Victor Olaiya Biography, Parents, Education, Music Career, Family, Albums, Songs and Much More
21 May 2020
By Cheloti Joshua
Who Is Victor Olaiya?
Victor Olaiya was a famous Nigerian trumpeter who played in the highlife style during the 1950s and 1960s. He was also known as Dr Victor Olaiya. Despite being popular in Nigeria, Victor Olaiya did not receive that much recognition in other countries.
When Was Victor Olaiya Born? Is Victor Olaiya Still Alive?
Victor Olaiya was born on December 31, 1930, in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria. He was child number 20 in a family of 24 children. He died on February 12, 2020, at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital aged 89. Before his death, Victor Olaiya had retired from music in 2017 due to his failing health.
Who Are Victor Olaiya’s Parents?
Victor Olaiya came from a very rich family. His father Alfred Omolona Olaiya and mother, Bathsheba Owolabi Motajo are from Ijesha-Ishu in Ekiti State. Victor Olaiya’s father had a house, Ilọijọs Bar, which stood at 2 Bamgbose Street, Lagos Island. The house was, however, was demolished in September 2016.
Victor Olaiya’s Education
Not much is known about Victor Olaiya’s primary and secondary education. What is known however is that after moving to Lagos, he did the secondary certificate examination in 1951 where he passed and would later be admitted at the Howard University in the United States to study Civil Engineering but ended up pursuing a music career, against his parents’ wishes.
How Did Victor Olaiya’s Music Career Start?
Victor Olaiya learnt to play the French horn and bombardon at an early age. He was also a member of various music groups among them Sammy Akpabot Band, Old Lagos City Orchestra and Bobby Benson Jam Session Orchestra.
Later in 1954, Victor Olaiya formed his band, the Cool Cats, which used to play popular highlife music. The band had various high-profile performances at the state ball among them when Queen Elizabeth II of the UK visited Nigeria in 1956, when Nigeria became independent in 1960 and when Nigeria became a republic in 1963.
Victor Olaiya shared a stage with American jazz musician Louis Armstrong. He was also given the rank of a lieutenant colonel (honorary) in the Nigerian army during the Nigerian Civil War of 1967–70. Victor Olaiya’s Cool Cats band played for the Nigerian troops at various locations and later travelled to Congo to perform for United Nations (UN) troops.
In 1963, he renamed Cool Cats band to the All Stars Band when they played the 1963 International Jazz Festival in Czechoslovakia.
Victor Olaiya was in 2009 bestowed the second rank (officer) of the national Order of the Niger award.
Victor Olaiya’s Family
Not much is known about Victor Olaiya’s family. It is only said that he had several wives, children and also grandchildren.
Is Moji Olaiya Victor Olaiya’s daughter?
Many had known Moji Olaiya, a former Nollywood actress, as Victor Olaiya’s daughter. However, after Moji Olaiya died in 2017, it was revealed that Victor Olaiya had only stepped in as a father figure for Moji Olaiya after her father and uncle died while she was young. Moji Olaiya’s real father was Joshua Bodunde Olaiya and her mother, Abosede Wuzamot Olaiya.
Victor Olaiya’s Albums
Victor Olaiya released over 20 albums. Some of the albums include; Highlife Re-Incarnation(2015), Three Decades Of Highlife (2002), In the Sixties (2015), Victor Olaiya's All Stars Soul International – 2009, Highlife Giants of Africa – 2018, The Evil Genius Of Highlife Vol. 2 – 2009, Afro Rhythm Parade, Vol. 7 (Mono Version), Papingo Davalaya – 2015, Ilu Le O (Country Hard O) – 2015, High Life Kings, Vol.1, Lagos All Routes – 2005 and Living the Highlife EP 9 among many others.
Victor Olaiya’s Music Style
Victor Olaiya's style of music has been described as a bridge between Ghanaian highlife and what is today known as Afrobeat. Many of his songs are in different languages from Twi, Igbo, Efik, Pidgin and Yoruba.
He has done many collaborations with among others American Soul Musician James Brown, who also influenced his musical style, released an album with Ghanaian highlife musician E. T. Mensah and modern generation singer 2Baba, formerly known as 2 Face.
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