Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe

Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe
Background information
Birth name	Stephen Osita Osadebe
Also known as	Osadebe, The Doctor of Hypertension
Born	(1936-03-17)17 March 1936 Atani, Colony of Nigeria
Origin	Atani, Nigeria
Died	11 May 2007(2007-05-11) (aged 71) St. Mary's Hospital Waterbury, Connecticut, United States
Genres	Igbo Highlife
Occupation(s)	singer, songwriter, record producer
Years active	1958–2007
Labels	Polygram Records Nigeria
Associated acts	, Prince Nico Mbarga, Rex Lawson, Celestine Ukwu, , Victor Olaiya, , Victor Uwaifo
Website	Chief Osita at Calabash music

Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe (March 17, 1936^[1] – May 11, 2007),^[2] often referred to as just Osadebe, was a Nigerian highlife musician from Atani. During his career spanning over four decades, he became one of the best known musicians of Igbo highlife. His best-known hit was the 1984 single "Osondi Owendi", which established him as a leader in the highlife genre and was one of Nigeria's most popular records ever.^[3]

Biography[]

Osadebe was born in March 1939 in the Igbo town of Atani in Southeastern Nigeria. He came from a line of singers and dancers in Igboland. His genre, Highlife, encompassed Igbo and traditional 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.^[2]

Osadebe started his career singing at nightclubs in Lagos in the southwestern region of Nigeria. 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.^[4] A prolific composer, Osadebe released his first album in 1958, and went on to write over 500 songs; half of which were released commercially.^[2] After stints with the Stephen Amache Band and the Central Dance Band in around 1964,^[4] Osadebe struck out as a bandleader with his group the Sound Makers.^[5]

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 were usually the main topics of his commentaries. He sang in English, pidgin English and Igbo.^[6] Osadebe often extended his tracks for his audience's enjoyment, allowing room for 'people on the dance floor' to indulge in the songs.^[2] His type of music is intensely rhythmic that one finds it difficult not move the body. It is hypnotic and mesmering which keeps one dancing with the rich tone and sounds.^[7]

Osadebe succeeded in breaking away from the conventional big band format established by the pioneers of the music, a format that favored melodic progressions that were in the common meter, church hymnal tradition. He succeeded in completely transforming highlife into the call-and-response pattern of African music.^[4]

Following the Nigerian Civil War in the late 1960s, 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. Jùjú music and later Afrobeat took precedence in Lagos, and in the 1970s James Brown and various other music forms became popular in the city. In this same decade, Osadebe's career had reached its zenith.^[2] 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 albums is Kedu America.^[2]

Osita Osadebe died in St. Mary's Hospital Waterbury, Connecticut on 11 May 2007 after suffering from severe respiratory difficulties.^[3]

Life[]

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His parents' names were Dennis Obi Osadebe and Iyom Nwanjiego-Uzoka Osadebe.

In 1960, Osadebe interrupted his music career and studied economics in the Soviet Union until 1962. During the Nigerian Civil War, he temporarily fled to the South of the country, but was able to continue his career successfully.

He earned the nickname "the Doctor of Hypertension" in reference to "the healing powers of his music".^[6] His music combines Highlife with musical forms of the Igbo people from Nigeria. In addition to grip percussion, guitars and wind instruments dominated his music. Occasionally, saxophone solos can also be heard. He also integrated rhythms such also merengue and rumba into his music.

Osadebe often stretched the length of his songs to give the listener more time to dance. He described his music with the following words:

Two personalities greatly respected and sought after during those highlife days – the vocalist and guitar player. The guitarist provided palm wine chords which held the orchestra together and also indulged in interminably long guitar solos that kept dancers on the floor [for] long periods of time.

He was the first to include critical elements in his famous album "Osondi Owendi" which was the most successful song ever released in Nigeria.

In the late 1980s, Osadebe withdrew increasingly from the music business. In 1995, he went on his first tour in the USA. His album Kedu America from 1996 was considered one of his best.

In Nigeria especially among the Igbo people, Osadebe is regarded as an idol and as the "Elder Statesman" of Highlife music. The State honored Osadebe with the Order of the Niger (OON). The performing musicians of Nigeria named him the best Highlife artist of the year in 1988.

In addition to his music career, he married five women at the same time, and had seven or more children with them and also ran his own hotel.

Discography[]

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Singles

• "United Nigeria" / "Okpaku Elieli" — Stephen Osadebay and Nigerian Soundmakers, 1962-63 (HMV NH37)
• "Sylvanu Olympio" / "Ifeayi Chukwu" — Stephen Osadebay and Nigerian Soundmakers, 1962-63 (HMV NH41)
• "Monkey De Work Baboon De Chop" / "Nwezigbo Omume" — Commander In Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe & His Nigeria Sound Makers, 1971 (6259085 PE)/"Egwu Amala"/"Ndubusi"

Albums

See also[]

• Highlife music
• Igbo music

References[]