In 1970s Africa, inspiration was drawn from Western contemporary music by many, but none in the same way as William Onyeabor. His story is arguably one of the most intriguing of the last 50 years due to his reclusive nature regarding both his personal life and the groundbreaking music that he made. The Nigerian songwriter passed over in his hometown of Enugu on this day last year at the age of 70, leaving behind a legacy that is still shrouded in mystery.
So little was known about Onyeabor that over time people constructed their own myths regarding the singer, which only added to the ever-growing list of questions that individuals sought answers to. Did he study law at Oxford University? Or film in Russia? Did he operate a flour mill once he had abandoned his music career? How did Onyeabor afford the synthesizers that defined his sound and furthermore, the type of recording equipment for his studio that was more technologically advanced than the 8 tracks that were still seen in the studios of most major labels at the time?
What is known, is that Onyeabor composed, recorded, pressed and released eight full-length studio albums between 1977 and 1985 through his own label Wilfilms Ltd, encapsulating a sound that was revolutionary for its time and geographical location. African rhythms blended with distinctly American overtones, a Polymoog warbled underneath call-and-response vocals and rich, staccato horns. It was proto-techno meets highlife. Lyrical topics touched base on romance, political conflict and war. Everything about the aforementioned albums was innovative and idiosyncratic.
Following the release of his 1985 album Anything You Sow, Onyeabor abandoned his musical career and converted to Christianity shortly thereafter. During his eight years of activity, he received modest fame in his native Nigeria with songs such as ‘Hypertension’ and ‘When The Going Is Smooth And Good’, though the popularity never spread further afield. However in 2001, Quinton Scott and his label Strut stumbled upon ‘Better Change Your Mind’ from Onyeabor’s 1978 album Atomic Bomb, which they proceeded to feature on their compilation Nigeria 70, giving the music a new lease of life and perhaps its first exposure across borders. The following years saw further global interest develop, with the music gaining fans in the likes of Caribou’s Dan Snaith, Damon Albarn, and David Byrne. Then, in what was the pivotal milestone in the revival of his music, David Byrne and Yale Evelev’s label Luaka Bop secured licensing rights to release a compilation of Onyeabor’s work after five painstaking years of negotiation. The release, entitled Who Is William Onyeabor? in reference to his well-documented elusive nature showcases the best of his sprawling, psychedelia inflected, space-age funk arrangements.
Now, William Onyeabor is heralded by more than just record collecting circles and Pitchfork readers as a pioneer of his time and with more eyes on his music than ever before, his star shines like a prism being penetrated by light from every angle. The pleas for a reciprocation of love made in his hit song ‘Fantastic Man’ have finally been met. You look so good, fantastic man.
In Commemoration, we present to you our top five of Willy’s songs. Dig in:
5. ‘Better Change Your Mind’ (Atomic Bomb, 1978)
4. ‘When The Going Is Smooth & Good’ (Anything You Sow, 1985)
3. ‘Atomic Bomb’ (Atomic Bomb, 1978)
2. ‘Body & Soul’ (Body & Soul, 1980)
1. ‘Fantastic Man’ (Tomorrow, 1979)
Words by Sam Wilkinson.
Artwork by James Cassidy.
Like this article? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for more.
Fruit and Grooves Collective 