ORLANDO JULIUS: I CREATED AFROBEAT

Orlando Julius
A veteran of the modern African Highlife and Afrobeat music, Orlando Julius Ekemode popularly known as O.J began his musical career early in life. In 1958, at the age of 15, Orlando got into the mainstream of music business having grown up with traditional drums like 'sakara', 'gangan' and 'bata'.

Two years earlier, at the age of 13, he had performed his first show as a conga player with a local Kokoma band based in his hometown, Ijebu-Ijesha, Osun State. But in 1958, he went fully professional by playing the trap drums for the Modupe Dance Band in Ondo, Ondo State.

At Orlando's insistence, band leader, Jazz Romero began to teach him the rudiments of saxophone. However, few months into the training, Romero departed leaving the band without a leader and Orlando with a tutor.  But then Romero's departure marked the turning point in Orlando's musical destiny as the lot fell on him to lead the band later known as the Flamingo Dandies. And as the bandleader, O.J, by listening to jazz greats like John Coltrane and Charlie Parker, continued to master his favourite instrument – the saxophone.

O.J later dumped Flamingo Dandies and joined his brother, I.K Dairo's Blue Spot Band in Ilesha. But he did not stay long with Dairo as he returned to Ibadan to play with late highlife maestro, Eddy Okonta. In 1965, seemingly restless and peripatetic, Orlando left Okonta's band and decided to form his own band known as The Modern Aces. Through the band, Orlando released his debut album, 'Jagua Nana' on the Phillips label in 1965.

'Jagua Nana' was a hit. It shot the relatively unknown Orlando into the limelight and paved the way for other hit singles like 'Topless', 'Ololufe', 'Iselogun Ise', and the much popular 'Super Afro Soul' released in 1968 on Polydor label. Orlando later re-named his band Afro Sounders and went ahead to drop six more albums which became successful both in Africa and Europe, all selling well over 500,000 copies. It afforded his fans all over the world to listen to the Orlando's trademark sound - a mixture of conga, trap, and traditional talking drum rhythms, fused with a generous dose of R&B and jazz influenced horn riffs.

Building on the fame brought by the success of his albums in Europe, Orlando in 1972, embarked on a tour of the United Kingdom, Italy and Germany. Then in 1974, he came to America to spread the gospel of Afrobeat and also learn the techniques of record production. But rather than go back to where he came from, like a magnet, Orlando got stuck to America and decided to make the 'God's own country' his home.

The musician, who took up resident in Oakland, California in 1978 and shortly after formed his band known as O.J Ekemode and Ashiko, has performed in every nook and corner of America, doing what he calls 'energizing and healing with Afrobeat'.

In deed, Orlando has performed with world acclaimed stars like Mighty Sparkle, Third World Earth, Wind and Fire, Smokey Robinson, Carlos Santana, and The Spinners. He co-starred with Hugh Masekela in an American tour and worked on his two albums entitled, 'The Boys Doin' It' and 'Colonial Man' both released by Casablanca. It was Orlando who wrote the song 'Ashiko' in Masekela's 'The 'Boys Doin' It', which turned out to be the hit track of the album. His arrangement of Lamont Dozier's 'Going Back To My Root' as indeed helped to create a hit for the Black American pianist of Motown Holland - Dozier - Holland fame.

To further drive home his Afrobeat message, Orlando created and presented a TV show called Afrobeat Video on channel 19 where he talked about African music and featured African music stars like Sunny Ade, Manu Dibango, and Miriam Makeba among others. Orlando's memorable moments perhaps were his performance in Carnegie Hall, a dream concert hall for every American musician, and his performance at the Columbia National Festival which inspired the song, 'Columbia' released in America among several others like 'From Selena to Soweto', 'Sisi Sade', and 'Dance Afrobeat'.

Having achieved his main aim of propagating the gospel of Afrobeat all over the world, after 25 years in America, Orlando finally returned to his fatherland, Nigeria in 1999. Vastly enriched by his international experience and exposure, Orlando has been exposing young talents by linking them to the world.

