Monday Long Song

Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe was a Nigerian highlife musician and bandleader, whose career stretched over 40 years until his death in 2007 at the age of 71. From 1985's 'Makojo' LP, 'Egwu Ogolo' is a typically joyful sounding piece that is difficult to sit still to. The tune moves, sways and effortlessly draws the listener in, but it's the horns that make it for me. They rarely materialise when I expect them to, or behave exactly as I think they will, but when they do appear everything lifts still further. Although the melody is exuberant, the lyrical subject matter might be a little darker, as the title translates as 'Threats of the Age'.

Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe - Egwu Ogolo