…The secrets he shared with me before he died
Since legendary highlife singer, Chief Oliver
Sunday Akanite popularly known as Oliver De
Coque who bestrode the Nigerian music scene
like a colossus for more than three decades died
about nine years ago, nothing much have been
heard of his ogene music. But with the recent
switch to highlife music, by his son, Darlington
Akanite, Oliver’s ogene music will dominate the
air space again. Fondly called Safein De’ Coque by his fans,
Darlington, who was initially a hip hop singer
recently switched to highlife music just to revive
his late father’s music. This sudden movement,
according to the bearded singer, is inspired by
the insistence of his teeming fans who have
severally advised him to return to his roots.
“I have been in the music industry for many
years now, doing hip hop. But recently , I
switched to highlife music following the
reactions I get from fans. Whenever I’m
performing on stage, fans would applaud me but
some of them would call me by the side and tell
me that even though they like my music, I should
not allow my father’s ogene music to die,” Safein
said, in a chat with Sidebeat.
According to him, “since then, I have been trying
to ally myself with highlife.”
For Darlington, playing his late father’s kind of
music gives him peace of mind. He has been in
the music industry for many years now. Even
though he has no album to his credit, he has,
however, done a couple of songs with the like of
rapper Phyno, Flavour among others. He also has
some songs online.
He continued, “ Right now, I’m beginning to
focus on highlife music. I’m playing my dad’s
kind of music because it brings that peace of
mind to me. That’s why I decided to follow the
footsteps of my late dad.”
On whether his late dad prepared him to take
after him in music, the hip hop turned highlife
music singer said, he cut his teeth as a singer
while growing up. But his dad officially
introduced him into music when he was 20 years.
“While I was growing up, I was writing my own
songs and I never told my dad. The day he got
to know that I have passion for music was when
he was performing in Ibadan. While on stage, he
spotted me in the midst of his band members.
He was surprised as he said to me , I should
have told me that I have passion for music.
Since that day, he started taking me along
whenever he was going for shows,”Darlington
narrated.
Talking about his relationship with his late father,
Darlington said, he never knew his mother as a
child, a sad experience that brought him closer
to his dad. Narrating further, the rising highlife
singer said that his late dad believed in him so
much that each time he was writing a song, he
would want him to comment on the song. “He
used to write his songs in three stages. After the
second stage, he would ask me to comment on
the song. Sometimes, I would tell him that I was
too young to assess his song. That he was the
famous Oliver De Coque and he should be the
one telling himself the truth. But he would insist
that nobody is a custodian of knowledge,” he
added.
Darlington expressed his preparedness to step
into his late dad’ big shoes. Though he doubts
the possibility of any member of their family
surpassing the legacy the king of Ogene music
left behind.
He said, “We can only try to keep his memories
alive. My dad really worked hard to distinguished
himself in the highlife music genre. I had stories
of how he used to carry his musical instruments
on his head whenever he was going for shows.
Then there was no buses to convey the
instruments to the show venue. Despite all the
frustrations, he did not give up on his dream.”
Recalling how the legendary highlife singer gave
up the ghost at Jollad hospital, Gbagada, Lagos,
Darlington said, his dad passed away shortly
after sharing some secrets he wouldn’t wan to
reveal now with him. “Before he passed away, he
shared some secrets with me which I wouldn’t
want to reveal for now. So, the shock wasn’t
really that much. When the news of his demise
was broke to me, I only muted, Dad why!
Thereafter, I closed his eyes, mouth, and later
kissed his forehead,”Safein recounted. Oliver,
who hail from Ezinifite, Nnewi South Local
Government Area of Anambra State died on June
28, 2008, in Lagos. Nile his death, he had 73
albums to his credit, including hits like Otimkpu,
People’s Club of Nigeria, and Mbiri Ka Mbiri
among others. With his band, Ogene Super Sound
of Africa, Oliver, blended modern and traditional
Igbo music to form a unique mix of highlife
sound. Apart from Darlington, two sons of Oliver
De Coque, Oliver Sunday Akanite (Jnr.) and
Chinedu Akanite, are also professional musicians.
Popularly known as ‘Solar De Coque’ and ‘Edu De
Coque’ respectively, they have stepped into the
shoes of their father by playing the same Ogene
music and keeping intact the band he left
behind.
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