David Adedeji Adeleke, popularly known by his stage name Davido, was born in November 21, 1992 to the family of Chief Deji and Late Mrs. Vero Adeleke in Atlanta, Georgia. His father, Chief Deji Adeleke is a very wealthy business man in Nigeria(hence his popular nickname “Omo Baba Olowo, meaning ‘Child of a rich man’), while his mother late Dr. Vero Adeleke, was a university lecturer.
Davido and his family relocated back to Nigeria from America and being a young man from a wealthy family, Davido attended elite schools including British International School and Babcock University, where he’s studying Business Administration Part-time.
Though he came from a very wealthy family, Davido decided to pursue his dream which has always been to make music. He started singing at the tender age of 11. Davido will later admit that his love for music came from his late mother who passed away in 2003. Losing his mother has been the most traumatic experience he has had. He said: “…she’s the reason I do what I do…. she loved to entertain and I plan on carrying that legacy…”.
At the age of 18, Davido set up a record label called HKN Music, jointly owned by him and his older brother, Adewale Adeleke. In 2011, 18 year old Davido released his debut album ‘Omo Baba Olowo’, while on May 7, 2011, Davido produced and released his first song “Back When”. The song served as the album’s lead single and received frequent airplay. In October 2011, Davido released ‘Dami Duro’ which immediately became a hit! ‘Dami Duro’ topped music charts, and that was the song that really brought him into public consciousness. The music video for “Dami Duro” was released on January 8, 2012. It was shot and directed in Lagos by Clarence Peters.
In 2013, Davido began recording his second studio album. On February 25, 2013, he released “Gobe” as the upcoming album’s lead single. The song was produced by Shizzi. The second single from the album was “One of a Kind” which was released on May 13, 2013. “Skelewu” was the third single from that album and it turned out to be one of the most popular hit songs in Nigeria in 2013. It was ranked 5th on the list of the top 10 songs of 2013. The song also peaked at number 1 on Afribiz’s Top 100 chart. There was a little controversy after the release of the ‘Skelewu’ music video. Shortly after the release of the Sesan Ogunro-directed video, Davido took to Twitter to debunk the video and said that someone had betrayed him by releasing it. He also said he’ll re-shoot the video with Moe Musa, a UK based music video director. This caused a mild drama in the entertainment scene as Sesan considered Davido’s declaration immature. Sesan said that Davido was satisfied with his contributions to the music video and that it would be immature for Davido and his management to release inaccurate statements in order to defame his brand. On October 21, 2013, the official music video for the single, shot and directed in London by Moe Musa, was uploaded onto YouTube.
A dance competition with a cash prize of $3000 (N480,000) was held days after the release of the song. Davido uploaded an instructional dance video onto YouTube and asked fans to upload videos of themselves dancing to “Skelewu”. On October 10, 2013, Davido announced that Bello Moshood Abiola had won the competition.
Davido released hit song “Aye” on February 2, 2014. The song was produced by T Spice, while the music video was directed by Clarence Peters. Shortly after that, precisely April 30, 2014, Davido released single “Tchelete (Goodlife)” featuring South African duo Mafikizolo.
Being a very young, handsome and successful artiste, Davido is NOT controversy-free! In February 2012, 19 year old Davido trended worldwide on Social media; with thousands commenting on the pictures showing him in bed with 18-year-old undergraduate Sonia Jumbo.
Different images showed were Sonia was fondling and kissing him while he was asleep. In one, she’s seen licking his tattoo!
In mid-2014, Davido and fellow music artiste, Wizkid started throwing mysterious jabs at each other online! Davido and Wizkid are among the biggest music artistes in Nigeria and they both have an identical fan-base. The beef seems to have started when Wizkid posted a coded message on his instagram page. Davido took offense at that and also posted a message which was apparently directed back at Wizkid.
The music heavyweights continued to trade coded words back and forth, though not calling the other person by name. Insiders allege that there has been a superiority battle between them. The two have finally settled their differences though!
He has also been criticized for being in the habit of flaunting his wealth and possessions!
Davido is known to be very funny and easy-going. He has worked with numerous music artistes including Naeto C, Wizkid, Ice Prince, 2face, Olamide, Lynxxx and Skales. He is also the winner of many local and international awards, including Best International Act at the BET Awards and Artist of the year at the MTV Africa Music Video Awards! Davido is also an ambassador to some top organizations.
