On the 12th of February, News broke about the death of Veteran highlife music king, Dr Victor Abimbola Olaiya. Many Nigerians who were familiar with the artist took to several platforms to express the loss of an icon as many shared a few kind words about the musical genius.
The news, however, sent out a shock of waves to many, especially after just recording the death of another African musical icon, Joseph Shabalala.
For many, the reaction to the news was not especially because he did not live to a ripe age of 89, but because, his musical genius and legacy will forever be spoken of.
This week on Information Nigeria Spotlight, we are taking time to explore a few things that many more not really know about the veteran musician.
Early Life and Career
Victor Abimbola Olaiya was born on 31 December 1930, 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. Olaiya, however, came from a very rich family. His father’s house called Ilọijọs Bar stood on 2 Bamgbose Street, Lagos Island, until it was demolished on 11 September 2016. At an early age, he learned to play the Bombardon and the French Horn.
Dissecting his music, Victor grooves in a genre that is quite unique to him, with a steady flow of his musical instrument and the low-tempo in his voice that soothe his style of music.
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In 1954 Olaiya formed 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.
Olaiya sang about love, women, workers, and life in general terms and soon became the most respected for the mastery of his instrument, the trumpet and his legendary delivery.
Notable International Recognition
Despite that he was said never to have won international honors, awards recognition, Olaiya had some noticeable presence in Europe and US as his many music collections distributed by many international record labels including Philips in the Netherlands.
He touched many highlife music lovers worldwide and continued to provide royalties with his music. This also earned him a performance at the International Jazz Festival in Prague representing Nigeria in 1963. Since 2003, more of his CDs have hit the international market with reckless abandon.
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Advocacy And Human Rights Movements
Aside from his devotion to his art, Olaiya was worried about the issues of rights and privileges of the downtrodden.
He was at a time, President of the Nigeria Union of musicians. Professor of ethnomusicology Taiwo Ogunade, formerly of the National Theatre during FESTAC 77 recalls how Olaiya had led a protest to the National Theatre to challenge the choice of musicians to represent Nigeria at the festival of Black arts and culture FESTAC.
Olaiya had seen that the real musicians were being sidelined for mediocrity and spoke out in vehement terms.
Fame And Fortune
Fortune also trailed Olaiya and his fame through music. He built the then famous Stadium Hotel where he rehearsed and performed with his band at weekends.
Olaiya also had a collaboration with one of Nigeria’s finest singers, Tubaba.
Watch TuBaba And Victor Olaiya In ‘Baby Mi Da’
There are a set of houses and properties on Victor Olaiya Street in Aguda, Surulere, Lagos owned by him. There was also a time in Nigeria when Olaiya was the major supplier of musical equipment in Nigeria as a whole.
