Orlando Owoh (1932–2008) was one of Nigeria’s most distinctive highlife icons, famed for his raw, gravelly voice and socially conscious songs that spoke directly to the struggles and joys of everyday people. Born Stephen Oladipupo Olaore Owomoyela in Osogbo, he began his career in the 1950s with theatre troupes and early highlife bands before forming his own Omimah Band in 1960.

Owoh later led the African Kenneries International, where he pioneered the “Kennery” sound—a grassroots fusion of highlife, Yoruba folk, and street-level storytelling. His music stood out for its emotive delivery and focus on themes like poverty, love, justice, and morality, earning him the title of “the people’s musician.”

Across a career spanning four decades, Owoh released over 40 albums, including classics like Money for Hand, Back for Ground, Logba-Logba Style, and tributes such as Late Dele Giwa. Beloved in markets, parties, and homes across Nigeria, his work bridged tradition and modernity, inspiring future generations of fuji, juju, and Afrobeat musicians.

Though he passed away in 2008, Orlando Owoh’s legacy endures as the raw, authentic heartbeat of Nigerian highlife—forever remembered as a voice of the voiceless and a cultural treasure of Africa. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.