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Orlando Owoh... exit of veteran highlife crooner
ORLANDO Owoh, the legendary African 'kennery' and combo highlife icon who became famous crooning hit song's died two days ago.
Originality is perhaps the most essential ingredient for determining musicianship. And foremost Nigerian singer, composer, guitarist, band leader Orlando Owoh exhibited this attribute copiously, demonstrating in all the departments of his highlife style.
One of the most authentic and individualistic artistes in Nigeria, Orlando's original approach to music is traceable to his pioneering efforts at the creation of the juju-highlife format, a style which combines two idioms into a perfect fusion that has given him a unique sound identity.
Orlando's was essentially a guitar dominated aggregation, but he often sounded like a big band because of the effective group vocal treatment which helps to establish the characteristic call-and-response pattern of African music. In addition, the ensemble sound was heavily boosted with criss-cross rhythms and patterns from various African percussion instruments.
Orlando's was a voice like no other human sound ever brought into music with its rich, guttural nature which was perhaps a natural endowment. He was therefore able to project quite effectively in all the registers - high, low and middle, without straining the voice which was his greatest asset. He crooned his highlife.
Managing the art of staying on top is the lubricant for energising sustained musical success, an attribute which does not only come with record releases, but also as a product of live performances of a regular nature. Orlando, who remained in super star status consistently for over five decades, was a master of these situations. But as if this feat was not remarkable enough, at the time when most musicians were busy trading their Africanness for Western musical trends, in a desperate bid for mass appeal and commercial success on the international scene, orlando was consolidating his grassroots music and projecting it to the outside world.
Over the years, Orlando's outfit remained intact. There were changes in personnel but he succeeded in maintaining the same typical sound. And his approach to the music continued to revolve around a truly African concept. Even when juju music transformed from its neo traditional status to an urban social music type in the 60s, with the introduction of three guitars and the trap drums, Orlando refused to be totally overwhelmed by this innovation. He embraced it alright, but the underlying African element was reinforced with more percussion at the rhythm section level.
Dr. Orlando, as he is fondly called by his admirers, has been promoting African cultural music abroad since four decades. His first notable effort was London where he made considerable impact playing on a star-studded bill. Said he: "My band was in London in 1972 to play for Nigerian Law students to celebrate their graduation. I played at the African Centre on October 1, 1972. That was where I was honoured with the doctorate degree in music." Continuing he said, "I was on the same bill with Miriam Makeba, Ramblers Dance Band of Ghana, Ossibisa, and Ipi Tombe of South Africa."
Encouraged by the reaction of the audience to his music, he toured various parts of Britain including Glasgow, Manchester, Birmingham. He also performed in such European countries as Holland, Belgium, Italy among others.
With the promotional strategy provided by Harridot, an internationally acclaimed agency for promoting and developing African music and musicians, Orlando continued to travel abroad, preaching the gospel according to modern African music. Only a few years ago, he returned from a successful tour of America. "We took off for the United States in March and returned to Nigeria last July, after a four-month tour. We played in New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Chicago, Dallas in Taxas, and Houston", he explained.
On the home front here in Nigeria, Orlando's was one of the most consistent outfits around, with a popularity rating that cut across the West African coast.
His formula for success was the continued exploitation of African rhythms which are basically rooted in the rich cultural idioms of the ethnic surrounding of Ondo State of Nigeria where he hails from. He was exposed to various other rhythmic concepts from different parts of Nigeria and Africa. It is the synthesis of all these influences coupled with emerging contemporary urban trends that consolidate his easily identifiable sound identity. And he has blended all these fusions naturally, perfectly, sacrificing none of the personal idiosyncrasies of his previously established style.
His career began in 1956 as a sideman with Ogunmola, one of the pioneers of the theatre in Nigeria. From the very beginning he was faced with musical adventures and challenges. Said he "I ventured into music in 1956 with Ogunmola and his theatre party, playing drums and singing. I was very young then. We went to welcome the Queen of England that same year at Ibadan, now capital city of Oyo State of Nigeria. From there, we were contracted by the University of Ibadan to provide music and entertainment to the celebration of three of their popular plays, namely, Palm Wine Drinkard, Their enemies, and Samson and Delilah. We were used to promote these plays. I provide vocal accompaniment, and was also involved in drumming."
From this testimony, it is obvious that Orlando was put on a good start from the very beginning. He left Ogunmola in 1958 to join Akindele and his Chocolate Dandies at Ibadan. And while moving from one band to the other, he was taking lessons on guitar and broadening his entire musical horizon.
He eventually formed his own band in 1959, an outfit which instantly attracted recognition. "It was the quality of my music that recommended me to recording companies. I was playing on a night gig when Decca Records came to discuss with me, and eventually signed me on. I recorded my first hit in 1959. It was released in 1960, a single with Oluwa lo ran mi on one side and Mobimo kan to dagba on the other side. Both songs convey messages of goodwill and exhortation", he said.
On account of his super star status, Orlando moved from one recording stable to the other over the years, in response to pressing demands for his powerful music. And they all offered him the best of deals. Some of his revered discography on Decca label include: Itan Orogun meji, Nebuchadnezari, Apade nibode, Yahomisa, Atalantere, Ijo Oyege.
He left Decca in 1975 to join Sanu Olu Records and released among others: Money na hand, back na ground, Kennery de ijo ya, Ganja.
On leaving Sanu Olu in 1986, he recorded a song in memory of the late Dele Giwa, a foremost Nigerian journalist who was alleged to have been killed through a parcel bomb for attempting to expose the then corrupt military government. He was arrested and incarcerated. On release, he recorded the following on Jolaosho Records: Alagbon, Message, E get as he be, Who no know go know, Money palaver, Nigeria, which is which, Hunger, I say no to military rule.
Orlando shifted to Transworld Records in the early nineties and recorded among others: American Wonder, Not in our character, Tribute to Fela.
However, he claimed that of his entire repertoire, Ganja which was a chartbuster in 1981, Ese rere, E get as he be, Alagbon and Tribute to Fela are his best sellers.
As a musician, Orlando's vocal themes were not just based on social commentaries, prayers and messages of exhortation. He was one of Africa's most radical musicians, an activist who abhored injustice, corruption, man's inhumanity to man. And like Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo Kuti, he had brushes with the authorities. His music was also politically motivated.
Orlando was always developing new ideas in order to sound different and relevant at any point in time. Peeping into one of their rehearsals, it was observed that he had increased the size of the rhythm section, boosting it with giant congas, and with congas, bembe, a local African drum.
One of the most powerful natural resources of Orlando's music was the kinetic energy he derived from the conga, a percussion instrument on which one of his side men usually thrilled the audience with entertaining solo stints. Known all over West Africa for his exploits on the instrument, Ade Conga as he is called, remains a commanding presence on the conga as he creates various rhythmic patterns with dynamic force, eyes keen and piercing, face aglow with the joy of music making, agile hands manipulating drum sticks as if they are his birthright.
As a fall out of his superstardom, Orlando was a source of inspiration to many musicians. Before his death, he succeeded in influencing a few young musicians who are now masters of the trade.
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