- Victor Olaiya
-
Victor Abimbola Olaiya, or 'Dr Victor Olaiya', is a Nigerian trumpeter who plays in the Highlife style. He was possibly the biggest star in Nigeria in the 1950s and early 1960s, but received little recognition outside of Nigeria. Alhaji Alade Odunewu of the Daily Times admiringly styled him "The Evil Genius of Highlife."[1]
Contents
Life
Olaiya was born on 31 December 1931, in Calabar, Cross River State, the 20th child of a family of 24. His parents, Alfred Omolona Olaiya and Bathsheba Owolabi Motajo came from Ijesha-Ishu in Ekiti State.[2] Contrary to popular belief, Olaiya came from a very rich family. His father's house called Olaiya is still standing today at Tinubu square in Lagos and still owned by the Olaiya family.[citation needed] At an early age he learned to play the Bombardon and the French Horn. After leaving school he moved to Lagos where he passed the school certificate examination in 1951 and was accepted by Howard University, USA to study Civil engineering. Instead he started a career as a musician, a move of which his parents disapproved. He played with the Sammy Akpabot band, the Old Lagos City Orchestra (a dance band) and the Bobby Benson Jam Session Orchestra, where he was leader and trumpeter of the second band.[2][3]
In 1954 he left Bobby Benson to form his own band, the Cool Cats, playing popular highlife music. His band was chosen to play at the state ball when Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom visited Nigeria in 1956, and later to play at the state balls when Nigeria became independent in 1960 and when Nigeria became a republic in 1963. On that occasion, he shared the stage with the famous American jazz player Louis Armstrong. During the Nigerian Civil War of 1967-1970, Olaiya was given the rank of a lieutenant colonel (honorary) in the Nigerian Army when his band played for the troops at various locations. His band later traveled to the Congo to perform for United Nations troops. He led his band, renamed to the All Stars Band, to the 1963 International Jazz Festival in Prague, Czechoslovakia.[2]
In addition to his successful career as a musician, Olaiya ran a business that imported and distributed musical instruments and accessories throughout West Africa, and also established the Stadium Hotel in Surulere.[3]
In 1990, Olaiya received a fellowship of the Institute of Administrative Management of Nigeria. For a period, he was president of the Nigerian Union of Musicians.[2]
Music
Olaiya's music bridges between Ghanaian highlife and what would become Afrobeat. His musical style was influenced by James Brown, with horn parts harmonized in Brown's style, as opposed to the mostly unison lines of Afrobeat. The music includes the swinging percussion of Tony Allen, but not the syncopated style that Allen later pioneered.[4] His music is infectious, typifying highlife music, played with great energy. The unique style of some of his recordings is inimitable.[5]
He played with highlife artist E. T. Mensah of Ghana, and released a best-selling joint album with Mensah.[2] Both the drummer Tony Allen and vocalist Fela Kuti played with Olaiya and went on to achieve individual success.[4][6] Kola Ogunkoya played in the All Stars Band from 1986 to 1987 and went on to have a highly successful career with his own Afrobeat band.[7]
Discography
A partial list of albums:[8]
