Bisade Ologunde (in Lagos, 1960) is a
Nigerian afrobeat musician, singer-songwriter and percussionist. Widely known as Lágbájá for his signature use of mask which covers his identity. He believes in social reform through music.
Early life and career
Ologunde adopted the name Lágbájá (meaning "Jane Doe" or "John Doe"- A person whose name, identity is intentionally concealed in Yoruba) as he embarked on his career in the early 90s. His name was reflected in his choice of stage attire – a slitted textile and rubber mask adopted so that the artist represented the ‘common man’ in keeping with the carnival tradition of Yoruba Culture. He formed his first small band in 1991 in Lagos after he had taught himself to play the saxophone. With a high quotient of percussion instruments including congas and talking drums, Lagbaja's album ''We Before Me'' (IndigeDisc/PDSE), released in 2000, demanded honesty from politicians and urged brotherhood and unity. He shared lyrics of his songs with a backup singer,
Ego Ihenacho
Nwakaego Ihenacho Ogbaro, known professionally as Ego, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter. Ego has recorded songs such as "Konko Below", "Nothing for You" and "Never Far Away". She frequently went on world tour with Lagbaja. Ego left Africano to ...
, and equally plays tenor saxophone. With a firm, brawny tone akin to that of
John Coltrane and
Pharoah Sanders
Pharoah Sanders (born Ferrell Lee Sanders; October 13, 1940 – September 24, 2022) was an American jazz saxophonist. Known for his overblowing, harmonic, and multiphonic techniques on the saxophone, as well as his use of "sheets of sound", San ...
, he emblazoned the melodies of the songs, sometimes with
Ego
Ego or EGO may refer to:
Social sciences
* Ego (Freudian), one of the three constructs in Sigmund Freud's structural model of the psyche
* Egoism, an ethical theory that treats self-interest as the foundation of morality
* Egotism, the drive to ...
scat-singing along.
Awards
*2006
Channel O Music Video Awards
Channel O Africa Music Video Awards, once known as Spirit of Africa Music Video Awards, are Pan-African music awards organised by South Africa -based Channel O television channel. The awards were first held in 2003 under the name Reel Music Video A ...
– Best Male Video ("Never Far Away")
Discography
* 'Ikira', 1993
* ''Lagbaja'', 1993
* ''Cest Un African Thing'', 1996
* ''ME'', 2000
* ''WE'', 2000
* We and Me Part II, 2000
* ''ABAMI'', 2000
* ''Africano... the mother of groove'', 2005
* ''Paradise'', 2009
* ''Sharp Sharp'', 2009
* ''200 Million Mumu (The Bitter Truth)'', 2012
See also
*
List of Yoruba people
References
External links
Lagbaja's official home page
{{Authority control
Nigerian saxophonists
Year of birth missing (living people)
Nigerian songwriters
Yoruba musicians
Living people
Musicians from Lagos
20th-century Nigerian musicians
21st-century Nigerian musicians
English-language singers from Nigeria
Yoruba-language singers
20th-century saxophonists
21st-century saxophonists
20th-century Nigerian male singers
21st-century Nigerian male singers