brothers have their admirers, the "Ogbuefis" and the money bags who troop to spray money-in-your-face. But there is nothing like egwu agba ochie, oldies but goodies.
My ten favorites of all time, Check it out:
"Ajoa" by Eddie Okonta "Peoples Club" by Stephen Osita Osadebe "Ibinabo" Rex Lawson "Christiana" by Prince Nico Mbarga "Janet" by Eddie Okonta "Asampete" by Nkenga "Anamelechi" by Oriental Brothers "Iheoma" by Oriental Brothers "Sherikoko" by the legendary Sam Akpabot "Okoro Jr." by Bright Chimezie
[ September 23, 2002, 07:03 PM: Message edited by: Ambrose ]
Posts: 296 | Registered: Mar 2001
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You wouldn't happen to have a link to any of these songs, would you?
Posts: 535 | From: Madam Chichi's Isiewu & Palmy Joint | Registered: May 2003
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posted
Highlife actually originated in West Africa, Sierra Leone to be precise via the early Native (Palmwine) Guitae exponents (S.E.Rogie etc)who learnt their craft on the 19th Century Merchant ships, from Spanish and Portuguese Sailors, which they married with Native Music and whose styles spread all over West Africa (inc Ghana) at the begining of the 20th Century and had its development mostly in Ghana, where the Native Guitar style was married with Brass Bands and the Western Big Band Orchestral styles which were popular amongst the Colonials to produce what we now know as Highlife. The Congolese Native Guitar style originated in the same way but the Bands played mostly Rhumba and Cha Cha Cha with early performers being Wendo and Joseph Kabasele bot before and after the Second World War. The Word Highlife originated from the expression used by the Native Servants of White Colonials who would marvel at the Ballroom Dances of thier employers and exclaim "this na Highlife". Thus the style that emerged took the name Highlife emerged. The greatest exponents of the early Native Guitar Styles were SE Rogie (Sierra Leone), Frank Essien Son of an Efik mother and an English father, he was extremely popular in Ghana and London between 1916 and 1928. Nicholas Van Heer (Ghanaian) popular in the 20's. By far the most innovative Nigerian was the Igbo Guitarist and Singer- Justus Domingo who sang in Yoruba and was a popular Lagos artiste between 1914 and 1935 when he died His information is available at the Smithsonian and British Library. Other Igbo Palmwine Guitar exponents of more recent times included the Great Israel Nwoba (1940-1960's), Celestine "Daddy" Obiakor (1960-1970's, Okonkwo Adigwe (1950-1960's) and Mike Ejeagha (1970's). The early Highlife Big Bands included ET Mensah's Tempos (1930's - 1970-s), StarGazers (Ghana) Israel Njemanze an Igbo Musician popular in Lagos in the 1930's-1950's who was infamously murdered in the 1950 and many others. Highlife is alive and well today in its pure artistic form. Please attend the Great Highlife Party at O'Jez Niteclub in Yaba Lagos. Which is hosted by an Igboman Joseph Odobeatu a Businessman and Arts Investor and organised by the highly respected Comitee For Relevant Art, which has featured a revival concert of Rex Lawosn's Band featuring the remnants e.g King Sunny Brown (Trumpet), Price David Bull, The Late Tex Becks, World Gboye, Raphael Amarabem (lately Leader of the Peacocks of Owerri), Alika (also of the Peacocks). I hope this information has been useful. You can hear some authentic Igbo Palmwine Guitar material on the webpage of an Igbo Band "Ikenga" on this page http://www.soundclick.com/bands/3/ikengamusic.htm. Particularly the track Songs at Sunset, dedicated to the suffering of the Igbos during the Nigerian Civil War.
___________________ Ikenga Posts: 3 | From: United Kingdom | Registered: Feb 2005
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