There’s no doubt, Davido has written his name in the sands of time at such a young age! Nigeria’s music history cannot be written without Davido’s name featuring in it prominently.
Jude Abaga aka MI
During M.I’s adolescence, he would listen to tracks from Lauryn Hill, Bob Marley, Sarah Machlaclan, Pablo Neruda, Jay-Z and DMX. His venture in the hip hop world started with the sampling of musical works from DMX and Lauryn Hill as early as 1998. After his stint at Calvin College, Michigan, USA, he delved into poetry while pursuing a career in Business and Economics. There, he performed regularly at the school’s major hip hop shows and concerts. His impressive rap flows and attitude gained him a third place finish at the Calvin College show tagged ‘HipHopera’ in 2003, which was actually the only “hip hop show” that Calvin College ever had. M.I. also made some amateur attempts at comedy, but decided to stick to music because he was embarrassed when nobody laughed but him.
M.I began his music career when he returned to Nigeria in 2003. Finding his place in an industry dominated by the likes of Modenine, Ruggedman and Eedris Abdulkareem, he quickly commenced the production of mixtapes with his friend Djinee. This led to the critically acclaimed single “Safe”, (a song which he parodied popular Nigerian songs in its lyrics) which has gathered impressive airplay by African radio and music video stations such as MTV Vibe. The track also earned him awards at the Nigerian Music Video Awards, City People, N.E.A amongst others.
The hype surrounding the release of Safe led to the critical acclaim given to his first studio album titled “Let’s Talk About It”. The album gathered awards such as Musician of the Year (Modemen Awards in 2008), Best Hip Hop Artist (City People Awards).. He later went on to bring out a sample mixtape, ILLEGAL MUSIC,in which he fully exploits his lyrical prowess.
Back in Jos Nigeria, he teamed up with his brother,Jesse Jagz, IcePrince, Ruby, Threadstone, Lindsay, Moses (Elbulk),E kelly to form a record label, called LOOPY records, and they perform every Sunday at an open bar, with a theme tagged Jam Session. M.I was later signed to the Chocolate City company, a renowned music label in Nigeria, which made him move from Jos city to the nation’s capital Abuja and also influenced the beginning of his successful career in the Nigerian music industry. He has also received international recognition in South Africa from the popular Channel O music Award, MTVbase Awards and also the American BET Awards. A proficient producer, lyricist, songwriter and instrumentalist, M.I has been described by DIV as the future of African hip-hop. He has produced and featured on the works of artists like, Don Jazzy, Threadstone (Nigeria’s first rock band,Kel, Djinee, Shifi (Styl Plus), Jesse Jags, Ice Prince, Ruby, Lindsey, Leony e.t.c. He also runs a production company, Rytchus Era Productions with his brother Jesse Abaga (Jesse Jagz).
In 2013 he was appointed by Nigerian telecommunication company Glo Mobile as a brand ambassador alongside other Nigerian artistes like Omawunmi, Burna Boy etc. He was also a judge in Glo X-Factor, the Nigerian version of the reality singing show in 2013.
In 2013 he was appointed by Nigerian telecommunication company Glo Mobile as a brand ambassador alongside other Nigerian artistes like Omawunmi, Burna Boy etc. He was also a judge in Glo X-Factor, the Nigerian version of the reality singing show in 2013.
M.I has won Several Awards including the MTV Africa Music Awards 2009 and was Nominated for BET 2010 Awards for the Best International Act Category. He rose to prominence in 2006, when his song “Crowd Mentality” became popular in his hometown Jos. He is signed to Chocolate City music label. On the 11th of December 2008, M.I released his critically acclaimed debut album, Talk About It.
Below are some events that contributed to his fame…
– His first album sold 30,000 copies in the first 30 minutes of release (TJoe distributions December 2008)
– Hit singles include: Safe, Crowd mentality, Teaser, Short black boy, Anoti, Fast Money Fast Cars, Number 1, Undisputed Champion, Action Film.
– His second album, MI2: The Movie, is the highest selling album on the most popular Nigerian musical website
– In the week of the second album release, November 2010, MI was number 7 trending topic globally on Twitter.
Below are some events that contributed to his fame…
– His first album sold 30,000 copies in the first 30 minutes of release (TJoe distributions December 2008)
– Hit singles include: Safe, Crowd mentality, Teaser, Short black boy, Anoti, Fast Money Fast Cars, Number 1, Undisputed Champion, Action Film.
