Orlando Julius, a veteran highlife musician, died at the age of 79.
The musician’s death was announced, In the early hours of Friday.
Connectley Naija News learned that Latoya, the widow of the ‘A dara, a dara’ singer, affirmed the news through music promoter, Bimbo Esho.
“Bimbo, Daddy Has Passed On….This was the message I stumbled on waking up at exactly 3 am to peruse my WhatsApp page. It was a message sent to me by Orlando Julius’ beautiful and supportive wife Lady Latoya.
“Orlando Julius, a native of Ijebu Ijesha, succumbed to the cold hands of death and breathed his last few hours ago at the age of 79.
“We shall miss one of Nigeria’s fathers of Afro/Highlife Music, a gentleman and a fine Saxophonist.
“May daddy Orlando Julius’ soul journey well. To the entire Ekemode family may God give you the fortitude to bear this irreplaceable loss,” Bimbo Esho posted.
Orlando Julius Biography
Connectley Naija News recalls that Last year, the ‘Jagua Nana’ singer celebrated his 60th year on stage.
Julius was born in 1943 to a merchant family in Ikole, Nigeria, during British colonization, according to his Wiki page. His mother was his first music teacher, who would sing and dance while he played the drums.
He was a member of the school band at St. Peter’s Anglican School in Ikole.
After dropping out of school and his father’s death in 1957, he moved to Ibadan to seek a career as a musician. He worked in a bakery while performing with juju and konkoma bands on the drums or the flute.
There was no music school in the area at the time, so Obafemi Awolowo, the premier, established one in the secretariat of his political party.
