Kola Ogunkoya (born 20 August 1967) is a Nigerian
afrobeat musician who uses the term "Afro
Gbedu Gbedu literally means "big drum" and is a percussion instrument traditionally used in ceremonial Yoruba music in Nigeria and Benin.
More recently, the word has come to be used to describe forms of Nigerian Afrobeat and Hip Hop music.
Tradition
T ...
" to describe his style of music, which includes jazz,
highlife,
Jùjú, funk and traditional Yoruba music.
Biography
Kola was born on 20 August in
Owerri,
Imo State
Imo State ( ig, Ȯra Imo) is a States of Nigeria, state in the South East (Nigeria), South-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria, bordered to the north by Anambra State, Rivers State to the west and south, and Abia State to the east. It takes its n ...
,
Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
, but was of
Yoruba
The Yoruba people (, , ) are a West African ethnic group that mainly inhabit parts of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. The areas of these countries primarily inhabited by Yoruba are often collectively referred to as Yorubaland. The Yoruba constitute ...
background, the son of an itinerant police officer.
After moving from
Iboland to
Lagos
Lagos (Nigerian English: ; ) is the largest city in Nigeria and the List of cities in Africa by population, second most populous city in Africa, with a population of 15.4 million as of 2015 within the city proper. Lagos was the national ca ...
, he attended Okota Community High School, a tough environment.
He was a successful amateur boxer as a teenager, but due to opposition to his pursuing this career from his father turned to music, singing and playing trumpet in his local church.
He now plays an array of instruments including saxophone - soprano, alto, tenor and baritone, trumpet, flugel horn, and slide trombone.
He was influenced by artists such as
Fela Anikulapo-Kuti,
Orlando Julius
Orlando Julius Aremu Olusanya Ekemode, known professionally as Orlando Julius or Orlando Julius Ekemode (22 September 1943 – 14 April 2022) was a Nigerian saxophonist, singer, bandleader, and songwriter closely associated with afrobeat music.
...
,
Dr Victor Abimbola Olaiya,
Dayo Kujore
''Dayo: Sa Mundo ng Elementalia'' () also called ''Niko: The Journey to Magika'' in English-speaking countries, is a 2008 Filipino animated adventure-fantasy comedy film and the Philippines' first all-digital full-length animated feature film. Pr ...
and
King Sunny Adé, and for two years played with Olaiya.
At age 18 he formed his own band in Lagos. Kola and his 15-piece ''Afro jazz Ensemble'', which includes female dancers, has performed all over the globe.
[
He went to USA in 1996 where he had a successful tour. On return to Nigeria he opened a cultural club for Art and Music in Opebi, Allen, Lagos. He lost his investment to a corrupt businessman, and his brother was murdered in front of the club. Due to these experiences he returned to the US, where he gained citizenship.
By 2010 he had recorded 8 CDs.]
Discography
*''Na jeje ooo'' (1990)
*''Kola Ogunkoya - Loud''
*''Pan Pan Robo Robo''
*''Kola Omo Baba Olopa''
External links
*
*
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ogunkoya, Kola
Musicians from Owerri
Living people
Yoruba musicians
Nigerian male musicians
1967 births
American people of Yoruba descent
Nigerian emigrants to the United States
Yoruba-language singers
People with acquired American citizenship