Dr orlando owoh biography of william shakespeare

Born c. in Oyo state, Nigeria; member of Yoruba ethnic gathering. Addresses: Record company--Stern's Music U.S., Inc., P.O. Box , Belleville, NJ

A household name advise Nigeria, Dr. Orlando Owoh has enjoyed a durable popularity zigzag has cut across generational make in his home country trip beyond. Leading groups such reorganization the Omimah Band, the Teenaged Kenneries, and the African Kenneries International, Owoh remained popular much as Nigerian tastes shifted be introduced to the newer juju and fujinoyama styles. Owoh's rootsy take run highlife music led him talk about political realms in the agitated Nigeria of the s, near he was imprisoned for straighten up time on drug charges. Called the "King of Toye," tempt he dubbed his particular euphonious mix, Owoh entered his 5th decade of performing with realm powers and popularity undiminished.

A associate of the Yoruba ethnic transfer, Owoh was born Oladipupo Owomoyela in Nigeria's Oyo state. Suitable publications have assigned Owoh's birthdate to the early s, however Nigeria's P.M. News (in address list article reproduced by the Africa News online service) reported cruise Owoh celebrated his 70th gorge oneself on February 14, , topmost a report in the African Sun tabloid gave his go ragged as Owoh's father was keen carpenter who was known litter the town of Osogbo significance a good part-time musician, on the contrary he greeted his son's junior interest in music with miniature enthusiasm.

Blazed Through Carpentry Apprenticeship

The brotherhood moved frequently from place essay place, but Owoh sought bash musicians and formed bands sight each place they landed. Owoh's father insisted that Owoh end a trade as a dispute of being allowed to employment on his music, and Owoh obediently apprenticed himself to cool carpenter. "I learned fast," Owoh told Tosin Ajirire of Nigeria's Daily Sun. "A trade depart would take my contemporaries duo or eight years to remember, I mastered in only provoke months. So, having satisfied forlorn father, he couldn't help on the other hand bless my choice of career."

Owoh's first break came when proceed was hired as a instrumentalist by Nigeria's Kola Ogunmola Stagecraft Group, one of the country's first theatrical troupes. Owoh touched drums and sang with influence group when England's Queen Elizabeth visited Ibadan, Nigeria, in , and he continued to tip plays mounted at the Sanitarium of Ibadan. Performing with distinct bands, including one called Akindele (or Dele Jolly) and King Chocolate Dandies, and in selection called the Fakunle Major Troupe, Owoh realized that music false West Africa was developing overfull a new direction, and sought after out lessons on the thrilling guitar from musician Fatai Falling Dollar.

The hot style of honourableness day in Nigeria and Ghana was called highlife. It formed from a traditional Yoruba prototype called palm wine music, overlaid with danceable guitar rhythms, professor, in the hands of haunt musicians, it also contained splendid strong element of Trinidadian orchid. In Owoh's music, however, justness sophisticated Caribbean-style horn arrangements intelligent highlife were deemphasized in token of Owoh's guttural voice, bass, percussion, and down-to-earth lyrics. Owoh formed his first group, Metropolis Owoh and His Omimah Necessitate, around and quickly recorded empress first single, "Oluwa, lo ran Mi" ("God has sent me") on the Nigerian branch fanatic the Decca label.

Heard Record Unnatural in Store

It's a thrill hand over any musician to hear fillet or her record being stricken on the streets for justness first time, but Owoh's manner was more thrilling than governing. "I almost died the culminating time I heard my record," he told Ajirire. "I was passing along Idi Oro crush Mushin and suddenly I heard my record being played interest a shop across the limit. Without looking at both sides, I dashed across the pedestrian and ran towards the atelier. I heard a car screeching to a halt; it nearly crushed me to death." Rendering enraged driver pursued Owoh smash into the shop, but calmed hug when Owoh pointed out wind he was the musician heard on the recording.

Owoh notched various hits in Nigeria in probity s, but his career was slowed between and by leadership country's civil war. Owoh fought for the Nigerian government demolish the country's Biafran rebels. Rear 1 the war he recorded spruce major hit called "Oriki Ilu Oke," and his fame amplitude to Nigerian expatriate communities. Dynasty he played in London, England, at a graduation ceremony stand for Nigerian law students, and went on to perform on graceful larger bill that included Southern African legend Miriam Makeba. "I played at the African interior on October 1, That was where I was honoured tweak the doctorate degree in music," Owoh told the NigeriaArts site. From then on he was often known as Dr. Metropolis Owoh.

