One of Nigeria’s leading highlife musicians and the Ezeafulukwe of Atani, Osita Osadebe, is dead. He died at the age of 71 in Connecticut, United States of America last Friday.

His family said coordinated funeral arrangements are being planned in some cities in the U.S. for a yet to be announced date.

U.S. based Nnamdi Moweta who managed and produced Osadebe’s last four cds and his last tours in the U.S., confirmed his death, saying the family is making arrangements to bring his body home.

Moweta said Osadebe’s life story can best be described as one that started from grass to grace, adding that Young Stephen Osita Osadebe loved music, but his family disapproved of music as a profession for him, a familiar African story, with a familiar ending.

"The boy battled parental ban, and left home to pursue his love, in Lagos. In 1950, the city was bustling with the new highlife sound. Although he was officially in school, Osadebe joined Stephen Amaechi's highlife group as a backup singer.

"In time, he became Amechi's number two man, leading the band when Amechi was absent. At that point, Osadebe was so visible that word inevitably spread back to Atani, and there was trouble.

"Acquiescing to family pressure, he went to the Soviet Union for studies, returning with a degree in trade unionism. But once home, he quickly formed his own band-the Nigerian Sound makers International.

He called himself The Consistent Highlife King, but his fans referred to him as The Doctor of Hypertension, a reference to the therapeutic powers of his highlife grooves," Moweta said.

Reacting to Osadebe’s death, Sonny Okosuns, described him as a great grandfather of music. "Osadebe don die for America? No wonder somebody called me from Owerri on Sunday asking if I have his telephone number. Oh my God, this is a great shock," Okosuns told Daily Independent on telephone.

General Manager of Premier Music, Lagos, Toju Ejueyitchie, still could not believe that Osadebe has passed on. He said he was shocked by the sad news while Tony Okoroji, former PMAN president said Osadebe’s death is a rude shock to the music industry.

Chris Ajilo, who produced most of his successful musical works, expressed shock but took solace in the fact that death is a necessary end and that Osadebe lived a fulfilled life.

Polygram Records Nigeria signed Osadebe, and by 1975, he had released the biggest selling record in the country's history.

Osondi Owendi

Outsold Prince Nico Mbarga's blockbuster Sweet Mother, and when Polygram closed down its Nigerian operation in the early 1990s, it stood as the only release to go Platinum in the country in the company's history.

By that time, Osadebe was leading a relaxed life back in his village, Atani, going to Lagos only to perform. In 1994, he brought the band to the United States for the first time, and in one day, recorded an excellent album, his only international release to date, Kedu America.

He still visits the U.S. to play concerts there, as recently as September 2001. But you have to have your ear to the ground. His American constituency remains mostly in the Nigerian enclaves of major cities. This biography is derived largely from Kedu America's liner notes, written by its producer, Andy Frankel.

The undisputed master of Igbo Guitar Highlife, Osadebe's music remains one of the premier sounds of Nigeria.

Born in 1936, he trained with legends such as Stephen Amechi, almost reaching stardom before the Biafran war wiped out opportunities for Igbo artistes in the country.

After the war, Osadebe began rebuilding his career and in 1984 reached his zenith with Osondi Owendi, which sold millions of copies.

Today, Osadebe's reign in highlife remains supreme. Blending elements of traditional highlife with funk, jazz, reggae, and even hints of 1960's psychedelic, which is fueled by irrepressible wah-wah guitar, this powerful dance music explodes when matched with Osadebe's rich baritone voice and powerful lyrics that basically address the socio- cultural challenges of the era.

Remastered from 1970’s and 1980’s releases on Polygram Nigeria, Sound Time displays the breadth and depth of Osadebe's prolific talents.