Lagbaja

Biography

b. Bisade Ologunde, Lagos, Nigeria. Right now located in Manhattan, NY, USA, Nigerian vocalist Ologunde used the name Lagbaja (indicating ‘private’ or ‘faceless one’ in Yoruba) as he embarked on his profession in the first 90s. His name was shown in his selection of stage dress – a slitted textile and plastic mask adopted so the designer displayed the ‘common guy’ commensurate with the carnival custom of his Yoruba tribe. He created his first little music group in 1991 in Lagos after he previously taught himself to try out the saxophone. With a higher quotient of percussion devices including congas and speaking drums, this group drew its primary inspiration from the original highlife music from the 60s, in addition to western jazz. Pursuing regular shows at the ocean Garden location in Lagos (an aquarium), they quickly built up plenty of local support to obtain bookings in the French Institute. Their debut recording premiered in 1992. Colors – THE COLOR Of Rhythm included variations of stage classics such as for example ‘My Favourite Items’ and ‘Lilli Bolero’, as well as the Beatles’ ‘Last night’, reflecting Ologunde’s long-standing desire for English tradition and music. Not surprisingly, his attempts to really have the recording pressed on compact disk in Britain in 1993 had been aborted once the English Embassy in Lagos refused him a function permit. America became more welcoming. An additional cassette adopted in 1994, a self-titled collection including songs such as for example ‘Naija Must Nice Once again’, which many required to become an assault on Nigeria’s armed service rulers. This theme was continuing on classes for Lagbaja’s 1996 recording. Songs such as for example ‘Bad Management’ worried what Ologunde sights because the biggest issue afflicting modern Africa. He was after that asked from the International Crimson Cross Committee to become listed on Youssou N’Dour, Papa Wemba and Lucky Dube on the Pan-African project to market knowing of humanitarian abuses. Each person in Ologunde’s music group was delivered to chosen troubled regions of Africa and asked to send two music each documenting their encounters. The other individuals joined jointly in Senegal to create and record two of the music at N’Dour’s Xippi studios. The task was also the main topic of a film documentary by Cameroonian movie director Bassek Bakhobio.

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