Orlando Julius Aremu Olusanya Ekemodeknown professionally as Orlando Julius or Orlando Julius Ekemode (22 September 1943 – 14 April 2022)[1] is a Nigerian saxophonist, singer, band member, and songwriter associated with afrobeat music.[2]
Julius started playing drums or flute with juju and konkoma bands and learned the saxophone to play music, eventually playing with musicians Jazz Romero, Rex Williams, and Eddie Okonta. He began experimenting with mixing traditional music with trumpet, guitar, and American styles, a combination that became known as afrobeat. He had his first hits with 1965’s “Jagua Nana” and the 1966 album Super Afro Soul. In the 1970s, Julius moved to America, where he formed a band with Hugh Masekela and later worked as a session musician before returning to Nigeria in 1984. A series of re-releases in the 2000s and 2010s led to world tours and collaborations. together with The Heliocentrics. which reached the Billboard World Albums chart.
Orlando Julius was born in 1943 in Ikole, Nigeria during the British colonial period to a business family based in Ijebu-Jesa, Osun.[3][4]. Julius’s first music teacher was his mother, who would sing and dance while he played the drums.[5] He attended St. Anglican School. Peter’s in Ikole and played in the band. In 1957, after he dropped out of school and his father died, he went to Ibadan to pursue a career in music. He worked in a bakery while playing drums or flute with juju and konkoma bands.[6] There was no music school in the area at that time, so Prime Minister Obafemi Awolowo created one at the secretariat of his political party. He spent time trying to hook up with the great Jazz singer Romero, doing jobs for him hoping to gain enough favor for music lessons. Romero invited him to play with a band at a hotel in Ondo, learning his first songs on the instrument he would become famous for, the saxophone. When Romero has a falling out with the nightclub owner and walks out on a gig, Julius steps in as the manager. Not long after, he returned to Ibadan and joined Rex Williams’ band Highlife. Instead of regular lessons, he listens to music as much as he can, buying records of any horn music he can, especially highlife music from Ghana which is popular in Nigeria as well.[7]
In 1960, Eddie Okonta invited Julius to join his band. Okonta’s was one of the most popular acts in Nigeria, and together they sang many songs, played many gigs, and even opened for Louis Armstrong. Julius made his first song titled “Igbehin Adara” with Radio Nigeria this year.[8]
But at that time he was not more interested in the highlife game than “insa”. [wa]I started with traditional ones, added horns and a little guitar, and then made my own.[9] So he formed the Modern Aces in the early 1960s and began mixing pop, R&B, and American soul into the African music he grew up with.[10] They played regularly at the Independence Hotel in Ibadan. The fusion of traditional music with American styles became known as afrobeat, a term coined by Fela Kuti. Kuti would attend Modern Aces shows, and Julius would sometimes bring him on stage to play. According to Julius, it was because of him that Kuti learned to play the saxophone.[11]
Analysts
- ↑ Denselow, Robin (26 April 2022). “Orlando Julius obituary”. The Guardian. Archived from the original on 27 April 2022. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
- ↑ Denselow, Robin (26 April 2022). “Orlando Julius obituary”. The Guardian. Archived from the original on 27 April 2022. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
- ↑ “I owe my music career to Awolowo – Orlando Julius Ekemode”. Modern Ghana. 14 August 2009. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
- ↑ Stewart, Gary (1992). Breakout : profiles in African rhythm. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 0-226-77405-8. OCLC 24379720
- ↑ Kothari, Lopa. “World on 3 – The quiet unassuming man who influenced James Brown – BBC Sounds”. BBC. Archived from the original on 19 September 2020. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
- ↑ Stewart, Gary (1992). Breakout : profiles in African rhythm. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 0-226-77405-8. OCLC 24379720.
- ↑ Stewart, Gary (1992). Breakout : profiles in African rhythm. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 0-226-77405-8. OCLC 24379720.
- ↑ “I owe my music career to Awolowo – Orlando Julius Ekemode”. Modern Ghana. 14 August 2009. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
- ↑ Stewart, Gary (1992). Breakout : profiles in African rhythm. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 0-226-77405-8. OCLC 24379720.
- ↑ Denselow, Robin (4 September 2014). “Orlando Julius with the Heliocentrics: Jaiyede Afro CD review – rousing new set”. The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 17 July 2020. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
- ↑ Kothari, Lopa. “World on 3 – The quiet unassuming man who influenced James Brown – BBC Sounds”. BBC. Archived from the original on 19 September 2020. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
A significant part of his musical inspiration to Orlando Julius’s work, particularly in the fusion of sounds and rhythms that characterized Afrobeat. As for me, Orlando’s innovative approach to music and his blending of genres have encouraged me to explore my own musical identity and to incorporate different influences into my work. His legacy serves as a reminder of the importance of cultural heritage in shaping contemporary music.
As a professional website editor for the website world-today-news.com, I would like to conduct an interview with two guests about the recent passing of Orlando Julius Aremu Olusanya Ekemode. The first guest is a music historian with extensive knowledge of Nigerian music history, and the second guest is a contemporary musician who has been influenced by Orlando Julius’s work.
Historian Guest: Please introduce yourself and your area of expertise.
Music Historian: My name is Issa Sesay, and I am a music historian with a particular interest in the history of Nigerian music. My focus is on the evolution of different music genres in Nigeria and how they have influenced each other over time.
Contemporary Musician: My name is Teniola Apata, and I am a young Nigerian musician who has been inspired by the works of Orlando Julius. I play Afrobeats, a genre that has its roots in Highlife and Fela Kuti’s Afrobeat.
Historian Guest: Can you tell us about Orlando Julius, his early life, and his contribution to the Nigerian music industry?
Contemporary Musician: Orlando Julius was a pioneer in the Nigerian music scene, particularly in the development of Afro-juju and Afrobeat genres. His unique sound was a fusion of traditional Nigerian rhythms and melodies with Western instruments like the saxophone and drums. He played a significant role in helping to establish Nigerian music on the world stage.
Historian Guest: How did Orlando Julius’s upbringing and early exposure to music shape his sound?
Contemporary Musician: His mother introduced him to music at an early age, and he grew up listening to the sounds of juju and konkoma bands. This early exposure to traditional Nigerian music is evident in his compositions, which often incorporate these elements. Additionally, his time spent in Ibadan and working with Rex Williams and Eddie Okonta helped him develop his skills on the saxophone and exposed him to a variety of musical influences.
Historian Guest: What impact did Orlando Julius have on the careers of younger artists like Fela Kuti and yourself?
Contemporary Musician: Fela Kuti attributed
