Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe
Encyclopedia
Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe (March, 1936 — May 11, 2007), often referred to as just Osadebe, was an Igbo
Nigeria
n Highlife
musician from Atani
. His career spanned over 40 years, and he is one of the most well known Igbo highlife musicians. His most popular hit was the 1984 "Osondi Owendi" , establishing him as a leader in the highlife genre being the most popular record ever in Nigeria.
, in Southeastern Nigeria. He came from a line of singers and dancers in Igboland
. His genre, Highlife encompassed Igbo musical elements. Along with this, calypso, samba, bolero, rumba, jazz and waltz were also present in Osadebe's musical style. It was in his high school years in Onitsha
, a major commercial city near Atani, that Osadebe grew interested in music.
Osadebe started his career performing at nightclubs in Lagos
in the southwestern region of Nigeria. He gradually worked his way up to releasing his first album in 1958. In his career Osadebe went on to write over 500 songs; half of these songs were released commercially. He had been a part of The Empire Rhythm Orchestra, led by E. C. Arinze in which he had learned much of his music skills.
As he became better established, Osadebe's style matured to include social commentary, similar to, but not as confrontational as Fela Kuti
. Personal trials and tribulations was usually the main topic of his commentaries. Osadebe often extended his tracks for his audiences enjoyment, allowing room for 'people on the dance floor' to indulge in the songs.
Following the Nigerian Civil War
in the late 60's, the massive exodus of the eastern peoples of Nigeria (especially the Igbo) out of western Nigeria had caused the death of the Highlife's prominence in the then capital, Lagos. During the war and after the war Osadebe maintained his scheduled live performances. Juju music
and later Afrobeat
took precedence in Lagos, and in the 70's James Brown and various other music forms became popular in the city. In this same decade Osadebe's career had reached its zenith. After turning 50 in 1986 Osadebe started to give priority to fatherhood and gave more of his time to his son Obiora and his other children from his wives. One of Osita Osadebe's last revered album's is "Kedu America".
Osita Osadebe died in St. Mary's Hospital Waterbury, Connecticut on the 11 May 2007 after suffering from severe respiratory difficulties.
Igbo people
Igbo people, also referred to as the Ibo, Ebo, Eboans or Heebo are an ethnic group living chiefly in southeastern Nigeria. They speak Igbo, which includes various Igboid languages and dialects; today, a majority of them speak English alongside Igbo as a result of British colonialism...
Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
n Highlife
Highlife
Highlife is a musical genre that originated in Ghana in the 1900s and spread to Sierra Leone, Nigeria and other West African countries by 1920...
musician from Atani
Atani
Atani is a city on the eastern bank of the Niger River in Anambra State, Nigeria. It was a town made prosperous by early fisher men and migrant settlers. Atani is still the rice, yam and cassava basin of Anambra state, producing most of the food sold in many markets in Delta and Anambra States...
. His career spanned over 40 years, and he is one of the most well known Igbo highlife musicians. His most popular hit was the 1984 "Osondi Owendi" , establishing him as a leader in the highlife genre being the most popular record ever in Nigeria.
Biography
In March 1936, Osadebe was born in Igbo town of AtaniAtani
Atani is a city on the eastern bank of the Niger River in Anambra State, Nigeria. It was a town made prosperous by early fisher men and migrant settlers. Atani is still the rice, yam and cassava basin of Anambra state, producing most of the food sold in many markets in Delta and Anambra States...
, in Southeastern Nigeria. He came from a line of singers and dancers in Igboland
Igboland
Igboland, or Igbo land , also known as the Ibo, Ebo, and Heebo Country, is a cultural region in Nigeria that includes the indigenous territory and cultural reach of the Igbo people...
. His genre, Highlife encompassed Igbo musical elements. Along with this, calypso, samba, bolero, rumba, jazz and waltz were also present in Osadebe's musical style. It was in his high school years in Onitsha
Onitsha
Onitsha is a city, a commercial, educational, and religious center and river port on the eastern bank of the Niger river in Anambra State, southeastern Nigeria....
, a major commercial city near Atani, that Osadebe grew interested in music.
Osadebe started his career performing at nightclubs in Lagos
Lagos
Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
in the southwestern region of Nigeria. He gradually worked his way up to releasing his first album in 1958. In his career Osadebe went on to write over 500 songs; half of these songs were released commercially. He had been a part of The Empire Rhythm Orchestra, led by E. C. Arinze in which he had learned much of his music skills.
As he became better established, Osadebe's style matured to include social commentary, similar to, but not as confrontational as Fela Kuti
Fela Kuti
Fela Anikulapo Kuti , or simply Fela , was a Nigerian multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, pioneer of Afrobeat music, human rights activist, and political maverick.-Biography:...
. Personal trials and tribulations was usually the main topic of his commentaries. Osadebe often extended his tracks for his audiences enjoyment, allowing room for 'people on the dance floor' to indulge in the songs.
Following the Nigerian Civil War
Nigerian Civil War
The Nigerian Civil War, also known as the Nigerian-Biafran War, 6 July 1967–15 January 1970, was a political conflict caused by the attempted secession of the southeastern provinces of Nigeria as the self-proclaimed Republic of Biafra...
in the late 60's, the massive exodus of the eastern peoples of Nigeria (especially the Igbo) out of western Nigeria had caused the death of the Highlife's prominence in the then capital, Lagos. During the war and after the war Osadebe maintained his scheduled live performances. Juju music
Jùjú music
Jùjú is a style of Nigerian popular music, derived from traditional Yoruba percussion. The name comes from a Yoruba word "juju" or "jiju" meaning "throwing" or "something being thrown." Juju music did not derive its name from juju, which "is a form of magic and the use of magic objects or...
and later Afrobeat
Afrobeat
Afrobeat is a combination of traditional Yoruba music, jazz, highlife, funk and chanted vocals, fused with percussion and vocal styles, popularised in Africa in the 1970s. Its main creator was the Nigerian multi-instrumentalist and bandleader Fela Kuti, who gave it its name, who used it to...
took precedence in Lagos, and in the 70's James Brown and various other music forms became popular in the city. In this same decade Osadebe's career had reached its zenith. After turning 50 in 1986 Osadebe started to give priority to fatherhood and gave more of his time to his son Obiora and his other children from his wives. One of Osita Osadebe's last revered album's is "Kedu America".
Osita Osadebe died in St. Mary's Hospital Waterbury, Connecticut on the 11 May 2007 after suffering from severe respiratory difficulties.