Entertainment
All About Late Music ICON Singer Victor Uwaifo
Legendary singer and guitarist, Sir Victor Uwaifo, is dead. ‘Guitar Boy’, as he was popularly called, died six months after celebrating his 80th birthday in March.
His son, Uwaifo Peter de Rock, broke the news of his death on his Facebook page.
He wrote: “Daddy whyyyyyyyyyy? Why did you leave us? “Prof Sir Victor Uwaifo has gone to rest
Black Saturday for me nooow. “One week now after collaborating with me.”
Also, confirming the sad news Chief Tony Okoroji, Chairman , Copyrights Society of Nigeria, COSON, said he was dumbfounded as he needed to get a clearer picture of what happened to the legendary singer.
“Victor Uwaifo is not just a friend to me, he was a man I respected so much. I cannot say much now because I need to know what happened to him, “ Okoroji said.
Meanwhile, a source close to the family said the guitarist died after a brief illness.
Uwaifo was the first musician in Nigeria to be awarded the National Merit Honours of Member of the Order of the Niger (MON).
He was also the first Commissioner for Arts, Culture and Tourism in Nigeria.
Born in Benin on March 1, 1941, Uwaifo was one of the foremost highlife musicians in Nigeria. He was a trained sculptor, philosopher, poet and musical instrument inventor. His ‘Joromi’, hit song released in 1965, won for Nigeria the first Gold Disc Record ever to come out of the continent of Africa in a competitive world. Uwaifo is the first Benin man to receive the Nigerian National Honours; Member of the Order of the Niger (MON) in 1983, for his contributions to creativity and industry.
He was appointed and sworn-in as Justice of the Peace (JP) 1990. He is also the first and foremost Honourable Commissioner for Arts, Culture and Tourism in Nigeria (Edo State), former lecturer in the Department of Fine and Applied Arts, University of Benin. He was honoured with an award in 2018 by the Association of Nigerian Musicologists for his outstanding music performance and leadership.
He was the Silverbird Man of the Year 2015 and honourary Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Letters, the highest literary academic body in Nigeria. Education: National Diploma (Graphics},Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, 1963, BA Hon (First Class), 1995, Masters degree (MFA) sculpture, 1997, Ph.D (Visual Arts), University of Benin, Nigeria. Project Title: Production of Architectural Sculpture in Nigeria: A Re-Invention of Ancient Benin Royal Altar Pieces into Contemporary Art Using Synthetic Polymer Materials
Uwaifo stands out today, intellectually sound both in mind and body as the most educated performing music icon in the world and the most read contemporary superstar still relevant over 50 years on stage till date. He has over 600 songs and 100 records to his credit with 8 gold and 2 silver awards. Each record is music of serious research and philosophical work equivalent to academic journal. He’s a member of the Performing Rights Society of London (PRS), a trustee of Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN) and Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON). In 2016, Victor Uwaifo was inducted into the Grammy Award Museum in Los Angelis, USA.
He has inspired generations of musicians in Nigeria and beyond and still counting.
In a WhatsApp chat with with The Tide source during the celebration of his 80th birthday, Uwaifo described Joromi as the evergreen song which brought him international prominence.
Joromi, composed in the singer’s local dialect, was a five-minute track, and had for its solo, a mastery of skills on a variety of musical instruments including the electric guitar with an accompaniment of percussion and the electric piano.
Uwaifo also made use of vocals in making beats, which added more flavour to the song. The song, based on a folktale of the ancient Bini people tells the story of an undefeated warrior, named Joromi who had wrestled and defeated rivals until he was the ultimate warrior on earth. Without any more rivals, he decided to take the battle to the afterlife. Against the counsel of the elders, the fearsome Joromi engaged in battle with a warrior from the afterlife. This personal quest led to his end as he neither returned nor did the people of Bini till this day hear any news about him.
However, 52 years after ‘Joromi’ ruled the airwaves, Uwaifo still regards the song as his greatest hit till date.
Little wonder, the living legend once sued singer Simi for N50 million for using the word ‘Joromi’
Funke Akindele’s Behind The Scenes becomes Nollywood’s highest-grossing film of 2025, earning ?1.77bn in under four weeks.
Multi-award-winning actress and producer Funke Akindele has done it again, and this time, the numbers speak louder than applause.
Her latest film, Behind The Scenes, has officially emerged as the highest-grossing Nollywood film of 2025, pulling in an astonishing ?1.767 billion in less than four weeks.
The Tide Entertainment reports that Funke Akindele Makes Box Office History as Behind The Scenes Crosses ?1.77bn
Earlier in its release cycle, the film’s distributor, FilmOne Entertainment, revealed that Behind The Scenes smashed five opening-weekend records, including the highest single-day gross ever recorded on Boxing Day, with ?129.5 million in one day. That announcement already hinted that something unusual was unfolding.
