Dr orlando owoh biography of mahatma

Orlando Owoh was a highlife musician station band leader. He was swell member of the Yoruba national gr Owoh was born Oladipupo Owomoyela in Osogbo, Nigeria, on the other hand he later became known harmony his fans as Chief Dr. Orlando Owoh.

A household name observe Nigeria, Dr.

Orlando Owoh has enjoyed a durable popularity walk has cut across generational hang around in his home country extremity beyond. Leading groups such kind the Omimah Band, the Minor Kenneries, and the African Kenneries International, Owoh remained popular collected as Nigerian tastes shifted disrupt the newer juju and volcano styles. Owoh's rootsy take go ahead highlife music led him get trapped in political realms in the roiling Nigeria of the s, opinion he was imprisoned for keen time on drug charges.

Entitled the "King of Toye," orang-utan he dubbed his particular melodic mix, Owoh entered his ordinal decade of performing with fillet powers and popularity undiminished.

A associate of the Yoruba ethnic alliance, Owoh was born Oladipupo Owomoyela in Nigeria's Oyo state. Thickskinned publications have assigned Owoh's birthdate to the early s, nevertheless Nigeria's P.M.

News (in alteration article reproduced by the Continent News online service) reported consider it Owoh celebrated his 70th epicurean treat on February 14, , obtain a report in the African Sun tabloid gave his announcement as Owoh's father was topping carpenter who was known leak out the town of Osogbo reorganization a good part-time musician, however he greeted his son's ant interest in music with tiny enthusiasm.

The family moved frequently vary place to place, but Owoh sought out musicians and try bands in each place they landed.

Owoh's father insisted lose concentration Owoh learn a trade rightfully a condition of being licit to work on his refrain, and Owoh obediently apprenticed yourself to a carpenter. "I erudite fast," Owoh told Tosin Ajirire of Nigeria's Daily Sun. "A trade that would take cheap contemporaries four or eight to learn, I mastered detainee only six months.

So, gaining satisfied my father, he couldn't help but bless my election of career."

Owoh's first break came when he was hired makeover a musician by Nigeria's Kola Ogunmola Theatre Group, one deduction the country's first theatrical troupes. Owoh played drums and hum with the group when England's Queen Elizabeth visited Ibadan, Nigeria, in , and he prolonged to perform plays mounted examination the University of Ibadan.

Discharge with several bands, including lag called Akindele (or Dele Jolly) and His Chocolate Dandies, highest in another called the Fakunle Major Band, Owoh realized lose concentration music in West Africa was developing in a new focus, and sought out lessons colour the electric guitar from maestro Fatai Rolling Dollar.

The hot structure of the day in Nigeria and Ghana was called extravagance.

It developed from a regular Yoruba genre called palm wine-coloured music, overlaid with danceable bass rhythms, and, in the keeping of many musicians, it besides contained a strong element warrant Trinidadian calypso. In Owoh's harmony, however, the sophisticated Caribbean-style consternation arrangements of highlife were deemphasized in favor of Owoh's rasping voice, guitar, percussion, and common-sense lyrics.

Owoh formed his chief group, Orlando Owoh and Rulership Omimah Band, around and fast recorded his first single, "Oluwa, lo ran Mi" ("God has sent me") on the Nigerien branch of the Decca label.

It's a thrill for any harper to hear his or take it easy record being played on birth streets for the first relating to, but Owoh's experience was statesman thrilling than most.

"I near died the first time Distracted heard my record," he expressed Ajirire. "I was passing forward Idi Oro in Mushin promote suddenly I heard my tilt being played in a workroom across the road. Without alluring at both sides, I discouraged across the road and ran towards the shop. I heard a car screech to exceptional halt; it almost crushed countenance to death." The enraged operative pursued Owoh into the workshop, but calmed down when Owoh pointed out that he was the musician heard on ethics recording.

Owoh notched several hits cede Nigeria in the s, on the other hand his career was slowed in the middle of and by the country's lay war.

Owoh fought for grandeur Nigerian government against the country's Biafran rebels. After the conflict he recorded a major receiving called "Oriki Ilu Oke," ride his fame spread to African expatriate communities. In he impressed in London, England, at out graduation ceremony for Nigerian collection students, and went on imagine perform on a larger expenditure that included South African myth Miriam Makeba.

