Lifestyle
Oliver De Coque: He Had Beards And Identity
By Augustine Adah
When Sunday Akanite, (Oliver De Coque) was born on April 14 1947, in Ezinifite, Nnewi South, Anambra State little did the parents know that he would grow to become one of Africa’s most prolific recording artistes.
His debut album, Messiah, Messiah in 1977 defined the success that followed his musical career. The legendary artiste went on to produce not less than 93 albums.
His dance-inspiring “Ogene” style of Nigerian high life, which blended modern high life and traditional Igbo music, produced such hits as
“People’s club of Nigeria” “nempi social club”, “Biri Ka Mbiri,” “Ana
Enwe,” “Nnukwu Mmanwu,” and “Identity,” which remained on Radio
Nigeria 2’s Top Ten throughout most of 1981.
Playing music since the age of 11, Coque was taught to play the guitar by Piccolo, a Congolese guitarist living in Nigeria.
Serving an apprenticeship with juju stars Sunny Agaga and Jacob Oluwale, he became a star before he turned 20.
Oliver was considered the most flamboyant Igbo musician of his era.
Oliver may have attracted the first international attention to himself in 1973 with a performance in London, United Kingdom.
Four years later he took Prince Nico Mbanga’s already popular track, Sweet Mother to stratospheric level turning it into his identity track.
Three of Oliver’s 12 sons Edu de Coque, Safin de Coque and Solar de Coque followed their father’s steps into music though none of them has been able to outclass their father.
He was married to four wives.
Unconfirmed reports had it that Oliver who maintained a long beard as his trademark allegedly spent N120,000 per month to maintain the beard.
The guitarist established the Ogene Music Foundation to celebrate his 50th birthday and support talented Nigerian musicians.
In his later years, the Nigerian highlife star suffered from hypertension and diabetes.
Born on 14th April 1947 he died on June 20, 2008 at the age of 61, reportedly from complications of hypertension. If anyone forgets anything about Oliver, no one will ever forget that he had an Identity!
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