Nigerian music legend Victor Olaiya passed away yesterday, February 12 at the age of 89. He reportedly died at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital after a brief illness.
The Managing Director of Evergreen Music Company Limited, Bimbo Esho confirmed the story yesterday on a Facebook post.
“The entire music world wishes to announce the death of a legend of highlife music, one of the last man standing, and the last of the original, Dr. Victor Abimbola Olaiya.
“This untimely incident happened at LUTH hospital Lagos State at exactly 12 noon today (Wednesday) February 12, 2020. We pray that the doyen of highlife music finds repose with the creator while wishing the family and entire music community the fortitude to bear this irreplaceable loss,” she shared.
Victor Olaiya is a much-celebrated highlife musician who rose to fame in the 1950s. After playing as a trumpeter for the Old Lagos City Orchestra and the popular Bobby Benson Jam Session Orchestra, Olaiya formed his band the Cool Cats in 1954.
In 1956, he was selected to play at the state ball on Queen Elizabeth II’s highly publicized visit to Nigeria. He also played at state balls when Nigeria became independent and became a republic in 1960 and 1963 respectively.
In 2013, Victor Olaiya released a remix to his classic Baby Jowo (Baby Mi Da) featuring Afropop act, 2baba.
The singer officially announced his retirement from six-decade-long music career in 2017.