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Oliver de Coque died at a private hospital on Friday about 5pm of health issues related to cardiac arrest. He was rushed to the hospital by 2pm after he complained of dizziness and three hours later the Anambra-born highlife musician gave up the ghost.
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Oliver de Coque during his lifetime was an accomplished musician who became popular with his brand of highlife. He started playing music in 1974 after he learnt how to play guitar from Piccolo and he has about 86 albums to his credit. He played a major role during civil war playing music for the Biafran soldiers.
What makes his death pathetic is that his mother’s corpse is still in the morgue. She died sometimes ago and has since been deposited in the mortuary because Oliver was planning to finish the house he was building in his village.
He shot to limelight in 1979 when he released People’s Club Ka anyi bili be ndu (People’s Club let us enjoy ourselves). The album was said to have sold over 2 million copies at the time. Among his hits are Funny Funny Identity, Ugbana, Easter Special, Ana enwe obodo enwe, and a couple of others. Messiah his first album was released in 1974.
He will be remembered for his praise singing and unique voice, and his shinning bears. His image loomed large across the nation and even beyond. His popularity was not in doubt such that so many people thought he was a Cameroonia. Oliver who got married at the age of 20 is survived by children and grand-children.
By SAMUEL OLATUNJI The Sun
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Discography of Oliver de Coque (Oliver Sunday Akanite)
Together with Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe and the various Orientals off-shoots, Oliver De Coque (b. Oliver Sunday Akanite) can be considered one of the prime exemplars of and chief innovators in contemporary Igbo popular music. Of these musicians, he has done the most to integrate contemporary highlife and traditional Igbo music. Indeed, his trademark "system" or "style" takes its name from the Ogene, a double-headed bell used in traditional Igbo music. One of Africa's greatest guitarists, he has been much inspired by Congolese soukous, and this is shown to good form in such releases as 1985's "Nne Bu Oyoyo / Ezigbo Nna." "Omumu Onye Nzoputa (Jesu Kristi) / Olu Ebube Nke Onye Nweayi" from 1983 shares a guitar line with the tune "Nanu Lubutu" by Congolese group Minzoto Wella-Wella.
De Coque hails from Ezinifite, Nnewi South LGA, Anambra State, and got his musical start in 1965 at the age of 17 playing ekpili, a form of Igbo traditional music. In 1970, following the defeat of the Biafran war of independence, he got a job playing with a Lagos group, Sunny Agaga & his Lucky Star Band. Shortly after he engaged with Jacob Oluwole & his Friendly Unity Band, and was featured on their hit "Agbasisi." De Coque's stint with this group was also short-lived, and in 1973 he took up with Sule Agboola & his Moonlight Star Band.
As this discography shows, De Coque has continued into the '90s with his usual fecundity. In addition to his singing career he has also branched out into the acting field, appearing in several Nigerian video releases. While De Coque still delivers a great stage show, his last few releases have been rather weak. His younger brother Eugene, however has ably carried on the "Ogene" tradition with his updated "Igede" sound (see his separate discography below).
Two of De Coque's sons have also recently entered the musical field. One, Oliver Sunday Akanite Jr., released his first album, Onye Juru Ase in early 2004, while Darlington Akanite hopes to make his mark in the burgeoning Nigerian hip-hop field.
John Beadle.
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Posted by Uwaa Sef| 21.06.2008 22:51