Chief Dr. Oliver De Coque was a Nigerian highlife musician and guitarist famed for his fusion of traditional Igbo music and contemporary highlife melody. Born Oliver Sunday Akanite on April 14, 1947, in Ezinifite, Anambra State, Nigeria, he became one of Africa's most prolific recording artists, leaving a legacy steeped in cultural resonance and rhythmic allure.

De Coque began his music career at a young age, learning to play the guitar. He rose to prominence in the 1970s when he formed his band, the Expo '76 Ogene Sound Super of Africa. Together, they influenced the highlife music scene with releases like "I Salute Africa" and "Nnukwu Mmanwu," which showcased his signature style—a blend of guitar-led highlife and infectious rhythms that often featured philosophical and eulogistic lyrics. Oliver De Coque was not just a musician but also a storyteller and a custodian of Igbo culture, whose music continues to resonate across generations. He passed away on June 20, 2008, but his music, as demonstrated by the enduring popularity of albums like "Kano Gombe Special" and "I No Wan Wahala," remains a touchstone for lovers of African highlife music around the world.

Genres

Igbo Traditional

Ogene

Related Artists

Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe

Oriental Brothers International Band

Sunny Bobo

Ogene Onyeoma

Ayaka Ozubulu

Oliver De Coque

Ogene Nwa Ghana

Chief Dr. Oliver De Coque

Chief Dr. Emeka Morocco Maduka

Ababa Nna

Bro. Ifeanyi Ibeabuchi

Late Alhaji Ayinla Omowura & His Apala Group

Latest Release

I Salute Africa

Chief Dr. Oliver De Coque & His Expo '76 Ogene Sound Super of Africa

Single - Released October 28, 2022