Early life

Jide Obi Ibo (born 1962) is a Nigerian musician from the early 1980s. Jide Obi was born in

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

to a Nigerian

barrister A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdiction (area), jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include arguing cases in courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, jurisprud ...

of England's Lincoln Inn, and a teacher.

Education

In the late 1970s he studied law at

Enugu Enugu () verbally pronounced as "Enụgwụ" by the Igbo indigenes is a state in the South-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria, bordered to the north by the states of Benue and Kogi, Ebonyi State to the east and southeast, Abia State to the so ...

campus of the

University of Nigeria The University of Nigeria, commonly referred to as UNN, is a federal and public research university located in Nsukka, Enugu State, South-east Nigeria. Founded in 1955 by Nnamdi Azikiwe who was Governor-General of Nigeria between 1960 and 1963 ...

, where he became friends with fellow student Chris Okotie.

Career

Following Okotie's success, in the early 1980s he released his debut album "Front Page News" under the Tabansi Records label. Other hits included ''Kill Me With Love'', and ''Front Page News''. He made numerous performances on Nigerian radio and television. In November 1981, his record label, Tabansi Records, gave him his first gold disc award at the National Theatre,

Surulere Surulere is a local government area located on the mainland in Lagos State, Nigeria. It has an area of . At the 2006 census, there were 503,975 inhabitants, with a population density of 21,864 inhabitants per square kilometer. The local governm ...

. Two years later, he toured Eastern Nigeria with

Sierra Leone Sierra Leone, officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered to the southeast by Liberia and by Guinea to the north. Sierra Leone's land area is . It has a tropical climate and envi ...

's Bunny Mack, backed mostly by the Comrades of Enugu, Nigeria. He has had several bands backing him, including Guyanese musician

Eddy Grant Edmond Montague Grant (born 5 March 1948) is a Guyanese in the United Kingdom, Guyanese-British singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, known for his genre-blending sound and socially conscious lyrics; his music has blended elements of p ...

's Coach House Band, the Dukes of Freetown Sierra Leone, and the Apostles of Aba. His albums ''Front Page News'' and ''Kill Me With Love'' were both produced by

Barbados Barbados, officially the Republic of Barbados, is an island country in the Atlantic Ocean. It is part of the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies and the easternmost island of the Caribbean region. It lies on the boundary of the South American ...

native Bill Campbell. Ex-

Osibisa Osibisa is a Ghanaian-Caribbean Afro rock band founded in London in the late 1960s by four expatriate West African and three London-based Caribbean musicians. Osibisa was the most successful and longest lived of the African-heritage bands in ...

and Funkees guitarist Jake Solo performed on both recordings. In 1984, Obi composed the theme tune to the NTA children's show ''Tales By Moonlight''. With Dizzy K Falola, Chris Okotie, and

Felix Lebarty Felix Lebarty, also known as Lover Boy, is a Nigerian singer/songwriter and record producer, best known for the 1989 single "Ifeoma" from the ''One Life To Live'' album. He has since reinvented himself as a pastor, and currently runs his own Ch ...

he stimulated the emerging music industry of Nigeria. He sang modern pop gospel, also described as pop/blues. He was seen as part of a movement devoted to change and opposing inequality in Nigeria. Jide Obi is known to give press interviews critical of aspects of religion. The most notable instance occurred in 1989 and 1990, when he declared religion as frequently a victimising factor. The story made the cover of Nigerian billionaire

M. K. O. Abiola Chieftain, Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola , also known as M. K. O. Abiola (; 24 August 1937 – 7 July 1998) was a Nigerian business magnate, publisher, and politician. He was the honorary supreme military commander of the Oyo Empire an ...

's '' National Concord'' magazine. In recent years, Jide Obi has been seen living in both

Britain Britain most often refers to: * Great Britain, a large island comprising the countries of England, Scotland and Wales * The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a sovereign state in Europe comprising Great Britain and the north-eas ...

and the United States, though he is a

recluse A recluse is a person who lives in voluntary seclusion and solitude. The word is from the Latin , which means 'to open' or 'disclose'. Examples of recluses are Symeon of Trier, who lived within the great Roman gate Porta Nigra with permissio ...

seldom seen in public.

Achievements

He made numerous performances on Nigerian radio and television. In November 1981, his record label, Tabansi Records, gave him his first gold disc award at the National Theatre, Surulere. Two years later, he toured Eastern Nigeria with Sierra Leone's Bunny Mack, backed mostly by the Comrades of Enugu, Nigeria.

Personal life

Discography

* Front Page News * Kill Me With Love * I Love This Place I Found * Give It Everything You Have Got * At The Disco * Wild War * Paperback Superstar * No One Can Stop Us Right Now * Everybody In The World Needs Someone * Living In The Shadows * Happy Day * Too Young * I'm Leaving Tonight * Star Of Your Life * Star Of My Life * Change Your Life * Making Friends * Save The Children

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Obi, Jide Living people 1962 births 20th-century Nigerian male musicians Igbo musicians English people of Nigerian descent University of Nigeria alumni