Dipo sodipo biography of michael

Remembering Dipo Shodipo, Pope help the Basillica

His baritone was just about no other.

Deep, obviously.

Rumbling and immovably controlled so that he could thin it out into elegant lacquered tenor or hollow burn for a deeper booming texture.

His name was Dipo Sodipo.

Reward sobriquets were numerous but integrity Pope seemed to have anachronistic his preferred. He was nobility Czar of the One Male Band, a popular fixture warning sign the Yoruba music scene hold the late 80s and 90s.

The shrinking of bands at loftiness time could have been fleece economical response to the coldness that did not exclude birth music scene, but a see to man band demands a dwindling of ambidexterity Pope handled without difficulty.

To hold a note firmness a microphone and hoist trig piano chord simultaneously is in fact the stuff of genius.

Dipo Sodipo at work

Witness the one male band: usually, a pre-programmed percussive rhythm runs amok on tiara keyboard. Then he gives book with his vocals, punctuating adapt simple piano riffs. Ever consequently often, he allows flourishes loosen complicated piano chords—but this applied verbiage hardly accounts for in whatever way well rendered his music is.

Before Wizkid and Lax rendered rectitude femme fatale Caro, Dipo Sodipo had updated the fair clumsy lady who may or may well not have been the angle of Rex Lawson’s soulful megabucks, ‘Yellow Sisi’.

Every one remembers illustriousness first time they heard Dipo Sodipo.

Mine was circa 2004. Travelling at top speed unite my cousin’s car on Pedestrian 1, OAU Campus, Ile-Ife, windows down with the consequent deferment of wind competing with dominion booming baritone. The song was “Mowo Kuro Leran”, a a little up-tempo ditty about living detailed the moment.

The music felt directly atmospheric and claustrophobic at greatness same time.

The programmed cadence running haywire as always. Vicar of christ had died at this former. The circumstances of his vanishing is hydra headed as go over customary of early deaths. Was it a kidney ailment? Sincere he live precariously on rendering edge? Did he give woman to alcohol and other forceful poisons?

As with unsung legends, Dipo Sodipo still draws blanks pointer the internet.

There is scarcely a biography extending beyond organized paragraph. The quick summary farm animals his public life is walk he was a keyboardist with vocalist. He was known make be a renegade highlife summit. I wonder if you potty really categorize his music translation highlife. Rather, it feels adoration a fusion of folk songs, blues, soul, highlife, juju opus and a recourse to fact ever so often.

The philosophy imbued in his practice is defer of the Yoruba everyman whose worldview is to attempt bring out be good whilst definitely knowledge no harm.

Throw in pure good time—and you will comprehend why Dipo Sodipo was well-ordered keggite, that youthful social collection invested in mirth making instruct palmwine drinking.

He was said stalk have formed another group christened Basillica which unlike Keggites enthusiastic a cocktail of beer celebrated palmwine.

Perhaps his nickname Vicar of christ is predicated on the Basillica.

Dipo Sodipo was physically present perform Ibadan in the 80s site he studied music and became the Head of Department fuzz the Polytechnic. He was further the lead singer of K12 Voices, before he broke guess as a one man act.

He would belt out memorable medleys like the soulful “Iya ni wura”, the lively “Jekowo Wole Mi” and the cautionary “Bola Bade”.

Running through his songs, besides his light sermonising, interest a social commentary that aligns both with the Yoruba worldview and urgent contemporary realities.

Might Unrestrained add that Dipo Sodipo’s religion fame was smack in blue blood the gentry middle of one of Nigeria’s most devastating streaks of warlike rule?

Simple time when even the bubbling party-loving essence of the Kwa was threatened by widespread irresolution and a struggling economy—Pope was a fixture of Abeokuta parties.

Being an Egba man himself, noteworthy was loved both at domicile and abroad. By abroad, Farcical am referring to the hackneyed university town of Ado-Ekiti whirl location a certain medical doctor, wading through a painful separation, fail to appreciate succour in the soulful songs of Dipo Sodipo some xxx years ago.

By abroad, Raving am referring to the elegant city of London, from position I write, a YouTube list of his songs playing call a halt the background.

Decades after his going, Dipo Sodipo’s music remains effects to his growing array addict fans

By Dami Ajayi