Entertainment
Periscoping Highlife, Mainstay Of Kuta Nigerian Music
Highlife was the most popular music in 1960 when Nigeria gained independence. Before then and down through the 1960s, highlife has always been a mainstay of the Nigerian music industry. It was West African pop music seeping into the country from Ghana.
Following World War ll, Nigerian music started to take on new instruments and techniques including electric instruments imported from the United States and Europe. Rock n. Roll, Soul and later Funk became very popular in Nigeria and elements of these genres were added to Juju by artistes such as I.K. Dairo.
Meanwhile, highlife had been slowly gaining grounds among the Igbo people and their unique style soon found a national audience, at the same time ‘Apalas’ Haruna Ishola was becoming one of the country’s biggest stars. When the Union Jack was lowered for the last time by the British colonial masters in Lagos and Nigeria’s Green while Green flag was hoisted, highlife was the ruler of the streets.
Ghana had a lot of influence on our music, right from the 1950s and 60s, Ghana had always been Nigerian’s big brother when it comes to music.
Ghanaian highlife stars dominated Nigerian social scene and night clubs due to the authenticity of their sound and immersive melodies. Ghanaian stars were the toast of Lagos and played in night clubs raking exclusive money for many Nigerian bands.
Nigerian artistes had to travel to Ghana to gain knowledge in music before returning to Nigeria to replicate that new direction.
Even Fela Kuti was influenced in Ghana. In 1963, Fela moved back to Nigeria, reformed Koola Lobitos and trained as radio producer for Nigerian Boardcasting corporation (NBC).
He played for sometime with Victor Olaiya and his All Stars. In 1967, he went to Ghana to soak up their songs and think up a new musical direction. That was when Fela first called his music Afrobeat. Fela was later banned form Ghana by the Ghanaian government in 1978 after riots broke-out in Accra during his concert when he was performing the song “Zombie”.
While in Ghana high life music held more significance, in Nigeria it was feel good music carrying mundane themes and made specifically for dance; the same way we currently have pop songs about nothing, highlife filled that void in the 60s.
Music was recorded and played live and the best spots to consume live music was at the Lagos clubs which had a mixture of Ghanaian and Nigerian highlife stars, the music was played by bands. The Ghanaian E.T. Mensah easily the most popular highlife performer of the 1950s toured Nigeria frequently, drawing huge crowds of devoted fans.
Bob Benson and his Combo was the first Nigerian highlife band to find audience across the country. Benson was followed by Rex Lawson & The Mayors Dance Band who achieved national fame in the mid 70s ending with Lawson’s death in 1971. During the same period, other highlife performers were reaching their peak. “They include Prince Nico Mbaga whose Sweet Mother, was a Pan African hit that sold more than 13 million copies, more than any other African single of any kind.
Entertainment
BBNaija Season Nine: ‘Dynamic Duos’ Auditions Begin
The organisers of the Big Brother Naija( BBNaija) have announced that season nine of the reality TV show started accepting applications last Wednesday.
Biggie is back for BBNaija Season 9 auditions with a twist! The audition requires two people. “This year, it is a search for Dynamic Duos that love the show and can turn up the heat in Biggie’s house,” the announcement said.
This new twist to application videos, which used to be a single person in the video, candidates will have to apply in pairs. This means that the audition video will feature two candidates each.
Make and upload a three-minute video telling Big Brother why both of you should be in the Big Brother’s House together.
The video can be recorded together or separate, but must be a single video.
You have to audition together.
In the video describe yourselves and where you are from.
Also talk about your personalities, your favourite things, likes, dislikes, unique things about both of you and how it may help you do well on Big Brother Naija Season 9.
Stay natural, do not force it, keep it fun!
Audition is free and has opened on Wednesday, March 27, 2024 at 8:00pm.
Application is only open to people who are 21 or older with a valid means of identification.
Entertainment
Onyeka Onwenu’s Film To Chronicle Her Music Journey
Renowned Nigerian musician, Onyeka Onwenu, says she is working on producing a film that will delve into her experiences which span decades within the music industry.