As part of his effort to develop the music industry, the legendary musician has established a music company, Afrobeat Records with a studio that parades the best of analogue and digital technology. Since his return, Orlando has featured in some musical shows, but recently he celebrated 50 years on stage with a grand show at the Airport Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.

Recently, you celebrated 50 years on stage, how has the journey been?

The journey has been so great. Everything you do in life, you should always put God first. I know that God gave me the talent to play music. I knew this when I was in elementary school, in St. Peters Anglican School, Ikole Ekiti. Everybody loved me in the school because I could play different kinds of musical instruments. I ended up becoming the school's bandleader.

Again, I thank God that my mother was fully talented. My father being a trader, my mother helped him to sell goods. So, in the evenings, after dinner, my mother will start weaving aso oke, and while she is weaving, she will be singing. Then I will go and pick my sakara drum, sit by her side and start playing and singing along with her. I was three or four years old then. My mother really encouraged me, maybe because she could sing and dance. Even then she belonged to Egbe Amuludun, a dancing and singing group.

Can we then say your mother inspired you to play music?

Yes.
What was the first musical instrument that you mastered perfectly?

As I told you earlier, I belonged to the school band in my elementary school where we used to play every morning for the pupils to match into their classrooms. I didn't participate much in physical exercises during this period; I preferred to stay with the band and play the drum set. Wherever the drum was, you find me there. Some of our teachers could sing and play musical instruments. They would write music, as in real music notes, and we'll perform them. This really helped me.

How many wives and children did your father have?
My father had eight children from two women. He died of malaria in 1955 at about 60 or 70 years old. When my father died, things fell apart. I was 12 years old when I lost my father. I'd already started secondary school but had to drop out of school so the family could finance my elder brother's education.

After the death of my father, I told my mother that I was going to Ibadan to look for job. When I got to Ibadan, I joined a band. The name of the band was J. Oyetiku Band. I also worked in a bakery called Famoriyo Bread. We were being paid in cash and kind. Sometimes, they gave us money and at other time, they gave us loaves of bread and I love to eat bread. From the money they paid me, I was able to feed, pay the rent of my one-room apartment at Oke Padre, and also gave some money to the band. This money, coupled with the money people sprayed me at parties, had sustained me in Ibadan.

What lessons of life did you take away from your father?

My father wanted me to be good. He wanted me to be successful. He wanted me to go to school and become either a medical doctor or an engineer. My father didn't want me to be a musician. Any time he saw me playing music he would be angry because he wanted me to read my books, do my homework and excel.

When I was at Ikole Ekiti, there was a group I used to teach how to play musical instruments. When I joined the group, I was playing bongo drum for them. At that time, there was no electricity in Ikole. So, we used to carry gas lamps as we performed all over the place. One gas lamp would be in the front and the other will be at the back.

Then, I was young and small in stature. But other band members used to complain that they can't be carrying lamp while a younger person like me will be playing drums and taking the glory. Yes, they knew that any time I played the bongo people admired and gave me money. Perhaps, out of envy, the band members ganged up against me and insisted that I must carry one of the lamps.

One day, it was my turn to carry the lamp. As we were approaching my father's shop, I saw him standing outside and there was nothing I could do than to continue moving. My father wanted me to go to school but here was I playing drums all over the time. My father saw me and was very angry. He gave me a sign and I knew I was in trouble. I got home that night, not knowing he had already instructed my mother to put my supper close to where he was. As I was picking my food, he descended on me and beat the hell out of me. But my mother never got angry with me. In fact, she was my inspiration.

Were you really playing for money?
At that time I was not playing the drums for money. It was for pleasure. So all the money I collected while playing, I gave to the band. I was not playing music for money by then, I was playing music because I just loved it. Of course, that time, my father was a rich trader, so we were comfortable at home. My mother was my father's second wife. The first wife was betrothed to my father. The two wives were from the same street in Ijebu-Ijesha, and were very close to each other. As a matter of fact, it was the first wife that brought my mother to my father. And they were able to live in harmony without quarrels.