– His second album, MI2: The Movie, is the highest selling album on the most popular Nigerian musical website
– In the week of the second album release, November 2010, MI was number 7 trending topic globally on Twitter.
M.I’s role in the music industry cannot be overstated. He has been responsible for bringing out many upcoming artistes such as Wizkid, Vypa, Jesse Jagz, Ruby, Pype, Ice Prince and the latest is Brymo. He has been described by many Nigerian hip hop fans as Nigeria’s ‘Hip Hop Messiah’. MI has done a lot to bring a Northern presence to the Nigerian music industry, he depicts the perfect example of bringing Nigeria together. His music is conscious; therefore he is a leader in many ways to the youth of Nigeria. He is the founder of Loopy Records, and he is signed to Chocolate City. M.I produces with Chocolate City, and has produced albums and songs for his label mates. The most notable of these being in 2011 when he produced two songs of Ice Prince’s album Everybody Loves Ice Prince.
There has been a little rivalry between Nigerian artists, M.I. Abaga and Kelly Hansome. This started when M.I. in his track Fast Money, Fast Cars stated, “Kelly Hansome is handsome, I’ll tell him when I see him. But if I want a man, it’d be Keke or D1″. Kelly Hansome did not take kindly to these words and from there they both have gone track for track with Kelly Hansome releasing Catch Me If You Can, where he goes in on the whole Chocolate City label. In response, the Choc City camp released Nobody Test Me with a line from M.I talking directly to Kelly Hansome, saying, ” Only one Kelly that I know, Kelly Rowland. Why would I diss them, give them cheap promotion. I think that they’re so dry, I should give them lotion”. Later, Kelly Hansome released Chocolate Boys (Chocolate City members). M.I. released a track on his 2010 album, M.I.2 named Beef. With Kelly hearing this, brought out the track Finish You Boy.
In 2009 a US-based rapper by the name Iceberg Slim released a single titled Mr International where he said the lines: “Am I better than M.I? I don’t know. Am I? Matter of fact you should ask M.I”. That apparently didn’t sit too well with M.I, prompting him to release a single known as “Somebody Wants To Die”, featuring his label mate Ice Prince on the track. Less than 48 hours after the release of M.I’s Somebody Wants To Die, IceBerg Slim released Assassination and sources quote that his Facebook status at the time of the release read “‘Somebody Wants To Die’, I’ll be responsible for the ‘Assassination’ … let the countdown begin … (I told em it would be a M.I.stake, but they didn’t listen)”. There was a contest in the mind of rap fans on who happened to be the best rapper in Nigeria. M.I developed more fans than Iceberg Slim and had more hit records, while Iceberg Slim gained hearts on Nigerian rap fans in a very short and unusual period. In 2012, both rappers decided to sweep the feud under the rug. Iceberg stated, “I don’t think I picked on MI. It was a healthy competition in Hip-Hop, which most people don’t understand. In Hip-Hop community, we could be best friends or brothers and I can say I’m the best rapper in the world and no one takes offense or takes it personal. My shot at MI wasn’t a sign of disrespect in any way. Though sarcastic, it was healthy. People just took it out of context and thought I was dissing him. Rap music is all about competition because it helps you grow and improve on yourself”
His popularity has quickly reached the youth of Nigeria as he has become one of the most critically acclaimed Nigerian artists, and has recently been compared to other artists like Naeto C, D’banj, 9ice and Mode 9. He was listed as the 4th most talented rapper in Nigeria by online music site Notjustok.com.
Meanwhile,It was heard that M.I was appointed a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador in 2012. M.I also supports the Jostified campaign.
Meanwhile,It was heard that M.I was appointed a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador in 2012. M.I also supports the Jostified campaign.