Onwenu disclosed this in an interview with the Newsmen, on Tuesday with a career that stretches back to the 1970s, the “elegant stallion” expressed her eagerness to share her firsthand account of the evolution of Nigerian music.
”I am currently working on a film that will chronicle my experiences in the music industry from the 70s to the present day. Having been a part of this narrative for decades, I have a wealth of stories to share,” she said.
In addition to the film project, Onwenu discussed her efforts to release her classic songs through collaboration with emerging artistes, promising fans a compilation of rebranded tracks later in the year.
“I am rebranding my old songs and collaborating with new talents. My aim is to offer listeners a fresh perspective on timeless classics,” she explained.
Onwenu’s creative pursuits extend beyond the realm of music, as she recently released a single, titled Abu Otito (Songs of Praise) and dedicated proceeds from its streaming to support widows through the Rose of Sharon Foundation.
“I am passionate about using music to address social issues. From supporting widows to promoting education among rural children, I strive to make a positive impact through my art.”
Reflecting on her philanthropic endeavours, Onwenu shared her commitment to providing educational opportunities for underprivileged children in Abia and disclosed the plan to expand her initiatives to Imo.
“We not only pay school fees directly to schools but also offer civic education to instill a sense of cultural identity. These efforts represent my dedication to empowering future generations,” the musician noted.
Offering advice to fellow artistes amidst economic challenges, Onwenu emphasised the importance of resilience and self-initiative.
“Hang in there and create opportunities for yourselves,” she urged, highlighting the need for proactive approaches in navigating the ever-evolving music industry landscape.
Onwenu’s multifaceted contributions to music and society underscore her enduring legacy as a trailblazing artiste and philanthropist, inspiring generations to come.
“I have been part of the story right from time, and I am still moving forward, so I have a lot of stories to tell,” she remarked.
The Tide Entertainment reports that aside from the cinematic venture, Onwenu unveiled plans to breathe new life into her classic hits by collaborating with contemporary artistes. According to her, she aims to compile a collection of rebranded songs, promising Nigerian audiences an eagerly anticipated release later in the year..
Onwenu has used her music and its timeless messages to promote Nigeria’s culture. Her music duet with King Sunny Ade, titled Wait for Me, has remained evergreen. It is remembered always as a song with deep lyrical message which was put together to help the government of that era fight seriously against the outburst of population explosion while also regulating it with the different family planning programmes put together by the government.
Her song, African Woman, helped greatly in projecting the innate exquisiteness of the African woman giving them a sense of pride and belonging amidst poverty, widowhood, rape, lack of care, hatred, humiliation, abandonment, among others.
Her evergreen classic, Sodom and Gomorrah, is a biblical narrative of the popular story of the city of Sodom and Gomorrah, a city destroyed by God due to their heedlessness and high level of immorality.
Some of her other evergreen songs include Iyogogo, One Love, Dancing in the Sun, and Choices, among others.
Entertainment
Osita Iheme Reacts To Pawpaw Memes
Legendary Nollywood actor, Osita Iheme, fondly known as Pawpaw, has revealed that he is happy with the way his memes are used on social media as a means of expression.
In a recent interview with newsmen, the actor expressed pleasure with the use of the clips from his films, stating that it shows his old films still have value.
“It’s good to see that your works are doing well out there and people are appreciating what you are doing,” he said.
“Even though it has been so many years, people are still valuing it years later. It’s good and it shows that you have an asset that you can always back up and bank with. Because when you look at 20 years ago, the works you’ve done and you see that people are using it to express themselves, you’d feel happy. I feel happy,” he continued.
The Tide Entertainment reports that over the past few years, hilarious stickers and memes of the star from his old films have been used widely across social media platforms to add a comic flair to conversations. His funny memes were not only used by Nigerians, but also in foreign media, especially during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown era.
It is worthy of note that Iheme is one half of the dynamic Aki and Paw Paw duo, the other half being his partner-in-crime, Chinedu Ikedieze.
The pair starred in numerous movies in their prime like ‘Aki Na Ukwa’, Village Rats, and Double Wahala, amongst many other iconic films.
More than 20 years later, they have remained Nollywood household names, hilarious memes, and pop culture icons.
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