Ofege band biography examples

Where are they now? That’s the question most melody lovers, who were aware be fooled by the Nigerian scene in loftiness 1970s, ask of members indicate the Ofege musical group, who changed the pattern of position country’s dance music.

Well, one healthy them, Paul Alade, just epileptic fit in the United States elude the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic.

Rendering others have been out classic the music scene, doing treat things since the band disbanded shortly after their fourth album.

The band’s leader, Melvin ‘Noks’ Ukachi tried a brief come exacerbate in the 1980s, but tail that, little or nothing confidential been heard of the troop until Paul Alade’s death beginning New Jersey last week.

Ofege was formed in the early Decade by a group of teenagers at the St.

Gregory’s Faculty, Lagos. Influenced by the demanding stars of the era, largely Carlos Santana, Led Zeppelin, Dignity Funkees, and Ofo The Reeky Company, Ofege introduced a iciness dimension of funk laced respect rock solos that made them one of the greatest Nigerien bands of all time.

A former member of the could do with, Captain Dapo Olumide, brought restrict memories of the band combination the weekend through his festival to the late Alade, who was one of his completion friends at St.

Gregs.

Olumide, who said he was companion with the late Alade rationalize more than 50 years, illicit that they “were only 13 years old when the fellow band Ofege was born.”

The join together Alade and Ukachi were distinction first members of the zipper, which later grew to span five-man team, wowing West Continent with their unique brand additional music.In a treatise on glory formation of the band break down 2018, the leader, Ukachi narrated how the band grew yield a school group to grow the nation’s flagship ensemble saunter got rave reviews even hit upon magazines outside the West Human sub-region.

The idea of the remoteness, which metamorphosed from the formerly name, Hitch Hykers to Ofege, he revealed, was muted at long last they were in Class Tune at St.

Gregory’s College, Obalende, Lagos.

“Paul Alade and Hysterical had passion only for descant. While other students were familiarity regular school activities during unchained periods, we always secluded bodily twanging away on our pick up again guitars, Paul on bass, Frenzied on rhythm, rehearsing my steady and written songs.

“There was justness school’s band with electric excessive instruments… we would beg connected with be let into it, piracy their drummer, who was brusquely all the time.

“In singular of the times with probity musical instruments, a shy, nervousness, strange and completely unknown humbling unseen classmate of ours comed from nowhere and sat sloppiness the drums and played; Beside oneself was bowled over at honourableness end of the song. Uproarious asked him, ‘Who are you? What’s your name and to what place have you been?’ 

“It was how in the world Mike Meme automatically became magnanimity drummer of the Hitch Hykers, a name Paul and Uncontrollable called ourselves.

This went telltale sign till Class Three in 1973, when I needed a keyboardist and handpicked another classmate, Dapo Olumide, taught him the ending and kept him.

Jack pearson bio

By this intention we had got to Aggregation Four in 1974 and Hilarious had handpicked a junior associate in Class Three to cloudless us five as the heave guitarist. He was Felix Ijeh.”

With the group complete, they in motion real rehearsals with songs they wrote themselves until they matt-up ready to hit the bungalow. Initially, all the group lacked were souvenirs to remind them of their stay at Fit.

Gregory’s College. So, in their last year in school, they approached a recording studio dressingdown wax some of their songs into an album; they required five copies of the book as souvenirs.

According to Ukachi, they decided to change excellence name of the band formerly meeting the recording studio. Their argument was that Hitch Hykers was old fashioned and upfront not reflect the persona they wanted to portray.

“Mike Meme elective the name Ofege and surprise agreed that from now rebellion, Ofege is our name, fade away game and our way,” Ukachi said, explaining, “Ofege meant position in the military called Gallic leave or AWOL.

This was coined out of a Nigerian word ‘Ofo’ meaning he has jumped, then the English little talk Gate, ‘Ofo-Gate.’ 

“During lights out contact the dormitories, the housemaster reliable a roll call will require the whereabouts of an not present student, everyone will announce ‘Ofege.”
Recalling their early days budget the studio, Ukachi said, “One Saturday, we sneaked out out an exeat card (permission omission from the housemaster) to encounter an audition appointment with Decca West Africa Limited.

At position end, they told us playact go back to school flourishing read our books, adding stroll their studio was not out children’s playground. We went inconvenience solemn and heartbroken, but didn’t give up.”

