"A country without music is a dead nation"
Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe
His fans called him the"Doctor of hypertension",a reference to the healing power of his music,that joyous,celebratory highlife,the juncture where high-society bands and African rhythms and idioms meet.
Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe reinvented highlife by adding the sounds of merengue and rumba and succeeded in completely transforming it into the call-and-response pattern of African music.
Born in March 1936 in Atani,near the Igbo trading city of Onitsha to Dennis Obi Osadebe and Iyom Nwanjiego in 1934,Osadebe had his early education
On completion of secondary school, Osadebe had a stint as a clerk with the SCOA before plunging into full time music in 1958.
He first joined Stephen Amechi’s Empire Rhythm Skies as a vocalist and maracas player.
Osadebe later left Amechi for such notable bands like the E.C. Arinze’s,Agu Norris’,
Eric Onugha’s Eddy Okonta’s, Chuks Nwamama’s, Zeal Onyia’s and Charles Iwegbue’s groups.
Surprisingly, in 1960, Osadebe quit music and headed for the classroom. For 2 years, between 1960 and 62, he studied Trade Unionism in the Soviet Union.
But after obtaining his diploma, in 1962, Osadebe returned to the country to establish Stephen Osadebe and His Nigerian Sound Makers.
He describes the points of his music as:
"Two personalities were greatly respected and sought-after during those highlife days -the vocalist and the guitar player. The guitarist provided palm wine chords which held the orchestra togetherand also indulged in interminably long guitar solos that kept dancers on the floor for long periods of time.
The vocalist projected the entire band and remained the main focus. Osadebe was one of the leading singers
on the scene - along with Joe Mensah, Tunde Osofisan, Godwin Omabuwa.
Acclaimed for his sonorous voice and rootsy Igbo Iyrics Osadebe recorded about 100 records including singles,extended and lp's in his repertoire
A prolific composer,Osadebe has won many honors and awards including the PMAN award . He also had the title Ogbuefi Ezealulukwu in his village.A real chief!
discography of Stephen Osita Osadebe
Stephen Osita Osadebe passed away at the age of 73 on the 11th of May, 2007.
Emmanuel Obiajulu,Osadebe’s eldest son
followed his father’s footsteps,but unfortunately passed away at the beginning of 09.
more on Obiajulu Osadebe
the evergreen
Obiajulu
My heart has found rest....
(...i can't claim the same but my heart surely melts in joy watching the video
-thanks to codewit from youtube)
He first joined Stephen Amechi’s Empire Rhythm Skies as a vocalist and maracas player.
Osadebe later left Amechi for such notable bands like the E.C. Arinze’s,Agu Norris’,
Eric Onugha’s Eddy Okonta’s, Chuks Nwamama’s, Zeal Onyia’s and Charles Iwegbue’s groups.
Surprisingly, in 1960, Osadebe quit music and headed for the classroom. For 2 years, between 1960 and 62, he studied Trade Unionism in the Soviet Union.
But after obtaining his diploma, in 1962, Osadebe returned to the country to establish Stephen Osadebe and His Nigerian Sound Makers.
He describes the points of his music as:
"Two personalities were greatly respected and sought-after during those highlife days -the vocalist and the guitar player. The guitarist provided palm wine chords which held the orchestra togetherand also indulged in interminably long guitar solos that kept dancers on the floor for long periods of time.
The vocalist projected the entire band and remained the main focus. Osadebe was one of the leading singers
on the scene - along with Joe Mensah, Tunde Osofisan, Godwin Omabuwa.
Acclaimed for his sonorous voice and rootsy Igbo Iyrics Osadebe recorded about 100 records including singles,extended and lp's in his repertoire
A prolific composer,Osadebe has won many honors and awards including the PMAN award . He also had the title Ogbuefi Ezealulukwu in his village.A real chief!
discography of Stephen Osita Osadebe
Stephen Osita Osadebe passed away at the age of 73 on the 11th of May, 2007.
Emmanuel Obiajulu,Osadebe’s eldest son
followed his father’s footsteps,but unfortunately passed away at the beginning of 09.
more on Obiajulu Osadebe
the evergreen
Obiajulu
My heart has found rest....
(...i can't claim the same but my heart surely melts in joy watching the video
-thanks to codewit from youtube)
Shake it, don't break it!!
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