Reviving a legend: Brand Osadebe gets a new lease of life
One thing is certain in the world of mortals and that is death. Every mortal shall go the way of all flesh, but each person’s work will determine whether they will live long after they enter the afterlife.
Twelve years ago, Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe, the legendary composer, songwriter, vocalist and conductor died and was mourned by millions of fans far beyond the Igbo speaking tribe across the world. Even into his early seventies, Osadebe continued to perform for his love of, not just music, but the entertainment, aesthetic and moral philosophy that enrich his art.
To reimagine and reposition the Osadebe brand for immortality, the intimate atmosphere of Coors Lounge in Victoria Island, Lagos recently witnessed a gathering of media personalities, traditional rulers, politicians, music arts, students and the public. The conference was to unveil a renewed Osadebe brand that will continue to resonate with the young generation. Right there and then, with the hilarious immersion in the highlife heritage of Osadebe, the late maestro sprang back into life.
The notion of the gathering was not just a one-off. The organisers’ mission was never just about reintroducing the dying highlife music genre to force a trend, nor was it a cry to make Osadebe relevant. Rather, they’re creating a platform to not just amplify the Osadebe brand but to keep culture and tradition alive. They want those cultural and traditional African stories celebrated and energised in Osadebe’s music tracks to be told and retold again. They want to educate and inspire the young. They want to rekindle the fire in Osadebe’s generation of fans that are still alive and to fill their soul with joy and nostalgia. They also want to learn from the old by reviving and sustaining the authentic cultural and artistic values rooted in a shared passion for Osadebe’s dynamic musical opus and heritage.
According to the organisers, Osadebe Fest is designed to be a signature live experience that will recreate a global highlife appreciation consciousness which is the root of Osadebe’s legacy. They intend to achieve this by producing cutting-edge concerts, musical debates, and setting a multitude of stages for young contemporary highlife talents and their bands to share their creativity with Nigerians.
Afam Kings Dozie, the brain behind Osadebe Fest said: “The idea is not just a celebration but impacting on the young people who didn’t meet the physical person of Osadebe. Those of us who grew with our parents can still recall that listening in on Osadebe’s classic tunes was inspiring. Personally, that alone got me involved in tradition.
“So, when the idea of reigniting and refreshing the Osadebe brand seized me, I had to discuss it with my friend and surprisingly, there was a cordial meeting of minds. I am the brain behind it, but I am glad I have got dynamic personalities with me who passionately believe in the same dream.”
He continued: “The dream of a company can only fly when the entire team believes in it. Even our team cannot do it alone. We need the Igbo nation (home and the abroad), we need Nigeria, we need everybody who believes that Osadebe impacted positively in their lives in one way or the other.
“We are projecting a bigger picture. This is just the formal unveiling of the event. We have lined up programmes for the event which will be happening in the south east such as ‘Youth Debate’ in secondary schools, ‘Art Competition’, ‘Digital Music Youth Challenge’, ‘Football Novelty March’ and an ‘Osadebe Symposium’ that will have participants and attendees talk about how Osadebe’s musical art has impacted their lives.
Concluding, he said: “We are going to crown the entire event with a musical concert where the stage will play all highlife artists on the same day. We look forward to having supporters and sponsors from all walks of life. We need the Anambra State Govt., media, brands etc, who will key in and associate with the progress of the event. It is going to be a lifetime event and experience,” he explained.
During the unveiling of the logo, Fisayo Fashoyin, the brand consultant of the Osadebe Fest, said: “The logo encapsulates what Osadebe stood for. We incorporated the culture, the music and the lifestyle of the highlife maestro in the logo.
Meanwhile, it was highlighted that the event would commence in earnest within the first quarter of 2020. But before then, public awareness around the Fest will be sustained via various relevant channels.
According to Hillary Ikechukwu, one of the key organisers of the event, “It’s good for an event like this to be significant with the figure in the sense that you are either doing it on his birthday or the period of his passing. We hope to have it around the month of his birth which is March. But before then, we need the media and all relevant channels to keep the public abreast of all activities that will accompany the finale.”
Ikechukwu also explained that Osadebe’s family; the traditional rulers of his hometown and the Ohaneze Ndigbo were seriously involved in the project. “We are not just doing this of our own accord; we have the council of traditional rulers, the Igwe council and the Ohaneze. It’s not a comedy show that you gather crowd and send them away as soon as the show is over. We have so much to unveil and to offer.”
Osadebe’s family was well represented at the event in the person of one of his sons, Osita Osadebe Jr. who said the organisers actually presented and crystalised an initiative his family had fiddled with ever since his father’s passing.
Osadebe became a vital disrupting force that led to one of the most creative and exciting periods in highlife’s history when he broke away from the conventional big band format established by the pioneers of the music, a format that favoured melodic progressions that were in the common metre, church hymnal tradition. Asserting the primacy of his talent, he succeeded in completely transforming highlife into the call-and-response pattern of African music. By breaking out of a larger group and achieving an artistic autonomy, he became the apotheosis of highlife music. It cannot be gainsaid that he dominated highlife music in Nigeria for almost half a century.
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