Here are some of the awards he has won so far,
Best Rap Album 2009 –HipHop world Awards
Hip Hop Revelation 2009 – HipHop World Awards
Best New Act of the Year 2009 – Nigerian Entertainment Awards
Best Rap Single 2008 – HipHop World Awards
Musician of the Year– Modemen Awards 2008
Best Hip Hop- MTV Africa Music Awards 2009
Best New Act- MTV Africa Music Awards 2009
Best Use of Special Effects in a video-NMVA 2009
Best Mainstream Hiphop Video-NMVA 2009
Musician of the Year-The Future Awards 2010
Musician of the Year – City People 2010
Artist of the Year – National Daily 2010
Musician of the Year – Malaysian African Entertainments Awards 2010
Most Amiable Brand – Orange Wall of Fame 2010
Hip Hop Revelation 2009 – HipHop World Awards
Best New Act of the Year 2009 – Nigerian Entertainment Awards
Best Rap Single 2008 – HipHop World Awards
Musician of the Year– Modemen Awards 2008
Best Hip Hop- MTV Africa Music Awards 2009
Best New Act- MTV Africa Music Awards 2009
Best Use of Special Effects in a video-NMVA 2009
Best Mainstream Hiphop Video-NMVA 2009
Musician of the Year-The Future Awards 2010
Musician of the Year – City People 2010
Artist of the Year – National Daily 2010
Musician of the Year – Malaysian African Entertainments Awards 2010
Most Amiable Brand – Orange Wall of Fame 2010
Michael Collins Ajereh aka Don Jazzy
Don Jazzy as we all know him, is a Nigerian Multi award-winning record producer, singer-songwriter, musician, former CEO of Nigerian record label Mo’ Hits Records founded in 2004 and current CEO of the Mavin Records label which he founded in May 2012 after his split up with childhood friend and Mo’Hits partner, D’Banj.
But we didnt know is that his real name is Michael Collins Ajereh. No native name,huh?lol. Anyway, he was born in November 26, 1982, in Umuahia in Abia state, though he hails from Delta State. His family moved to Ajegunle city in Lagos state where he was raised, and graduated from Federal Government College Lagos. Don Jazzy Had always had a flair for music singing and playing the drums from the age of four. He developed a passion for the bass guitar at the age of 12, he went on to study Business Management at the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma in Edo state. He moved to London in the United Kingdom in 2000 after his Uncle invited him to come play the drums for the neighborhood Church.
Various odd jobs followed including working at McDonalds as a security guard. Already imbued with an intimate knowledge of traditional and percussion instruments, Don Jazzy further built on his musical knowledge during his UK stint. Finding fellow kindred spirits in the likes of Solek, JJC, Kas, The 419 squad and D’Banj, the gang would spend unrelenting hours practicing, recording and performing different types of music.
Jazzy’s appetite for a full-time career in music could no longer be controlled when, in 2004, he partnered with D’Banj to set up the Mo’ Hits label. Within two years, the prolific producer had wrapped up two albums (No Long Thing and Rundown/Funk You Up) with his former Mo’ Hits partner and was working on a third, Curriculum Vitae. By this time, he had already started becoming a household name with the trademark intro – It’s Don Jazzy Again!
Don Jazzy’s first full credit production work was in 2004 on Tongolo for Nigerian singer D’banj. He went on to produce D’banj’s first studio album titled No Long Thing released in 2005.
In 2008 there were further production credits for the best selling album of that year, The Entertainer Don Jazzy repeated the trick with Wande Coal’s Mushin 2 MoHits, an album that was described as one of the best albums to ever come out of Nigeria
Although not acknowledging himself as a recording artist,he is responsible for doing most Background Vocals for Artists he produces for and sometimes does complete verses. His musical dexterity can be heard through his beats and well calculated vocals he assists to the likes of D’Banj, Sauce Kid, Dr SID, Ikechukwu, Kween, D’Prince and even Jay-Z and Kanye West on their Watch The Throne track Lift Off, featuring Beyoncé released on August 8, 2011.
The soft-spoken humble producer who is known to grant less interviews, is an avid user of social networking sites with Twitter being his top. With over 200,000 followers, he is known to give birthday shout-outs to fans, give airtime recharge cards, iPads, and even money via Twitter. Such connection to fans, has earned him a song by some Twitter fan, special for his birthday, sing him praises and wishing him a long-life.
His love for exquisite African Fabrics and Male Indian-Gowns isn’t a secret, but he is known to go with his own liking, switching whenever he feels like. At one point in 2011, he was frequently noticed to wear pajamas on daily-basis, in an interview he said, they are more comfortable. I prefer to call them colourful trousers. He is also known to wear sunglasses, carry walking sticks, of which he has several and alternating bling chains, African jewelry and rosary.
