Editorial
His death on February 12, at the age of 89, spoke volumes about his music; and the imprint of immortality. In an important sense, he had achieved deathlessness before his departure by the sheer vitality of his musical vibrations; and the lyrical charm of his compositions.
Victor Abimbola Olaiya symbolised highlife, and his longevity promoted a musical genre that sounded so evergreen among the variety of musical forms available.
It’s a measure of Olaiya’s craft and popularity that high-profile Nigerian journalist Alade Odunewu famously described him as “The evil genius of Highlife.”
His journey to stardom started at an early age. He learned to play the Bombardon and the French horn, and dreamt of a musical career that conflicted with what his parents wanted. He was said to have followed his heart after his secondary education in Lagos in 1951.
Rather than study civil engineering at Howard University, USA, Olaiya started on a course that took him to the Sammy Akpabot Band, the Old Lagos City Orchestra, where he was leader and trumpeter, and the Bobby Benson Jam Session Orchestra.
Olaiya was a musician by choice, which showed his passion as well as his personality. He was psychologically strong enough to remain true to his essence.
By the time he formed his own band, the Cool Cats, in 1954, Olaiya was ready to enrich highlife history with his distinct signature. Big-stage performances underlined Olaiya’s stature.
His band played at the state ball when Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom visited Nigeria in 1956. Olaiya also played at the state balls when Nigeria became independent in 1960, and when the country became a republic in 1963.
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His appearance with American jazz great, Louis Armstrong, was a career milestone.
As an honorary lieutenant colonel in the Nigerian Army during the Nigerian Civil War (1967 – 1970), Olaiya explored the therapeutic qualities of music at various locations.
His band performed for United Nations troops in the Congo, which was a statement on its musical standards. The Cool Cats was renamed the All Stars Band at the 1963 International Jazz Festival in Czechoslovakia.
Olaiya explored the business side of show business. His company imported and distributed musical instruments and accessories in West Africa. He built the Stadium Hotel in Surulere, Lagos, which served as a base for his band as well as a hot entertainment spot for music lovers.
His 2013 collaboration with contemporary music star, Innocent Dibia, popularly known as 2Baba, which produced a music video remix of Olaiya’s Baby Jowo, was evidence of the fluidity of his musical style, even within the context of highlife music.
The power of music transcended the generational gap between the two stars. It’s noteworthy that the younger musician described Olaiya as “maestro, mentor and legend” in a tribute.
”Thanks for the beautiful music. Thanks for the inspiration. Blessed for the honour of sharing a mic and stage with you,” 2Baba said.
Thanks to his longevity, Olaiya was the last of Nigerian highlife giants whose music defined an era of vibrant musical creativity.
Amidst intense rivalries and emotionally charged ratings, Olaiya’s music was seen as a bridge between Ghanaian highlife and an evolving Afrobeat genre.
Highlife, without doubt, enjoyed immense popularity in West Africa at the time Olaiya made a name for himself in the 1950s and early 1960s.
In a period that predated globalisation and the communication age, Olaiya’s soulful sounds and songs carried the character of an epoch.
His music had a popular appeal; it was the music of a musician who could feel the pulse of the people.
Olaiya’s legacy may well be that he remained true to a musical form that brought him fame and projected the possibility of reinvention.
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