Sunday, November 30, 2008

Orlando Owoh (1936-2008)

The consummate artiste, singer, composer and band leader popularly known as 'African Kennery', or more generally as 'Dr.' Orlando Owoh, the juju-highlife singer - Stephen Oladipupo Olaore Owomoyela, who died early November in an Ikeja hospital, aged 72, will always be remembered for his commitment to music, and his use of it as a vehicle for enriching social and politcal consciousness.

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He had been in and out of hospital, suffering stroke on two ocassions, before he eventually slipped into coma. Orlando Owoh was the creator of a unique type of music known as "Kennery", a personal brand of highlife on which he stamped his originality. He combined juju with highlife to present to the Nigerian audience something original, unique, and importantly, danceable. Driving it all was his unique voice that, apart from being mellifluous was raspy and guttural.

He deployed a combination of back up singers, traditional as well as western instruments - guitars, congas,'shekere' and 'bembe' to produce a distinctively African and enjoyable blend of juju and highlife that attracted quite a large following. By the time he died, he had risen to become of the most influential musicians of his generation and a major source of inspiration to younger musicians in the South West of Nigeria.

Orlando was born in Oshogbo, Osun state in 1936. Had he followed his father's advice - and footsteps, he would have become a building contractor, and, given his devotion to his own peculiar juju-highlife type of music, Owoh could, quite possibly, have turned out a successful one too - like his father. Yet, after undergoing an eight year apprenticeship under the elder Owoh as a bricklayer, Orlando opted for a career in music and performance.

He began to sing and play the drums with the late dramatist, Kola Ogunmola and even at such an early stage, he had the rare opportunity to be part of the group that performed in Ibadan to welcome the Queen of England to Nigeria in the mid-50s. The group was also involved in the University of Ibadan production of The Palm wine Drinkard.

Orlando decided to form his own band in 1958, the Orlando Owoh and his Omimah Band which soon released two singles under Decca Records, the first, Oluwa lo ran mi in 1960, and later, Alantere Ijo Oyege, to wide acceptance. The new band was later renamed the Kenneries, a stylised reference to the canary and its singing prowess. Success followed quickly as, in Orlando's words, '... the quality of my music...recommended me to recording companies.' With the result that he was much sought after by these companies.

He moved from Decca Records to Sanu Olu Records in 1975, and left in 1986 to join Transworld Records which produced his albums all through the 90s. Orlando Owoh performed in 1972 in London for Nigerian law students who, in appreciation, awarded him an 'honorary doctorate degree' in music. He also went on to other parts of the United Kingdom on a successful performing tour. Over time, he also went on a tour of the United States

The aesthetics of Orlando Owoh's music was functional, for him, music was a vehicle for social commentary, exhortation or excoriation as need be. His music addressed a wide range of thematic concerns including- religion (Nebukadneseri), politics (Nigeria: Which is which? and No to Military Rule), social issues (Money Palaver) and a parody on the cheating wife (Iyawo Olele), tributes (Tribute to Fela), experiential-cum- philosophical details (Alagbon) and the autobiographical (Ganja). He was reputed to be a compulsiver smoker: both cigarettes and marijuana, and for this he was strongly criticised by those who considered his reported abuse of substances, a bad example for the younger generation. But he stopped smoking later in life for both health and spiritual reasons. He was a self-assured artist who was never afraid to speak his mind, for which he once paid the price of incarceration during the military era.

During the Nigerian civil war, Orlando Owoh enlisted in the army -again, contrary to his family's wishes - and served as the leader of the Army Band, attaining the rank of a Captain. He not only entertained soldiers, he also helped to train the army musical group.

'Dr.' Orlando Owoh will be further remembered for his originality and contributions to the genre of highlife music, the social and cultural relevance of his music and the truthfulness of his themes. He appealed to all social grpoups and classes and left a strong impression on his fans who found joy and instruction in his compositions. Today, many young musicians consider Orlando Owoh, a mentor and role model. Orlando Owoh's many songs have become part of the growing Nigerian highlife canon. He was a true artist.