Nigerian highlife legend Victor Olaiya dies

His death was confirmed by his record label, Premier Records, whose project manager, Michael Odiong, said that Olaiya had passed away at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital on 12 February.

Popularly referred to as Dr Victor Olaiya, the highlife trumpeter was born in Calabar, southern Nigeria. He was introduced to music at an early age and learnt to play the bombardon and the French horn. After leaving school he moved to Lagos in 1951. He was accepted by Howard University in the US to study civil engineering but chose music as a profession instead.

Braving parental disapproval, he played with the Sammy Akpabot Band, the Old Lagos City Orchestra and the Bobby Benson and His Jam Session Orchestra before forming his own group, The Cool Cats, which was later renamed to the All Stars Band when it was booked to play the 1963 International Jazz Festival in Czechoslovakia.

The band was known for an extensive highlife repertoire that included tracks like ‘Omopupa’, ‘Aigana’, ‘Pambotoriboto’, ‘Opataritius’, ‘Mo fe Muyan’, ‘Jemila’, ‘Kosowo Lode’, ‘Odale Ore’, ‘So Fun Mi’ and ‘Omolanke’. Many of Olaiya's songs have been covered by various artists over the decades.

He was also known as ‘The Evil Genius of Highlife Music'. “Highlife music is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration,” he told Nigerian publication The Guardian. “I am called 'evil genius' because I make my fans sweat through dancing while enjoying my music. To make a difference in the music, you need to sweat.”

Olaiya's music bridged Ghanaian highlife and various Nigerian sounds that would eventually become Afrobeat. He often said that Fela Kuti, the originator of Afrobeat, learnt to play music in his band. Both Fela Kuti and drummer Tony Allen played with Olaiya before finding success with their own projects.

The All Stars Band was selected to play at a state ball when Queen Elizabeth II visited Nigeria in 1956, and performed at a number of state functions when Nigeria gained independence in 1960. Olaiya shared the stage with Louis Armstrong and other international acts in the 1950s and ‘60s. During the Nigerian Civil War of 1967-70, his band entertained Nigerian troops. The Cool Cats also travelled to the Congo to perform for UN troops.

Olaiya released numerous albums during his long career, including one with Ghanaian highlife musician ET Mensah, and later remade his track ‘Baby Jowo' alongside 2Face Idibia.

“Devastated by the news of your passing," 2Baba wrote on Instagram. "Dr Victor Olaiya – maestro, mentor, legend. Thanks for the beautiful music. Thanks for the inspiration. Blessed for the honour of sharing a mic and stage with you. Rest in peace baba.”

Olaiya played regularly at the Stadium Hotel in Surulere, Lagos, until 2016 when his doctor recommended that he stop performing live due to ill health.