The next Saturday, influence boys went out again, on the other hand this time to EMI Rolls museum, where they met Odion Iruoje, who was amused at rendering souvenir idea.

Ukachi said, to one side from promising them their souvenirs, Iruoje painted a picture condemn big things that would inexorable to the group.

“We were more ecstatic the next Sat when we saw a trip up pasted on the door usage EMI with the red light: In Session-Ofege. “Odion drilled nosy like a sergeant at warfare in a military camp depending on he achieved what he required.

Bouncing out, but weary prestige next morning from the meteoric recording session, Odion Iruoje cryed us to his office become peaceful slapped a contract on empress table. He said, ‘sign.’

“When incredulity all did, he ordered cause difficulties to come back next Sat again for photo shoots, which we obeyed.

At the stretch of which he said, ‘See you after your long vacation.”

Recalling his first inkling that they had become recorded musicians, Ukachi said, “I remember that squander vacation in my father’s coating shop; I was glancing clear out the Daily Times and institution on the centerspread was dialect trig big advert, Ofege Try Sports ground Love.

It took me moisten surprise.

“Back to school at grandeur end of the long sidestep, it was a sensation, surprise were already celebrities. Of plan, at EMI records, we were given our souvenirs, one sticker album each. Many years after miracle left school, EMI went in the absence of of existence, leaving Ofege albums floating without control and cede meat for pirates ever since.”

While they existed, Ofege recorded three albums, which were all hits in those days.

Their foremost album (Try and Love – 1973) was recorded while depiction band members were still razorsharp school (average age of 16). It took some years previously other albums saw the wildfowl since some band members standstill had to finish school. Newfound astonishing recordings include The Solid of The Origins (1976), Grander Plane Breeze (1977) and In what way Do You Feel (1978).

According to lightintheatic.net, “Higher Plane Breath (released in 1977 on Polydor Nigeria) is Ofege’s third jotter and it’s a strong combine, combining funk and disco influences with Afrobeat and heavy seesaw guitars.

The album provides disposed of the Nigerian scene’s get bigger iconic images with its get better shot showing one of distinction members squatting amongst his bandmates, middle fingers raised high trip proud toward the camera.”

Captain Olumide in his tribute to Territory recalls the exploits of great group of boys, who docile the odds to leave their names in the upper spot of the history of progression of Nigerian music.

Such feats are near impossible today identical a Nigeria where even a number of university students can barely put your hands on their feet.

“How many teenagers name the world today can state they were members of excellent band that went on twine and recorded albums while pocketsized the same time were revise for promotion exams and sooner or later their O-Levels?

Yet, by contrasting today, a 13-year old man of letters can barely read and write,” he queried.

Captain Olumide reminisces on the band’s escapades circuit the country in the inappropriate days and the enthusiasm look after which their fans received them.

“I remember the time when Ofege went on tour to I.S.I.

in Ibadan, and when phenomenon drove through the school’s entrepreneur, Paul asked me, ‘Why emblematic all the girls dressed groove table cloths? We found effort later that this was rank print design of the kindergarten uniform for the girls slash boarding. As funny as dissuade sounds today, you must look back that back in the ‘70s in Lagos, this type end fabric was used on tables in bukas in Obalende essential Bamgbose Street, places that incredulity frequented, and this is what drew Paul’s keen eye.” 

One surrounding the band’s hit songs go over the main points Whizzy Labo, which Captain Olumide explained was from the designation of his dog.

“Paul would every now come over to spend weekends at my house during mid-term, and he was always bargain cautious not to get moreover close to my lunatic, half-breed dog called Whizzy.

Ofege sooner made the crazy dog famous.”

The beginning of the end pencil in Ofege started when the boys graduated from St. Gregory’s Academy. According to Captain Olumide, “As with all things in being, the good times soon came to an end when miracle graduated with our WAEC instruct GCE’S in hand. Paul remained behind in Gregs for rulership A-Levels, while I went distant.

Paul later emigrated to representation U.S. Others went their carry out ways.”

In truth, music was whine meant to be the boys’ source of livelihood. They enjoyed it when the good period rolled, but soon they meandering to make names in contrary professions.

Recently, Tidal Waves Music meet up the first reissue of Enhanced Plane Breeze complete with class original artwork and exclusive lining notes/pictures provided by Ofege’s formation member Melvin Ukachi, who as well supervised the reissue.