This thread contains videos of classic Nigerian songs and their cover versions/remixes.

We start with music from legendary Nigerian highlife singer and trumpeter, Cardinal Rex Rex Jim Lawson.

Cardinal Rex Jim Lawson - Sawale (1960s)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBOXi3bJ7ug

Feladey - Sawale (c1991)
I cannot find a video of this version.

Flavour - Nwa Baby (2011)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMSTYtMSbL0

The song was also covered by some Ethiopians, so here is the Ethiopian version.

Ziggy Zaga ft.Teddy Yo - Sawa Sewalegn (2012)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXmbCm1nqKo

following

Many people will remember this song as the signature tune of the 1970s and '80s sitcom The Masquerade and its follow up series, The New Masquerade. The guitar playing on the original is absolutely wonderful and the cover version is just as good as the original.

Peacocks International Guitar Band - Eddie Quansa (1970s)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2-QpwZiqR8


Runtown - Baby Answer (2014)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eD7GcAJiR8

This is an absolute classic. It was originally done by Dr Victor Olaiya. It was covered by Art Alade in the 1980s and I watched him perform it many times on the Art Alade Show. Lieutenant Shotgun covered it in the 1990s and Dr Victor Olaiya remixed it again and this time he had 2Face Idibia with him.

Dr Victor Olaiya - Baby Jowo (1960s)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBY_giUcA9s

Art Alade - Baby Jowo (c1985)
I cannot find a video of this version.

Lieutenant Shotgun - Baby Jowo (c1992)
I cannot find a video of this version.

Dr Victor Olaiya ft 2Face Idibia - Baby Jowo - 2013.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enf68hEsvys

Only Mr Johnson, Adewale Ayuba.
Another Mr Johnson, is a counterfeit.

Adewale Ayuba - Bubble (early 1990s)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnuPZUlDg_Q

Jazzman Olofin ft Adewale Ayuba - Raise The Roof (early 2000s)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bglVTDrbEIg

Here we have two huge African legends. One of the greatest Nigerian musicians ever and one of the greatest South African musicians ever.


South African jazz musician Hugh Masekela had not seen his good friend Fela Anikulapo-Kuti for many years, so when he came to perform in Nigeria, he took the opportunity to visit his friend & the following conversation ensued.

Hugh: I heard you got married to 27 women, where are they? I want to see them.

Fela: (Hisses) I divorced them.

Hugh: You divorced them? Why?

Fela: My girlfriends were jealous


Fela Anikulapo-Kuti - Lady (1970s)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSVhz1laO5w

Hugh Masekela - Lady (1980s)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0IxBHEBsGI

One of the most famous guitar lines in Nigerian music.

Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe - Osondi Owendi (1970s)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgPkfjKWc7g


MC Loph ft Flavour - Osondi Owendi (2009)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFlb1_gXJFk

She has been a tv presenter, actress and singer since the early 1980s. She is one of the most well known Nigerian singers.

He is a Nigerian doctor that was based in Sweden in the 1990s. His songs were top of the charts in many European countries and featured on the Billboard charts. Some of his songs have been used as theme songs for soap operas in the UK, Germany and India.

Onyeka Onwenu - Bia Nulu (1980s)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lze-9vugnWU

Dr Alban - Om We Rembwe Ike (1990s)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7AFbMqFXIs

I was really hurt when this man died. He was an all round entertainer. A musician, magician, tv show host, night club host, hotel owner, etc. I loved watching the funny magic that he performed on his tv show.

Bobby Benson - Taxi Driver (1960s)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hu5Bav_ySW0

Mandy Brown Ojugbana - Taxi Driver (c1985)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZc0rHLBT98

Cardinal Rex Jim Lawson - Love M'Adure (1960s)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yj7tg_NJjMM

Feladey - Love Adure (c1992)
I cannot find a video of this version.

Sunny Bobo - Old Skool (Love Adaure) (2009)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUD8v14ePjs

Another classic by Fela. The bassline was sampled by Wierd MC for her very first hit.


Fela - Beast Of No Nation (1980s)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCpua4dvUXs

Wierd MC - Allen Avenue (1997)
Unfortunately I can't find a video of this song.

This series was the longest running series on Nigerian television. The original series - The Village Headmaster, ran from 1968-c1980. The second series - The New Village Headmaster, ran from c1982-c1991. It's signature tune was absolutely fantastic.

I hope someone can tell me who originally conceived the lyrics in the second video, because I've heard children singing those words to the tune of the Village Headmaster theme song since the 1970s. Were the words originally written by Orlando Julius?

Village Headmaster (Composed and performed by Kehinde Okusanya) c1968

(from 6:43 in the video)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvpzx1L4s88


Orlando Julius - Village Headmaster

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdr1kbOlj4M

This is also not a cover version, but the second song was inspired by the first. I would do anything to post the first song over and over again. The first two minutes of the song are from another planet!

The first song was released in 1988 when the "Cabbage Patch" dance was still in vogue.

Sikiru Ayinde Barrister - Fuji Garbage (series 2) (1988).


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_vyAOQMZMI


Olamide - Fuji Garbage (2013)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNvfuoFqOUs

In 1980 the NTA produced a lot of new programme for the new decade. This delightful series was one of them. Peter Igho decided to put everything he had into the show, so he commissioned an established musician, Bongos Ikue, who had recorded many hits in the 1970s, to compose and perform the theme song for the show. It was a hit (I bought the album).

Bongos Ikue's daughter, Keke Bongos, is a nollywood producer and she decided to get her father to remake the song for her 2010 movie Inale.

Bongos Ikue/Nigerian Television Authority - Cockcrow At Dawn 1980

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CUMMwIAo54

Bongos Ikue - Cockcrow At Dawn (2010)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8xCRAnjc60

yh..nice clips..

Am not a Fan of song remix

wow...Naptu the historian welldone

Does anybody know the name of the Bongos Ikue song (which he sang in Idoma language) that was covered by the Plantashun Boyz?

hummmmm

Naptu's thread always on point

Wanted to do one of Fela's song where he talked about "follow-follow" people. Does anybody know how to get copyright permission to do cover songs in Nigeria?

Ok...
Mun ga ni.. sai mai?

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Nice thread op, keep it up.

I love old school music, they bring back memories of my childhood when everything was simple and suicide bombings was alien to us.

Cc Orlandoowoh

Ok

wow nice one. op must be an oldman tho...

Nolstalgic.nice.thank you for the memories

What seem funny about all this remix u posted here is that the ones remixed by current artist is that none of the work of oliver de coque,bright chimezie and morroco been remix becos those guys to me r classicals,AND TALKIN ABOUT REMIX if nigeria is a lawful country most of this artist will b facing law suit

Don't forget to add Funmi Adams