The first wife brought home another woman to your father, was she childless?

In fact, I didn't know and I didn't ask because I was very young. You dared not ask questions then because we lived as one family. The bond was very strong. My mother and my stepmother have four children each. We children all regarded the two women as our mother.

Who taught you how to play saxophone?
In Ibadan, when I was playing with the band, I found out that Chief Obafemi Awolowo, who was the leader of the Action Group, brought free education to the Western Region. He was not able to put music in schools but he decided to buy musical instruments and set up big bands at Oke-Ado, Ibadan for people who wanted to become musicians to come there and learn irrespective of tribe and nationality.

Top musicians like Eddy Okonta, Chris Ajilo, Eric Akaeze, Roy Chicago, Akanbi Moses, Alaba Pedro, Dele Ojo, Bola Johnson and some of Victor Olaiya's boys were all there. Awolowo employed so many music teachers to teach people there. From there, I was able to learn so many musical instruments like saxophone, guitar, trumpet, drum set etc.

Which was the first professional band you played with?

The first professional band I played with was Eddy Okonta's band in 1968. We used to play at the Paradise Hotel, Oke Bola, Ibadan. I was playing tenor saxophone for the band. I was also the arranger of the horns section of Eddy Okonta's band. After then, I formed a band and left for Ijebu Ode to record a song, Mo ri sisi kan, which was a hit. I.K. Dairo then came to Ijebu-Ode and advised me to leave the club where I was playing.

He told me of a man who had musical instruments and needed someone to help him form a band. He then advised me to go and help the man form a band. I got together instrumentalists like Isiaka, Jimi Solanke, who was a singer in my band, and some other people and headed for Ilesha. In 1961, because I. K Dairo had so many engagements that he couldn't play, he invited us to play for him, which we did. We were called I.K. Dairo and the Globetrotters Band. We started making money that some of I.K Dairo's band boys got jealous. They advised him to take his instruments back from Julius. I was not even known as Orlando then. After I.K Dairo took away his instruments, I returned to Ibadan.

At what point did you form your own band?
After I returned to Ibadan, I decided to form my own band with my name, Orlando Julius. Before then, I had gone to WNTV and met with Pa Orlando Martins, the popular actor. I asked him for permission to adopt his name, Orlando as my stage name and he obliged. I took Orlando from Pa Martins and added it to my name, Julius, and that's how I became, till today, Orlando Julius.

The first song I recorded in 1960 was Igbeyin adara and when Phillips Records signed me on, I recorded Jagua Nana. I wanted my highlife to be different; that was why I became the one that started Afrobeat.

Are you saying it was you and not Fela that created Afrobeat?

My first album on Phillips Polydor was Afro Soul. That was in 1964 after Jagua Nana came out. Fela was not playing Afrobeat then. He studied Jazz music in Europe and knew how to play trumpet very well. He came back home and was playing popular highlife with jazz arrangement. At that time, people used to come to us and ask what kind of music we play and we would tell them it's Afro, because then, we could play all kinds of music apart from highlife. The expatriates who patronised my club used to enjoy my music, which was Afro.

How many songs do you have up to date?
I have over 200 songs till date.
How do you get inspiration to write all these songs?

My inspiration is God. I don't believe I needed to smoke India Hemp to get inspiration. I don't believe I had to drink before I could perform. As a mater of fact, I don't drink and smoke. One day, I took half a cup of beer and I wasn't able to play that night,

A top musician told me some years ago that there is virtually no musician who doesn't get high on something before mounting the stage. Is it true?

