The death of legendary singer and guitarist, Sir Victor Uwaifo popularly known as ‘Guitar Boy’ has been announced to the dismay of music fans and buffs who closely followed his illustrious career.
The demise of the ‘Mammy Water’ crooner was made known on Saturday evening on Facebook by the son of the deceased Uwaifo Peter de Rock who broke the news of his father’s demise.
While Peter did not disclose the cause of the death of his late father, he nevertheless, expressed anguish in the passing of the music star who died months after celebrating his 80th birthday.
He wrote: “Daddy whyyyyyyyyyy? Why did you leave us? “Prof Sir Victor Uwaifo has gone to rest
Black Saturday for me nooow. “One week now after collaborating with me,” the deceased son added.
The late Sir Victor Uwaifo is recognized as the most educated performing music legend, he is also a writer, sculptor, a musical instrument inventor, and a University lecturer in the Department of Fine and Applied Arts at the University of Benin, Benin City, Edo State.
As a parting shot, we present to you twenty one things you may not know about the late Sir Victor Uwaifo who was the professional musicians to be awarded with the National Merit Honours of Member of the Order of the Niger (MON) was also the first Commissioner for Arts, Culture and Tourism in Nigeria.
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1.) Victor Efosa Uwaifo was born in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria
2.) He obtained his secondary school education at the Western Boys’ High School Benin and St Gregory’s College, Lagos, from 1957 to 1961.
3.) He began playing guitar when he was 12 years old, his earliest popular music influences being records of Spanish and Latin American music.
4.) He studied graphics at Yaba College of Technology, Lagos and graduated in 1961–63 at the age of 22 years old.
5.) He received a bachelor’s degree with first-class honours at 54 years old (Valedictorian) and a master’s degree from the University of Benin.
6.) In 1997 at 56 where he studied Fine and Applied Arts and majored in Sculpture.
7.) After leaving Benin, Uwaifo continued playing music at St Gregory’s, Lagos.
8.) He was a contemporary of Segun Bucknor, and they were both among the leading Lagos high school bandleaders at the time.
9.) During school holidays and weekends, he jammed with Olaiya’s All Stars band.[4] After completing secondary school studies, he played with E.C. Arinze’s highlife during late hours.
10.) Uwaifo also briefly worked with Stephen Osadebe and Fred Coker before he formed Melody Maestros in 1965.
11.) The band released “Joromi” which became a hit in Nigeria and other parts of West Africa.
12.) Uwaifo made history in Nigeria when he won the first Golden record in Nigeria, West Africa and Africa (presented by Philips, West Africa) for his song “Joromi” in 1996 and seven other gold discs in Guitar boy, Arabade, Ekassa series and Akwete music.
13.) He recorded under the name Victor Uwaifo and His TItibitis.
14.) Between 1965 and 1968, he developed the Akwete rhythm sound.
15.) In 1969, he launched a new beat called Shadow accompanied by a new dance also called shadow, a mixture of Akwete and twist.
16.) The sound was released when soul music was popular in Lagos and lasted a few years.
17.) After the launch of Shadow, the Melody Maestros went on tour of various Nigerian cities.
18.) Uwaifo later experimented with a new rhythm that was similar to soul but soon left it for Ekassa, an interpretation of a traditional Benin sound.
19.) In 1971, Uwaifo opened the Joromi Hotel in Benin City, and within ten years established his own television studio.
20.) Uwaifo, who had a total of 12 golden records to date, travelled to many countries including the United States, Russia, Japan, United Kingdom, Bulgaria, Romania, Germany, France, Hungary, Rome, Ghana, Ivory Coast (Côte d’Ivoire), Togo, Benin Republic, Spain, and Canada.
21.) The Federal Government of Nigeria, in appreciation of his talents and contributions to Nigeria, honoured him with a National Honors Merit Award MON in 1983.