In 2011 his talents got him noticed by Kanye West who signed him up as a producer on his GOOD Music label. With over a 100 production tracks to his name, the understated genius has worked with a host of local and international celebrities. In spite of his whirlwind superstardom, Don Jazzy has never forgotten his humble beginnings and is very passionate about charitable causes.A video surfaced in the internet on Youtube, showing the signing of the deal,and Kanye West made a surprise appearance at the Koko Concert in London to officially show support and awarded D’Banj with his chain, as a gesture of welcoming him to GOOD Music.
However, after 8 years of hard work and struggles to set up the Mo’ Hits label, around March 2012, rumours of irreconcilable differences between the label heads had been circulating,the die-hard fans of the record label and fans of the synergy of Don Jazzy and D’Banj where torn apart,with tweets by Don Jazzy saying “Rumours you have all heard recently are sad but true. The way forward now is to make sure I keep bringing you guys more of the beautiful music y’all love to dance to.”
Later in the year,on May 7th, Don Jazzy kept his promise of a new beginning, taking to Twitter to announce his new Record Label known as Mavin Records and further promised to release a compilation album of the label artists the very next day. The album which was executive-produced by him, has gathered critical reviews, while blessing the fans with hit songs like Amarachi, Forever, Oma Ga, Take Banana and Chocolate, others are such a C.P.R (Kiss of Life), YOLO and the labels anthem I’m a MAVIN.
He recently was rated as the 36th. “Most powerful celebrity in Africa” according to Forbes
He recently was rated as the 36th. “Most powerful celebrity in Africa” according to Forbes
The multiple award winning producer also announced that Tiwa Savage would be joining the Mavin family. The signing of Savage, one of Nigeria’s leading vocalists, is seen as a major coup for the budding record label and Don Jazzy promised fans that there are many more exciting faces to be “activated” by the label in the nearest future.
Don Jazzy was quoted saying, “I see Mavin Records being the power house of Music in Africa in the shortest possible time”.
And for the love of social networking, the new label proceeded to make their own social network site known as Mavin League which is a platform for the labels fans to socialize and interact, but also a place for latest news and updates about the label.
The label boasts an addition of Tiwa Savage to part of the former members of Mo’ Hits Records who is now the label first lady, with a promise of more addition of “Mavins” in the near-future. On th5 Nov 2013, he add a cold fight with his former label act Wande coal over the stealing of music production from him. While on 7th Nov his record label released official statement of Wande coal departure from the label.
The label boasts an addition of Tiwa Savage to part of the former members of Mo’ Hits Records who is now the label first lady, with a promise of more addition of “Mavins” in the near-future. On th5 Nov 2013, he add a cold fight with his former label act Wande coal over the stealing of music production from him. While on 7th Nov his record label released official statement of Wande coal departure from the label.
Here are some of his Awards
Nigerian Music Awards (NMA) 2006 Producer of the Year
Nigerian Entertainment Awards 2007 Music Producer of the Year
The HEADIES (2011) –PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti
Fela was born Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti (what a mouthful! )on October 15th, 1938 in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria, into an upper-middle-class family. His mother, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti was a feminist activist in the anti-colonial movement; his father, Reverend Isreal Oludotun Ransome-Kuti, a protestant minister and school principal, was the first president of the Nigeria Union of Teachers. Fela was a first cousin to the Nigerian writer and Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka, the first African to win a Nobel Prize for Literature.
Career
Ironically, Fela was sent to London in 1958 by his parents to study medicine, but he changed his mind and decided to study music instead at the Trinity College of Music. While there, he formed the band “Koola Lobitos”, playing a fusion of jazz and highlife. In 1963, Fela moved back to Nigeria, re-formed “Koola Lobitos” and trained as a radio producer for the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation. He played for some time with Victor Olaiya and his All Stars.
Ironically, Fela was sent to London in 1958 by his parents to study medicine, but he changed his mind and decided to study music instead at the Trinity College of Music. While there, he formed the band “Koola Lobitos”, playing a fusion of jazz and highlife. In 1963, Fela moved back to Nigeria, re-formed “Koola Lobitos” and trained as a radio producer for the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation. He played for some time with Victor Olaiya and his All Stars.
In 1967, he travelled on to Ghana to think up a new musical direction. That was when Fela first called his music “Afrobeat”. In 1969, Fela took the band to the United States where they spent 10 months in Los Angeles. While there, Fela discovered the Black Power movement through Sandra Smith (now Sandra Izsadore), a partisan of the Black Panther Party. (The experience would heavily influence his music and political views). After which, the band released “ The ’69 Los Angeles Session”.