For me, music is natural. When I sleep, I do get words to songs. When I wake up, I just put instruments into them. My band boys know me well that I can play different types of instrument and inspirations will keep coming,

Are you a womanizer?
I am not a womaniser. At that time, I was not into lovey-dovey thing; I was into music. So many women came to my show more than men. Some of the songs that I composed like Jaqua Nana, Ololufemi, Ma fagba seyeye and Ise igun ise - all have moral lessons. I wrote songs that teach people to do good. When ladies come to my show, they greet me and I greet them as well, and immediately they notice that I am too busy with my music, they retreat. Sometimes the desperate ones would approach some of my band members, begging to be taken to me. They all wanted to meet Orlando Julius. But at that time, I did not believe in having lovers, not that I did not have girlfriends but some of them were in school, they didn't have time for me, which was even good.

Is it true that musicians cannot do without women, like an artiste once told me?

When I perform, there were more women than men at my show. As you know women love music. For instance, some men would come and thank me for my song, Ololufe. They would say the song had helped a great deal while toasting their lovers. No, I did not compose Ololufe for a particular woman. I wrote it so that people can relate to it. I wrote some moral songs too, like Osika and E mura sise'.

Who were the women you had relationship with?
The women I had relationship with? I had relationship with a woman in Ibadan. Her name was Shayo. It was she that had my first son, Tunde. I couldn't marry because her mother did not want her to marry a singer. She became pregnant when she was in school and her mother took her away from me to abort the pregnancy. I was not happy but I had to carry on with life and everything was going on well. I didn't allow her mother's decision to bother me because I was a popular musician. I was playing at University of Ibadan's Havana Carnival. A lot of musicians that were known in this country were coming to me and I was tutoring them. I mean musicians like Tunji Oyelana and many others.

Why would the woman insist on aborting your child?
I wouldn't know. Well, she used to see some musicians womanising, drinking, and smoking India hemp. So, she thought that musicians are not responsible. However, Shayo was also not happy with her mother's decision to abort the pregnancy. The funniest part of it was that when Shayo became pregnant, she did not tell me about it. Rather, she went to one of my band members and asked to be taken to my mother in Ijebu-Ijesha.

Shayo ran to my mother in Ijebu-Ijesha and told her that she was pregnant for me, and that her mother was threatening to abort the pregnancy. On hearing this, my mother immediately took her in. Later, when Shayo could not be seen at home, her mother, including her grandmother, came to my house looking for her. They thought I was hiding her in my room. But they searched and could not find her in my house. I did not even know that she was with my mother in Ijebu-Ijesha.

How did you resolve it?
One day, I went to Ijebu-Ijesha and saw Shayo. I was shocked to see her heavily pregnant and living with my mother. I decided to bring her to my house in Ibadan. When she was about to give birth, I took her to the University College Hospital, Ibadan where she had Tunde. But somehow, her mother still insisted that she should leave me after she delivered. She listened to her mother and that's how we parted ways. It was much later that her mother found out who Orlando Julius was. When she discovered that I was a totally different musician, she took a liking to me.

Have you seen her after then?
Yes, before I went to the United States in 1974, I saw her. Also, anytime I came home I went to see her but at that time she had already got married and her husband was so understanding and nice to me. He took proper care of my son when I was not around. In fact, the man treated my son the same way he treated his own children.

When Shayo left, did you get married to another woman?

Before I left Nigeria in 1974, there was a singer/dancer in my band called Dada. She was from Rivers State. She was very nice to me. She was always coming to cook for me. You know when a woman wants to get a man, she would stop at nothing. In fact, women can do anything to achieve their aims. I didn't know that Dada had an agenda.

One thing led to another and she got pregnant. My first woman, Shayo, got to know about the pregnancy because she had people who were giving her information about my condition. So, she began threatening Dada. When Dada could no longer stand the threats, she said she wanted to go to my mother in Ijebu-Ijesha to have the baby but I declined. All of a sudden, she disappeared and I didn't see her again. I continued with my music.

I had so many variety shows on NTA Ibadan and the producer then was Segun Sofowote. Also at that time, Segun Olushola was working at NTA Ibadan. Through the show, I gained a lot of fans. I started playing for important personalities like Chief Rotimi Williams whose parties were always attended by top politicians like Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Fani Kayode and others. Even when Awolowo came back from prison, he invited me to come and play at his birthday.

To be continued next week.