Date Group Album Format Label Late 1950s/Early 1960s Victor Olaiya & his Cool Cats Odale Ore b/w Mofe Muyon 10" 78 Badejo's Sound Studios BBA 150 1960s? Various Artists Catchy Rhythms from Nigeria - Vol. 2 10" LP Philips West Africa [Lagos] P 13401 1961 Dr. Victor Olaiya & his All Stars Olaiya's Victories 10" LP Philips [Netherlands] 13403 Early 1960s Various Artists Catchy Rhythms From Nigeria - Vol. 3 (10" LP Philips West Africa [Lagos] 13404 1960s Victor Olaiya & his Cool Cats Afro-Rhythm Parade Vol. 2 7" EP Philips [Netherlands] 420001 1960s? Victor Olaiya & his All Stars Oruku Tiniditindi / Iye Jemila 7" 45 Philips [Lagos] 303 015 1960s Victor Olaiya & his All Stars Pambotoriboto b/w Moonlight Highlife 7" 45 Philips [Lagos] 382357 1960s Victor Olaiya & his All Stars Feso J'aiye / Asian Udo 7" 45 Philips [Lagos] 382 397 1960s Victor Olaiya & his All Stars Kosowo Lode b/w Ewelewekuewele 7" 45 Philips [Lagos] 382739 1960s Victor Olaiya & his All Stars Afro-Rhythm Parade Vol. 7 7" EP Philips [Lagos] 420014 Late 1960s? Various Artists West Africa's Big Sound 7" EP Philips [Lagos] 420023 PE 1982 Dr. Victor Olaiya In the Sixties LP Polydor [Lagos] POLP 066 1982 Dr. Victor Olaiya Highlife Reincaration LP Polydor [Lagos] POLP 073 1983 Dr. Victor Olaiya Ilu Le O (Country Hard 0!) LP Polydor [Lagos] POLP 096 1983 Various Artists African Music LP Vertigo [Netherlands] 814 480-1 1983 E.T. Mensah & Dr. Victor Olaiya Highlife Giants of Africa Vol. 1 LP Polydor [Lagos] POLP 102 1986 Dr. Victor Olaiya Papingo Davalaya LP Polydor [Lagos] POLP 156 2001? Dr. Victor Olaiya The Best of Dr. Victor Olaiya - 3 Decades of Highlife CD Premier Music [Lagos] KMCD003 2003? Dr. Victor Abimbola Olaiya Highlife in The 80's -
The Best of Dr. Victor Olaiya
Vol. 2 - Evil Genius of HighlifeCD Premier Music [Lagos] KMCD007 2002? Various Artists High Life Kings Vol. 1 CD Premier Music [Lagos] KMCD 01 2002? Various Artists High Life Kings Vol. 2 CD Premier Music [Lagos] KMCD 02 2003? Various Artists The Kings of Highlife CD Wrasse Records [UK] WRASS 097 2005 Victor Olaiya & his International All Stars
/ St. AugustineLet Yourself Go/There Was a Time / Papa de Love 7"45 Soundway [UK] SNDW 7002 2009 Victor Olaiya's All Stars Soul International Victor Olaiya's All Stars Soul International CD Vampisoul [Spain] VAMPI 107) External links
- "Dr. Victor Olaiya - Ai Ga Na / Omolanke (audio)". YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jmh4XqfEz5Q. Retrieved 2009-11-03.
- "Dr. Victor Olaiya - Omo Pupa / Owo Ko Ni'fe (Audio)". YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bANqI17FqM. Retrieved 2009-11-03.
- H. Olufela Davies (1964). The Victor Olaiya story. Sankey Print Works.
References
- ^ "Victor Olaiya's All Stars Soul International". Paris DJs. http://www.parisdjs.com/index.php/post/Victor-Olaiya-s-All-Stars-Soul-International. Retrieved 2009-11-03.
- ^ a b c d e Richard Eghaghe. "Victor Olaiya: 50 years of ingenious highlife on stage". Daily Independent. http://es.getalyric.com/escuchar/Jmh4XqfEz5Q/dr_victor_olaiya_ai_ga_na_omolanke_audio_. Retrieved 2009-11-03.
- ^ a b "Victor Olaiya: Fela Learnt The Trumpet in My Band". This Day. 2004-04-24. http://www.thisdayonline.com/archive/2004/04/24/20040424plu01.html. Retrieved 2009-11-03.
- ^ a b David Ryshpan. "Victor Olaiya, All Star Soul International". Exclaim!. http://exclaim.ca/musicreviews/generalreview.aspx?csid1=136&csid2=849&fid1=40282. Retrieved 2009-11-03.
- ^ Chino Odimba. "Review: Dr Victor Olaiya - The best of 3 decades of Highlife". BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/africabeyond/africaonyourstreet/cdreviews/275/18190.shtml. Retrieved 2009-11-03.
- ^ John Collins (1985). Musicmakers of West Africa. Lynne Rienner Publishers. p. 113. ISBN 0-89410-075-0.
- ^ "Kola Ogunkoya My Darling CD". CD Universe. http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/7164614/a/My+Darling.htm. Retrieved 2010-01-30.
- ^ "Discography of Victor Olaiya". John Beadle. http://biochem.chem.nagoya-u.ac.jp/~endo/EAOlaiya.html. Retrieved 2009-11-03.
Categories:- Nigerian musicians
- Yoruba musicians
- 1931 births
- Living people
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