Veteran Nigerian musician, Sir Victor Uwaifo, has died, aged 80.
According to The Nation, Uwaifo died this weekend after a brief illness.
After leaving his hometown of Benin, Uwaifo continued playing music at St Gregory’s, Lagos. He was a contemporary of Segun Bucknor, and they were both among the leading Lagos high school bandleaders. During school holidays and weekends, he jammed with Olaiya’s All Stars band. After completing secondary school studies, he played with E.C. Arinze’s highlife during late hours.
Uwaifo also briefly worked with Stephen Osadebe and Fred Coker before he formed Melody Maestros in 1965. The band released “Joromi” which became a hit in Nigeria and other parts of West Africa. Uwaifo made history in Nigeria when he won the first Golden record in Nigeria, West Africa and Africa (presented by Philips, West Africa) for his song “Joromi” in 1996.
