Entertainment
Intricate Facts about the Masked one, Lagbaja at 60
The multi-award winning Nigerian Afrobeat musician and singer-songwriter, Lagbaja was born Bisade Ologunde in 1960 in Lagos, Nigeria.
He is a descent of Odogun’s Compound, Ijagbo Community in Oyun Local Government Area of Kwara State. In March 1997, he established his club called “Motherlan” in the heart of Ikeja in Lagos.
He won the Best Male Video for his video “Never Far Away” at the 2006 Channel O Music Video Awards.
He is currently signed to Motherlan’ Music and is also the ambassador of Globacom. The 55-years-old Nigerian instrumentalist has definitely paved a successful career for himself in the entertainment industry.
Below are more revelations about the celebrated instrumentalist and singer-songwriter:
1. Lagbaja was born Bisade Ologunde in 1960 in Lagos, Nigeria.
2. He is a descent of Odogun’s Compound, Ijagbo Community in Oyun Local Government Area of Kwara State.
3. He mentioned in an interview that his mask is used as an icon of man’s facelessness.
4. Lagbaja is a Yoruba word that means “nobody in particular”.
5. He mentioned in an interview that the mask and the name symbolize the faceless, the voiceless in the society, particularly in Africa.
6. He released his national acclaim debut album titled “Lagbaja” in 1993, the album was well received and received a lot of airplay all over the country.
7. His groovy fusion has been referred to as afrojazz, afrobeat, higherlife and afropop until now that he himself has christened the music AFRICANO, alluding mostly to the central role
of African drums and grooves in his music.
8. In March 1997, he established his club called “Motherlan” in the heart of Ikeja in Lagos. It was influenced by the traditional African town or market square, where people gather
under the moonlight for ceremonies and artistic events like dance, music and storytelling.
9. He won the Best Male Video for his video “Never Far Away” at the 2006 Channel O Music Video Awards.
10. He is currently signed to Motherlan’ Music. He is also an ambassador with Globacom.
Digital solutions provider, Globacom, last Sunday sponsored the premier of Radio Voice, the much-anticipated movie produced by Richard Mofe-Damijo.
At the event held at the Alliance Francaise, Mike Adenuga Centre, Ikoyi, Lagos, Mofe-Damijo described the movie as “the triumph of the human spirit over adversity. It’s about the life of people on radio and their challenges and the things they have to go through; cyber bullying and the like, and succeeding against all odds. I don’t want to reveal everything about it; it’s a movie everyone needs to watch”.
Explaining why he is venturing into movie production, he explained, “It’s time when it’s time, you know. I’ve produced before but this is the first time in the new era, so to speak”.
Since launch in 2003, Globacom has carved a niche as the biggest corporate supporter of Nigeria’s entertainment industry. The company has signed on many musicians, actors and comedians as brand ambassadors, sponsored several entertainment reality shows including X Factor, Glo Naija Sings, Battle of the Year and Dance with Peter, and also hosted several music and comedy shows across Nigerian cities to avail talents in the industry the grace to their gifts.
Radio Voice is a motivational story of resilience, passion and transformation. It features notable Nollywood giants including Richard Mofe Damijo (RMD), who equally produced the movie; Nse Ikpe Etim, Nancy Isime, Deyemi Okanlawon, Damilola Adegbite and Timini Egbuson.
Radio Voice has the support of the Office of the Vice President as it is meant to complement the Federal Government’s investment in the Creative Arts and Digital Transformation.
Afrobeat music singer, Davido, has announced that his Church wedding with Chioma will take place in August, 2025.
The singer disclosed this in a recent interview with The Breakfast Club.
He likened the upcoming event with the traditional marriage in Nigeria, which he said was a “Carnival”.
Davido said: “I’m doing my white wedding in Miami (USA) in August. The wedding I did was traditional; it was like a carnival in Nigeria, like a holiday. The whole world stood still. Me and my wife’s relationship was in the public eye, especially after I did that one song.
“So, a lot of things happened. Even apart from losing our child, I messed up a lot of times so that full circle moment everyone was like finally she can get what she deserves.”
Reputable gospel artiste, Nathaniel Bassey and his equally accomplished female colleague, Mercy Chinwo will be starring this week on African Voices Changemakers, CNN International’s magazine programme bankrolled by telecommunications company, Globacom.
The 30-minute soar-away show anchored by Larry Madowo will air on DSTV Channel 401 on Saturday at 8.30 a.m. with a repeat the same day at noon. On Sunday, two more repeats will be shown at 4.30 a.m. and 2 p.m. and on Monday at 4 a.m. The same broadcast schedule will be followed next week.
The audience will be sharing the stories of the duo’s ascendancy to fame and their staing power in the genre of music. Bassey’s musical prowess has continue to draw attention in person and online, especially with The Halleluiah Challenge while Mercy Chinwo serenades her fans with her voice, stage presence and charisma.
Bassey, a native of Akwa Ibom State, was born 27 August 1981. He has carved a niche for himself as a notable singer, trumpeter and gospel songwriter popularly known for his songs including “Yahweh Sabaoth”, “Ebenezer”, “Tobechukwu” “Imela”, “Onise Iyanu”, and “Olowogbogboro” and for his humility.
He studied International Relations and Politics at the University of Lagos before relocating to London where he studied Politics and later Music at the Middlesex University Summer School also in the United Kingdom and has successfully affirmed himself as one of the prominent and most listened-to gospel ministers in Nigeria. His music traverses different genres such as jazz, worship, hymns and medley. He is a Pastor of The Redeemed Christian Church Of God, King’s Court in Victoria Island, Lagos.
On her part, Mercy Nnenda Chinwo-Blessed was born September 5, 1991. She is a Nigerian gospel singer, actress, and songwriter who began singing in church at age six. In 2017, she signed a recording contract with EeZee Conceptz after which she released her first single “Excess Love” in 2018. She bagged a degree in Human Resources Management from the International Business Management Institute (IBMI). She emerged the Gospel Artiste of the year at the AFRIMMA Awards in 2020 and won the Africa Gospel Music of the year, CLIMA Africa Award 2022, among other awards.