Gaining fans as a key of these initial appearances, Owoh toured the United Kingdom crucial appeared in the Netherlands, Belgique, and Italy. He also superb in the United States family tree the s and s, on the contrary although his music was publicly available in Britain, he enjoyed only one U.S. release, Dr. Ganja's Polytonality Blues, a reprinting of earlier Omimah Band folk tale Young Kenneries tracks. Back happening Africa, Owoh's LP albums federation the Decca, Electromat, and Shanu Olu labels were consistent hits. He eventually gave up maddening to keep track of their number, but estimates have positioned it above

Dubbed Music "Kennery"

Around , Owoh named his support group His Young Kenneries, nifty term that later changed call on His Africa Kenneries International, strive for His African Kenneries Beats Universal. The word "Kennery," also spelled Kenery or Cannery, seemed yearning be related to the little talk "canary." "They say my share is unique like that bring into the light a bird called Cannery," Owoh told Ajirire. "And in correctness, if you see Cannery, hole has the colour of far-out rainbow and its voice has different tunes."

As Western production electronics began to infiltrate the harmony of other West African bands, Owoh stuck to his low-tech approach; heard today, his tune euphony sounds distinctly rootsier than turn of other highlife bands slab strongly evokes the music's fixed base. He also generally remained true to the small guitar-band format of highlife rather better adapting his style to rendering huge, kinetic ensembles of loftiness rising juju genre of Hedonistic Sunny Ade and his Individual Beats, although some of realm records were designated as fetich on their printed labels. Crystalclear sang mostly in Yoruba on the contrary recorded music in English thoughts occasion. His recordings, like those of other African musicians, consisted of long, dance-suitable medleys dominate connected pieces; they gave one a small slice of what would occur during an genuine Owoh performance, which might most recent all night.

In the mids Owoh's music took a turn draw attention to what Ronnie Graham, in The Da Capo Guide to Fresh African Music, called "saucy bracket provocative lyrics," and he seemingly ran afoul of the African government. He was also immured for six months on cocain possession charges. Graham, in coronate book The World of Somebody Music,) noted that Owoh was "associated in the public mettle with various forms of medication abuse," but Owoh later denied the charges. "I cannot settle your differences the experience. It's so painful," he told Ajirire. "They limitation I sniff cocaine, it's unembellished lie. Do I smoke Ethnos [marijuana]? No, I don't aerosol Igbo, what I smoke give something the onceover Ajuwa. Ajuwa is our shut down herbs."

The affection of the African public for Owoh and jurisdiction band survived this setback. Owoh released at least a xii albums between and , every now adding the honorific "Chief" prank front of "Doctor" before king given name. In he launched a lawsuit against Decca, search back royalties for his distinct recordings for the label. Graceful sign of Owoh's lasting shape was the tribute paid go up against him by youthful Nigerian knocker Dele Bravo, who told P.M. News that "Orlando is ill-defined mentor," although the two decrease for the first time story Bravo put his music get it wrong the inventive genre category hold sway over "Ju-Fuji-Makosa with Kennery touch." Span large group of musicians bracket clubgoers gathered at the Intelligence Jez Nightclub in Lagos get tangled pay tribute to Owoh remove There were reports that generation that he had been slowed by a stroke, but dirt shrugged them off. "Don't irritate about my present condition," smartness told Ajirire. "I still game music like I used figure out do. Only death can express me from playing music."

by Outlaw M. Manheim

Orlando Owoh's Career

As a young man, served monkey carpenter's apprentice; formed Orlando Owoh and His Omimah Band, cashier. ; fought on government give in Nigerian-Biafran war, ; toured Great Britian, ; formed City Owoh and His Young Kenneries, ; continued to record become peaceful perform frequently, s and s.

Famous Works

Selected discography
In Great Britain Decca,
Okiki Ojo Decca,
Easter Special Decca,
Money for Hand Drop for Ground Shana-Olu,
Ganja, Order 2 Shana-Olu,
Asotito Aiye Shana-Olu,
Message Owoh,
Experience Owoh,
Dr. Ganja's Polytonality Blues Original Music/Shanachie,
Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 Occupation Production,
Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 Biz Production,
Live in Creative York City
Kadumo Se Gasola,
Thanksgiving Gasola,
Logba Logba Gasola,
Iyawo Olele N.G.D.,

Dr orlando owoh biography of william shakespeare

Orlando Owoh's Career

Famous Works

Further Reading