After Fela and his band returned to Nigeria, the band was renamed The Afrika ’70, as lyrical themes changed from love to social issues. He then formed the “Kalakuta Republic”, which was seen as a commune, a recording studio, and a home for the many people connected to the band that he later declared independent from the Nigerian state. Fela set up a nightclub in the Empire Hotel, initially called the “Afro-Spot” and then later named the “Afrika Shrine”, where he both performed regularly and officiated at personalized Yoruba traditional ceremonies in honor of his nation’s ancestral faith. He also changed his middle name to Anikulapo (meaning “He who carries death in his pouch”), stating that his original middle name of Ransome was a slave name.
Fela’s music became popular among the Nigerian public and Africans in general. In fact, he made the decision to sing in ‘pidgin english” so that his music could be enjoyed by individuals all over Africa, where the local languages spoken are very diverse and numerous. During 1972, Ginger Baker recorded Stratavarious with Fela appearing alongside Bobby Gass.
In 1977, Fela and the Afrika ’70 released the album “Zombie”, a scathing attack on Nigerian soldiers by using the zombie metaphor to describe the methods of the Nigerian military. The album was a smash hit and infuriated the government, setting off a vicious attack against the Kalakuta Republic, during which one thousand soldiers attacked the commune. Fela was severely beaten, and his elderly mother was thrown from a window, causing fatal injuries. The Kalakuta Republic was burned, and Fela’s studio, instruments, and master tapes were destroyed. Fela’s response to the attack was to deliver his mother’s coffin to General Olusegun Obasanjo’s residence in the Dodan Barracks, Lagos, and to write two songs tittled, “Coffin for Head of State” and “Unknown Soldier”.
Fela and his band then took residence in Crossroads Hotel after the destruction of the Shrine. In 1978, Fela married twenty-seven more women, many of whom were his dancers, composers, and singers to mark the anniversary of the attack on the Kalakuta Republic.In 1960, Fela had already married his first wife, Remilekun (Remi) Taylor, with whom he would have three children (Femi, Yeni, and Sola). Later, he was to adopt a rotation system of keeping only twelve simultaneous wives. The year was also marked by two notorious concerts, the first in Accra, Ghana in which riots broke out during the song “Zombie”, which led to Fela being banned from entering Ghana. The second was at the Berlin Jazz Festival after which most of Fela’s musicians deserted him, due to rumors that Fela was planning to use the entire proceeds to fund his presidential campaign.
Fela and his band then took residence in Crossroads Hotel after the destruction of the Shrine. In 1978, Fela married twenty-seven more women, many of whom were his dancers, composers, and singers to mark the anniversary of the attack on the Kalakuta Republic.In 1960, Fela had already married his first wife, Remilekun (Remi) Taylor, with whom he would have three children (Femi, Yeni, and Sola). Later, he was to adopt a rotation system of keeping only twelve simultaneous wives. The year was also marked by two notorious concerts, the first in Accra, Ghana in which riots broke out during the song “Zombie”, which led to Fela being banned from entering Ghana. The second was at the Berlin Jazz Festival after which most of Fela’s musicians deserted him, due to rumors that Fela was planning to use the entire proceeds to fund his presidential campaign.
Despite the massive setbacks, Fela was determined to come back. He formed his own political party, which he called Movement of the People. In 1979, he put himself forward for President in Nigeria’s first elections for more than a decade, but his candidature was refused. At this time, Fela created a new band called “Egypt ’80” with which he continued to record albums and tour the country. He further infuriated the political establishment by dropping the names of the the vice-president Moshood Abiola and then General Olusegun Obasanjo at the end of a hot-selling 25-minute political screed titled “I.T.T. (International Thief-Thief)”.
In 1984, Muhammadu Buhari‘s government, of which Kuti was a vocal opponent, jailed him on a charge of currency smuggling which Amnesty International and others denounced as politically motivated. Amnesty designated him a prisoner of conscience, and his case was also taken up by other human rights groups. After his release 20 months later by General Ibrahim Babangida, he divorced his twelve remaining wivese
Once again, Fela continued to release albums with Egypt ’80, made a number of successful tours of the United States and Europe and also continued to be politically active. In 1986, Fela performed in Giants Stadium in New Jersey as part of the Amnesty International A Conspiracy of Hope concert, sharing the bill with Bono, Carlos Santana, and The Neville Brothers. In 1989, Fela and Egypt ’80 released the anti-apartheidBeasts of No Nation album that depicts on its cover U.S. President Ronald Reagan, UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and South African Prime Minister Pieter Willem Botha.