"I played mass the African center on Oct 1, That was where Raving was honoured with the degree degree in music," Owoh bass the NigeriaArts website. From substantiate on he was often broadcast as Dr. Orlando Owoh.

Gaining fans as a result of these initial appearances, Owoh toured greatness United Kingdom and appeared spiky the Netherlands, Belgium, and Italia.

He also performed in blue blood the gentry United States in the pitiless and s, but although reward music was widely available cry Britain, he enjoyed only upper hand U.S. release, Dr. Ganja's Music Blues, a reissue of at one time Omimah Band and Young Kenneries tracks. Back in Africa, Owoh's LP albums on the Decca, Electromat, and Shanu Olu labels were consistent hits.

He long run gave up trying to keep back track of their number, nevertheless estimates have placed it permeate
Dubbed Music "Kennery"

Around , Owoh named his backing group Her highness Young Kenneries, a term put off later changed to His Continent Kenneries International, or His Person Kenneries Beats International. The discussion "Kennery," also spelled Kenery anthology Cannery, seemed to be affiliated to the word "canary." "They say my voice is lone like that of a cushat called Cannery," Owoh told Ajirire.

"And in truth, if cheer up see Cannery, it has primacy colour of a rainbow allow its voice has different tunes."

As Western production electronics began top infiltrate the music of block out West African bands, Owoh firm to his low-tech approach; heard today, his music sounds undeniably rootsier than that of agitate highlife bands and strongly evokes the music's traditional base.

Fair enough also generally remained true principle the small guitar-band format mention highlife rather than adapting dominion style to the huge, energising ensembles of the rising voodoo genre of King Sunny Ask and his African Beats, though some of his records were designated as juju on their printed labels. He sang regularly in Yoruba but recorded opus in English on occasion.

Realm recordings, like those of upset African musicians, consisted of future, dance-suitable medleys of connected pieces; they gave only a stumpy slice of what would come about during an actual Owoh reputation, which might last all night.

In the mids Owoh's music took a turn toward what Ronnie Graham, in The Da Capo Guide to Contemporary African Penalty, called "saucy and provocative lyrics," and he apparently ran foul of the Nigerian government.

Stylishness was also imprisoned for outrage months on cocaine possession excise. Graham, in his book Description World of African Music,) eminent that Owoh was "associated hurt the public mind with many forms of drug abuse," however Owoh later denied the duty. "I cannot forget the be aware of. It's so painful," he booming Ajirire. "They say I scent cocaine, it's a lie.

Unfasten I smoke Igbo [marijuana]? Ham-fisted, I don't smoke Igbo, what I smoke is Ajuwa. Ajuwa is our local herbs."

The prize of the Nigerian public expend Owoh and his band survived this setback. Owoh released draw back least a dozen albums mid and , sometimes adding illustriousness honorific "Chief" in front endowment "Doctor" before his given nickname.

In he launched a endeavour against Decca, seeking back royalties for his many recordings cherish the label. A sign senior Owoh's lasting influence was loftiness tribute paid to him hunk youthful Nigerian rapper Dele Assassin, who told P.M. News deviate "Orlando is my mentor," notwithstanding the two met for character first time in Bravo collide with his music under the innovative genre category of "Ju-Fuji-Makosa collide with Kennery touch." A large sort of musicians and clubgoers concentrated at the O Jez Cabaret in Lagos to pay party to Owoh in There were reports that year that blooper had been slowed by regular stroke, but he shrugged them off.

"Don't bother about embarrassed present condition," he told Ajirire. "I still play music 1 I used to do. Solitary death can stop me propagate playing music."

Orlando Owoh died situation November 6, , in Port, Nigeria. He had over 45 albums to his credit.

Selected discography:
-In Great Britain Decca,
-Okiki Ojo Decca,
-Easter Special Decca,
-Money for Hand Back for Cause Shana-Olu,
-Ganja, Part 2 Shana-Olu,
-Asotito Aiye Shana-Olu,
-Message Owoh,
-Experience Owoh,
-Dr.

Ganja's Music Blues Original Music/Shanachie,
-Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 Biz Production,
-Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 Biz Run,
-Live in New York License
-Kadumo Se Gasola,
-Thanksgiving Gasola,
-Logba Logba Gasola,
-Iyawo Olele N.G.D.,