JUST IN: Music legend, Orlando Owoh’s mother is dead

Christiana Owomoyela, mother of music legend, late Oladipupo Owomoyela, commonly called Dr Orlando Owoh, is dead.

It was learnt that according to a family source, the deceased passed away on Thursday aged 112 years.

She breathed her last at her hometown, Owo, the headquarters of Owo Local Government Area (LGA) of Ondo State, southwest Nigeria region.

Late Madam Christiana Owomoyela
Orlando Owoh was a popular highlife musician and band leader. His real name was Stephen Oladipupo Olaore Owomoyela.

As a young man, Owoh initially entered into the carpentry trade until 1958, when he was hired by Nigeria’s Kola Ogunmola Theatre Group to play drums and sing.

Owoh went on to form Dr. Orlando Owoh and his Omimah Band in 1960, and over a musical career of forty years became one of the leading proponents of highlife music. With bands such as the Omimah Band and later the Young Kenneries and the African Kenneries International, Owoh remained popular in Nigeria, even as tastes moved to the newer jùjú and fuji styles.

He had over 45 albums to his credit. Orlando Owoh died on 4 November 2008 and was laid to rest at his Agege residence in Lagos, Nigeria.