His album output slowed in the 1990s, and eventually he stopped releasing albums altogether. In 1993, he and four members of the Afrika ’70 organization were arrested for murder. The battle against military corruption in Nigeria was taking its toll, especially during the rise of dictator Sani Abacha. Rumors were also spreading that he was suffering from an illness for which he was refusing treatment.
Death
On August 2rd, 1997, Fela Kuti died from “Kaposi’s sarcoma”, which could be brought on, in more virulent form by AIDS. Fela’s death was announced the next day by his younger brother Olikoye Ransome-Kuti,who was already a prominent AIDS activist and former Minister of Health. More than a million people attended Fela’s funeral at the site of the old Shrine compound. A new Africa Shrine has opened since Fela’s death in a different section of Lagos under the supervision of his son Femi Kuti.
On August 2rd, 1997, Fela Kuti died from “Kaposi’s sarcoma”, which could be brought on, in more virulent form by AIDS. Fela’s death was announced the next day by his younger brother Olikoye Ransome-Kuti,who was already a prominent AIDS activist and former Minister of Health. More than a million people attended Fela’s funeral at the site of the old Shrine compound. A new Africa Shrine has opened since Fela’s death in a different section of Lagos under the supervision of his son Femi Kuti.
Olubankole Wellington aka banky w
Banky W as we know him was born Olubankole Wellington on the 27th day of March, 1981 in the United States to Nigerian parents. He moved back to Nigeria with his family when he was just five years old where they lived in Lagos. He began singing in his church choir at the age of 8. After completing his secondary school Education at Home Science Association Secondary School, he moved to New York to attend college on a scholarship; earning a degree in Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.While still in college, he won the ‘Albany Idol’ competition, which catapulted him into the spotlight.
He overcame many personal trials and obstacles to quickly become an in-demand artist on the local music scene; performing alongside major acts on tour. He wowed audiences with his silky smooth voice while building a loyal following; he established the Empire Mates Entertainment (E.M.E.) record label as a platform to get his music to his fans and began work on an EP.
He overcame many personal trials and obstacles to quickly become an in-demand artist on the local music scene; performing alongside major acts on tour. He wowed audiences with his silky smooth voice while building a loyal following; he established the Empire Mates Entertainment (E.M.E.) record label as a platform to get his music to his fans and began work on an EP.
Under the name Banky W, he released the EP Undeniable in 2003, as the first release on his jointly owned E.M.E Records. The EP was released on his own label, and was sold on the internet and out of the trunks of cars. The buzz around the album caught the ears of the executives at Fox 23 News New York who promptly dispatched a reporter with a camera crew to investigate the phenomenon sweeping the area. They were surprised it was a three person company executing a highly successful grassroots marketing campaign. The report became a two part special they aired leading to a distribution deal with TransWorld (Coconut’s, Warehouse Music, Spec’s Music); one of North America’s largest music distributors. It became one of the top selling independent records, won him the 2003 R&B/Soul Artist of the Year at the Urban Independent Music Awards.His career was for a while threatened by cancer in the shoulder, but he managed to make a recovery from the illness.
In 2005 he released his first album, titled Back in the Building, containing the award-winning song “My Regret” The R&B/Soul album was released to critical acclaim; he had crafted a classic record and solidified his status as ground breaking artist. The album spawned the award winning song ‘My Regret’ and on the strength of this enduring single he became an urban-underground-yet-international icon. The awards and accolades followed with a US Songwriting
In 2008 he moved to Nigeria after the completion of his latest highly anticipated album Mr Capable under the name Banky W. With the sole mission of exposing African music to the world and bringing a high profile presence to the industry. On MySpace he garnered over 1 million song plays; on YouTube, hundreds of thousands of views for his videos; and on Facebook, his recently created fan page has over 447,705 registered fans, growing at a rate of over 500 new fans per week.
In December 2009, Banky W dropped his much anticipated second album in Nigeria, titled The W Experience . A strong contender for the best album of 2009/2010 in Africa, it features production from Nigeria’s most sought-after talents, and showcases Banky W. as he combines global R&B/Pop with African rhythms and influences to create an entirely unique and impressive sound. The 15-track album features collaborations from the internationally acclaimed and Interscope-signed artiste, Verse Simmonds; it also introduces his newly signed E.M.E acts, WIZKID and SKALES; and solidifies Banky W as the crown Prince of African Soul/R&B.
