Victor Olaiya Dies At 89

By Akinwale Kasali

Veteran Highlife Musician, Victor Olaiya has bid the world farewell at the age of 89 years

The ‘Baby Jowo Ko Ma Yi Lo’, crooner, died today, though the cause of his death was known as at press time, but the Highlife maestro few years back loss his daughter, a Nollywood actress, Moji Olaiya, to cold hands of death after child birth in Canada.

Breaking the news, his record label, Evergreen Music Company, through its managing director, said it was regrettable to announce the passing away of the last man standing in its record label.

“The entire music world wish to announce the death of a Legend of Highlife music, One of the last man standing, the last of the original Dr Victor Abimbola Olaiya OON. We pray that the soul of the Doyen of highlife music finds repose with his creator while wishing the family and entire music community the fortitude to bear this irreplaceable loss,” he said.

Olaiya was born on 31 December 1930, in Calabar, Cross River State, the 20th child of a family of 24.

At an early age, he learned to play the Bombardon and the French Horn. After leaving school he moved to Lagos, where he passed the school certificate examination in 1951 and was accepted by Howard University to study civil Engineering.

His love for music propelled him to form a band in 1951 called the Cool Cats, playing popular highlife music.

His band was chosen to play at the state ball when Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom visited Nigeria in 1956, and later to play at the state balls when Nigeria became independent in 1960 and when Nigeria became a republic in 1963.

Olaiya will be missed for his uniqueness when performing Highlife music.