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| Victor Olaiya |
Congratulations as you celebrate 60 years on stage. How has the journey been?
It’s been pleasant and unpleasant, but we have to take it as it is. The truth is that the major parts of the years have been pleasant; otherwise, I wouldn’t be alive by now.
What are the unpleasant aspects of it?
Well, the unpleasant aspect of it is when you go out for a concert and the majority of the people are saying ‘Dr. Victor Olaiya, at your age, are you still on stage, are you still performing?’ I always say what kind of question is that. You’ve come to listen to my music, yet you are asking if I’m still performing. At times, they challenge me to play some of my oldies and I do them. Most times, they will say ‘wow, this is great’, while at times, some of my rivals and unpleasant friends say ‘Baba, you are getting too old to perform for us’.
Did you set out to be a singer?
Actually, I don’t think I wanted to be a musician, though music naturally runs in the blood of my family. My father was a church organist while my mother was the leader of a cultural group in Calabar. So, that made it easy for me to go into music. But basically, I was to be a Cost and Management accountant; that was my aim and ambition. But along the line, I discovered that I had a natural calling for music. So there was nothing I could do about it.
Who discovered you?
I wouldn’t say someone discovered me. I first of all wanted to leave music to read law with my brother, but as God would have it, I was not able to accomplish it for some reasons so I went back to music.
What is your unique selling point, the trumpet or your voice?
I think it is my voice, but sincerely, it is my music in general, not necessarily my dexterity on the trumpet. When you first started, we learnt that someone else did vocals while you played the trumpet?
Yes, you are very right. At a point when I first started, I was doing my vocals myself. But in the course of my playing, we discovered that one or two other boys had better voices than me. So I had to step down and concentrate on the trumpet. I left the vocals for the late Best, Oluwa and Akanni. But later, they left us and travelled overseas. It was at that point that I eventually realised that it is even easier for me to play the trumpet and do the vocals at the same time other than depending on people to do the vocals for me.
There was a particular event that made you start to do vocals. You released an album and something happened. What was that event?
I think what happened was that a group of my band members had to leave for the UK. At that juncture, I and my manager decided that I should take up the vocals and the trumpet so that whenever any of the vocalists is not around, it won’t affect the band. So I started combining the trumpets and vocals, and the records were selling.
Did you form the band with the guys that left or what?
I formed the band and called them as partners. That was in the 50s.
In your generation, who were those that inspired you as a trumpeter?
Well, I started playing the trumpet from secondary school through the help of my music teacher and coming back to Lagos, I listened to the likes of Armstrong and Femi Borigan. I got the idea of using the white handkerchief from the late Armstrong.
Was Fela part of your generation?
No. Fela was one of my boys. He came to join my band where he learnt to play the B-flat trumpet. Later, he started singing in my second band. That was when I knew he would go places.
Did you ask him to leave or he left on his own?
He left on his own. His parents had money, but he came because he loved my style of music and style of trumpet. After his early days on the trumpet and vocals in my second band, his parents decided to send him overseas. He was actually from a very wealthy family, the Ransom-Kuti family from Abeokuta. Apart from that, he had calling in music.
The name of your band is Cool Cat. Are you a mysterious person?
To start with, when we started the band, we thought of a name for the band and one of us suggested the name, so it is not a matter of being mysterious.
How many were you in the band?
We were about 12.
When did you change the name from Cool Cat to Evil Genius of Highlife?
It was Alhaji Alade Odunewu, the then Editor of Daily Times who named me Evil Genius in his writings because my style of music amused him.
How did you get your inspiration?
In most cases, it comes naturally and that is why my songs are highly philosophical, rhythmic and educative.
You play Highlife, but there are some love songs you did. How were you able to compose such songs?
The inspiration comes through my romance with the opposite sex. Then, I try to write songs that will appeal to the opposite sex because I believe they do more of the publicity.
It is believed that musicians like women, wine and weed. Which one do you like?
I will prefer to say the women, not wine or weed. I wasn’t playing for money; I was playing to attract women because I believe in them, and through them I was able to attract men and the necessary publicity.
Are you really a womaniser?
It depends on what you mean. But having come from a reputable home, I womanise moderately. I don’t go about sleeping with women. I have girlfriends and i make sure I do that moderately.
Has age taken those things from you now or do you still do some?
Well, you can’t cheat nature, so the whole thing is reducing with age. I’m stepping down gradually.
What has age really taken away from you?
Many things like gallivanting, going from place to place, keeping awake and all that.
But your music still flows?
Yes, my music is still flowing. I still do my showmanship, and I must say that age has not taken so much from that.
Does being a trumpeter have any negative effect on your health?
No. I asked my doctor the same question and he said trumpeters rarely have lung ailment.
Your friends are staging a show to commemorate your 60 years on stage at the Lagos City Hall on 16 September. What should your fans expect?
Good performance.
Who are the stars taking to the stage along with you?
About seven of my children who do music will be on stage.
Why is it that many people are no longer playing Highlife?
That is because of people like you too, who don’t give us our due publicity. But at the same time, I think Highlife is not an easy music to play. It is not like Fuji or Apala where you can just get one or two people together and start praise-singing. In Highlife, you have to employ some technical instruments like the trumpet, saxophone (tenor and alto) and others.
So how do you make your money?
When you invite us to perform in your event, we charge.
Like how much?
The fee varies, but I select the kind of events we attend. I won’t just come play for you because you have the money to pay.(the news)
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