Artist's albums
In The Sixties
2022 · album
3 Decades of Highlife
2018 · album
Dr Victor Olaiya
2017 · album
Olaiya in the 60's
2017 · album
Highlife Re-Incarnation
2015 · album
Ilu Le O (Country Hard O)
2015 · album
In the Sixties
2015 · album
Papingo Davalaya
2015 · album
The Legendary
2014 · album
51 Lex Presents Okwudili
2011 · album
51 Lex Presents Trumpet Highlife
2011 · album
The Legendary Victor Olaiya Vol1
2011 · album
The Legendary Victor Olaiya Vol2
2011 · album
51 Lex Records Presents Labalaba
2010 · album
Living the Highlife EP 9
2010 · EP
Dr. Victor Abimbola Olaiya EP 1
2010 · single
The Evil Genius Of Highlife Vol. 2
2009 · album
All Star Soul International
2009 · album
Three Decades Of Highlife - The Best Of...
2002 · compilation
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Biography
Victor Abimbola Olaiya was considered to be one of the most influential trumpet players in Nigeria, and a pioneer in the highlife genre. Olaiya began his career playing a variety of music, including waltzes and highlifes. In 1952, he decided to form his own band, who became known as the Cool Cats as he blended traditional Nigerian melodic forms with Western jazz instrumentation. His popularity grew throughout the 1950s, and he released most of his material in the 1960s. While very little of his work was heard in the West, in Nigeria he was tremendously popular, and his take on highlife was seen as a stepping-stone to what would become known as Afro-beat. Olaiya became a nightclub owner in the '70s and continued with his music; he was also leader of the Nigerian Musicians Union. Victor Abimbola Olaiya died on February 12, 2020 in Lagos, Nigeria; he was 89 years old. ~ All Music Guide, Rovi