Orlando (some say he borrowed that name from Nigerian film actor, Orlando Martins) Julius Aremu Olusanya Ekemode started life in 1943 in Ijebu-Ijesha in the Osun state of Nigeria. His first instruments were drums and later flute at school, and then he discovered his favourite instrument, the alto-sax, which he studied for two years before he joined local highlife heroes, the Flamingo Dandies of Akure. Highlife was the breaking wave and he surfed it, an unstoppable talent. At 19 he even briefly became leader of Juju music star I.K. Dairos Dance Band, for a short time, but then he returned to Highlife heaven with Eddy Okuntas Top Ace band in Lagos, and immersed himself in highlife and the jazz of Parker and Coltrane.
On SUPER AFRO SOUL you can hear the early musical tremors. It was Orlandos first album, released in 1966, a head on collision between Highlife - the soundtrack of Independence first in Ghana and then in neighbouring Nigeria (the music of West African political/social aspiration at that time,"the successful africanization of a western structure as Prof. John Collins says ) - and 60s Soul from the USA, the soundtrack of Afro-Americas struggle for civil rights and equality . While Fela Kutis Koola Lobitos was experimenting with highlife and Jazz with little response from Lagos youth, still 4 years and a spell in Los Angeles from creating Afrobeat, Orlando Julius unleashed this pioneering Highlife Soul gem and Lagos clubs resounded to the new sound.
On this first album, Super Afro Soul, released in 1966 in the triumphant wake of his hit singles , its clear that he caught the soul bug, but he was going to play it his way. Lagos transforms the Memphis Soul Stew!
On SUPER AFRO SOUL you can hear the early musical tremors. It was Orlandos first album, released in 1966, a head on collision between Highlife - the soundtrack of Independence first in Ghana and then in neighbouring Nigeria (the music of West African political/social aspiration at that time,"the successful africanization of a western structure as Prof. John Collins says ) - and 60s Soul from the USA, the soundtrack of Afro-Americas struggle for civil rights and equality . While Fela Kutis Koola Lobitos was experimenting with highlife and Jazz with little response from Lagos youth, still 4 years and a spell in Los Angeles from creating Afrobeat, Orlando Julius unleashed this pioneering Highlife Soul gem and Lagos clubs resounded to the new sound.
On this first album, Super Afro Soul, released in 1966 in the triumphant wake of his hit singles , its clear that he caught the soul bug, but he was going to play it his way. Lagos transforms the Memphis Soul Stew!