Reacting to the milestone, FilmOne described the moment as both surreal and communal, crediting audience loyalty for pushing the film to the top spot once again as the number-one movie of the weekend. And that sentiment feels accurate. This wasn’t just ticket sales; it was momentum.
What makes this achievement even more striking is that Behind The Scenes is Funke Akindele’s third film to cross the ?1 billion mark. Before now, there was A Tribe Called Judah, and then Everybody Loves Jenifa, a film that didn’t just open big, but went on to become the highest-grossing Nollywood film of all time. At this point, it’s no longer a fluke. It’s a pattern.
Part of Behind The Scenes’ success lies in strategy. The film enjoyed advanced screenings on December 10 and 11, quietly building curiosity and conversation before its nationwide release on December 12. By the time it officially hit cinemas, audiences already felt like they needed to see it.
Then there’s the cast. The film brings together a lineup that feels deliberately stacked: Scarlet Gomez, Iyabo Ojo, Destiny Etiko, Tobi Bakre, Uche Montana, and several others. Familiar faces, strong fan bases, and performances that kept word-of-mouth alive long after opening weekend.
Still, beyond timing and casting, there’s something else at work here. Funke Akindele understands Nigerian audiences. Their humour, their pacing, their emotional buttons. She doesn’t guess, she calculates, experiments, listens, and refines. That understanding has slowly turned into box-office dominance.
Behind The Scenes crossing ?1.77 billion isn’t just another headline; it’s confirmation. Funke Akindele has moved from being a successful actress to becoming one of the most reliable commercial forces Nollywood has ever produced. Three-billion-naira films don’t happen by luck. They happen when storytelling, business sense, and audience trust align.
And right now, that alignment seems firmly in her hands.
Popular Nigerian music stars, Adekunle Kosoko, widely known as Adekunle Gold, and his wife, Simi, have become parents again this time to twins.
The award-winning singer shared the joyful update on his Snapchat story on Wednesday, confirming the expansion of their family.
“Asked God for another child and he blessed me double,” she wrote.
While the couple has not yet disclosed the gender of the newborns, the announcement has sparked an outpouring of warm wishes from admirers, fellow celebrities, and industry colleagues.
Speculation had intensified in December when Simi posted a video on Instagram accompanied by the caption, “From my baby, for my babies.”
The clip showed her with a growing baby bump, fueling anticipation that another child was on the way.
Their latest blessings arrive just weeks after Simi highlighted a scene from Adekunle Gold’s newly released music video, “My Love is the Same,” further stirring excitement among fans.
The Tide Entertainment reports that Adekunle Gold and Simi who tied the knot in 2019 after a long history of friendship and musical synergy remain one of Nigeria’s most admired entertainment power couples. Both artistes were once signed to X3M Music before soaring into mainstream acclaim.
The pair welcomed their first child, Adejare Kosoko, fondly called Deja, in May 2020.
After closing out 2025 with the release of “Praise the Lord” featuring Magnito, Jesse Flames enters the new year with renewed clarity and purpose, continuing to build a body of work rooted in intention rather than noise. In a moment where Afrobeats is moving faster and louder than ever, his approach remains measured and deliberate, prioritizing meaning, craft, and longevity over momentary attention. The official music video arrives January 10.
Following the momentum of his breakout single “FLEX,” “Praise the Lord” represents a shift from celebration to grounding. Reflective and soulful, the record centers gratitude, growth, and perspective, capturing a quieter confidence that resonates beyond a single moment.
“This song is about recognizing the full picture,” Jesse shares. “The work people see and the work they don’t. The lessons, the setbacks, the growth.”
The collaboration with Magnito, a respected voice in Nigerian hip hop known for his sharp lyricism and cultural authenticity, adds depth and weight to the record, reinforcing its themes of resilience, faith, and self reflection.
Released in December at the height of Detty December, “Praise the Lord” became a natural soundtrack for both celebration and reflection as the year came to a close. With the video arriving in January, the record takes on new meaning, opening the year as a tone setter rather than a reset.
Born in the United States, raised in Festac, Lagos, and now based in London, Jesse Flames brings a global perspective to his sound, blending Afrobeats, hip hop, and melodic soul into something sleek and intentional. His music reflects lived experience and cultural nuance rather than trend chasing.
The Tide Entertainment reports that with over 11 million streams, performances at O2 Brixton Academy and OVO Arena Wembley, and coverage from The Guardian and Business Post Nigeria, Jesse’s rise has been steady and self made. Looking ahead to 2026 and 2027, he is preparing for collaborations with Ice Prince, M.I Abaga, and Smurlee.
“Praise the Lord” ft. Magnito is available now on all streaming platforms.
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