A day after Valentine of 2013, he launched his new album “R&BW” with a concert tagged the “The Grand Love Concert” at the Civic Centre, Ozumba Mbadiwe, Victoria Island, Lagos, which featured several other artistes including Iyanya, Waje and more. The first two singles from the album “Lowkey” and “Yes/No” (which has a spectacular video to it), are already receiving rave reviews.
Not to be outdone by his exploits in the music world, he is also accomplished in several other fields. He’s a published writer, as articles from his blog (http://bankyw.blogspot.com) have been featured in numerous Nigerian Newspapers, magazines and websites. As a philanthropist, he launched the “I AM CAPABLE” scholarship fund, which provides tuition, room & board at private universities for youth who are in need and meet the grade requirements. He’s also on the board of trustees of the “LightupNigeria” Project, which is focused on achieving constant electrical power supply in Nigeria, as well as various other charitable society building and empowering projects. He has also been extremely successful in many Corporate Marketing Campaigns, having been featured prominently in projects like Etisalat’s 0809ja Launch, Cocacola-Nigeria’s World Cup Theme Song, and Microsoft’s Anti-Cyber Crime Initiative. Last but not least, he is an accomplished Master of Ceremonies/Host, as he has successfully anchored numerous high profile events such as The HipHop World Awards (2009), Nigerian Breweries Legend Extra Stout Product Launch, and The Gulder Ultimate Search Celebrity TV Show Launch.
Banky played a major role in mobilizing the Nigerian youth to participate in the Occupy Nigeria series of protests in January 2012. The protests were to resist the implementation of the government’s fuel subsidy removal policy.
Below are some of his awards so far…
John Lennon Song Writing Award 2006, R&B Category, for ‘My Regret’
Best R&B Artiste, Nigerian Entertainment Awards 2006
Best Male R&B Artiste, Urban
Independent Music Awards, USA, 2006
Best International Album,
Nigerian Entertainment Awards 2007 for ‘Mr Capable’
Best R&B Video, Nigerian Music Video Awards 2008 for ‘Don’t Break My Heart’
Best Male Vocal Performance, Hip hop World Awards 2009 for ‘Don’t Break My Heart’
R&B Single of the year, 2010 Hip Hop World Awards for ‘Strong Ting’
Best R&B Singer (Male) and Best Music Video 2010 City People Entertainment Awards
Best R&B Artiste, Nigerian Entertainment Awards 2006
Best Male R&B Artiste, Urban
Independent Music Awards, USA, 2006
Best International Album,
Nigerian Entertainment Awards 2007 for ‘Mr Capable’
Best R&B Video, Nigerian Music Video Awards 2008 for ‘Don’t Break My Heart’
Best Male Vocal Performance, Hip hop World Awards 2009 for ‘Don’t Break My Heart’
R&B Single of the year, 2010 Hip Hop World Awards for ‘Strong Ting’
Best R&B Singer (Male) and Best Music Video 2010 City People Entertainment Awards
C O N T R O V E R S Y
Nigerian R&B singer, Banky W who has been alleged of being gay has reacted to the sexuality rumours.
The singer mentioned this during an interview recently explained that he’s straight and does not involve himself in the unholy sexual acts.
He went onto state that,‘‘It’s hilarious to me and completely false. I’m not. Maybe it’s because I’m not married, and I practice safe sex and thus have no children yet.’ Speaking on his political ambitions, the EME label boss confessed his desire to constantly throw his weight behind candidates he believes in, since he can’t run for office himself ‘…our constitution states that you have to have been born in Nigeria to qualify.
I wasn’t, so I don’t qualify anyway..
The singer mentioned this during an interview recently explained that he’s straight and does not involve himself in the unholy sexual acts.
He went onto state that,‘‘It’s hilarious to me and completely false. I’m not. Maybe it’s because I’m not married, and I practice safe sex and thus have no children yet.’ Speaking on his political ambitions, the EME label boss confessed his desire to constantly throw his weight behind candidates he believes in, since he can’t run for office himself ‘…our constitution states that you have to have been born in Nigeria to qualify.
I wasn’t, so I don’t qualify anyway..