Nigerian highlife-pop philosopher Alhaji Warizi Oshomah is still a legend in his community, and this first volume of five collects up the best of his material from the late 1970s.
Warizi hails from Afenmailand, a state in southern Nigeria where Muslims and Christians live in harmony. The musician is a devout Muslim who's been developing his own fusion of local folk, Nigerian highlife and Western pop since the 1970s, singing songs that speak of religion and togetherness. Singing in English, Etsako and other local languages, Warizi made dance music for his diverse community, and became notorious for being "the greatest entertainer in all of Edo State".
These four tracks epitomize his style, each is lengthy at over eight minutes a piece, and each centers Warizi's unforgettable voice. Musical comparisons could be made to Fela Kuti or Ebo Taylore but there's something else going on here. Waziri was fascinated by highlife when he was growing up, but was booted out of the family home by his parents who thought he was straying too far from Islam. His response was to integrate Quranic teachings with his music, and when he started a band he made sure it was between a sermon and a dance party. Triumphant, warm and good natured, it's an example of faith's power to heal and elevate.
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Nigerian highlife-pop philosopher Alhaji Warizi Oshomah is still a legend in his community, and this first volume of five collects up the best of his material from the late 1970s.
Warizi hails from Afenmailand, a state in southern Nigeria where Muslims and Christians live in harmony. The musician is a devout Muslim who's been developing his own fusion of local folk, Nigerian highlife and Western pop since the 1970s, singing songs that speak of religion and togetherness. Singing in English, Etsako and other local languages, Warizi made dance music for his diverse community, and became notorious for being "the greatest entertainer in all of Edo State".
These four tracks epitomize his style, each is lengthy at over eight minutes a piece, and each centers Warizi's unforgettable voice. Musical comparisons could be made to Fela Kuti or Ebo Taylore but there's something else going on here. Waziri was fascinated by highlife when he was growing up, but was booted out of the family home by his parents who thought he was straying too far from Islam. His response was to integrate Quranic teachings with his music, and when he started a band he made sure it was between a sermon and a dance party. Triumphant, warm and good natured, it's an example of faith's power to heal and elevate.
Nigerian highlife-pop philosopher Alhaji Warizi Oshomah is still a legend in his community, and this first volume of five collects up the best of his material from the late 1970s.
Warizi hails from Afenmailand, a state in southern Nigeria where Muslims and Christians live in harmony. The musician is a devout Muslim who's been developing his own fusion of local folk, Nigerian highlife and Western pop since the 1970s, singing songs that speak of religion and togetherness. Singing in English, Etsako and other local languages, Warizi made dance music for his diverse community, and became notorious for being "the greatest entertainer in all of Edo State".
These four tracks epitomize his style, each is lengthy at over eight minutes a piece, and each centers Warizi's unforgettable voice. Musical comparisons could be made to Fela Kuti or Ebo Taylore but there's something else going on here. Waziri was fascinated by highlife when he was growing up, but was booted out of the family home by his parents who thought he was straying too far from Islam. His response was to integrate Quranic teachings with his music, and when he started a band he made sure it was between a sermon and a dance party. Triumphant, warm and good natured, it's an example of faith's power to heal and elevate.
Nigerian highlife-pop philosopher Alhaji Warizi Oshomah is still a legend in his community, and this first volume of five collects up the best of his material from the late 1970s.
Warizi hails from Afenmailand, a state in southern Nigeria where Muslims and Christians live in harmony. The musician is a devout Muslim who's been developing his own fusion of local folk, Nigerian highlife and Western pop since the 1970s, singing songs that speak of religion and togetherness. Singing in English, Etsako and other local languages, Warizi made dance music for his diverse community, and became notorious for being "the greatest entertainer in all of Edo State".
These four tracks epitomize his style, each is lengthy at over eight minutes a piece, and each centers Warizi's unforgettable voice. Musical comparisons could be made to Fela Kuti or Ebo Taylore but there's something else going on here. Waziri was fascinated by highlife when he was growing up, but was booted out of the family home by his parents who thought he was straying too far from Islam. His response was to integrate Quranic teachings with his music, and when he started a band he made sure it was between a sermon and a dance party. Triumphant, warm and good natured, it's an example of faith's power to heal and elevate.
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Nigerian highlife-pop philosopher Alhaji Warizi Oshomah is still a legend in his community, and this first volume of five collects up the best of his material from the late 1970s.
Warizi hails from Afenmailand, a state in southern Nigeria where Muslims and Christians live in harmony. The musician is a devout Muslim who's been developing his own fusion of local folk, Nigerian highlife and Western pop since the 1970s, singing songs that speak of religion and togetherness. Singing in English, Etsako and other local languages, Warizi made dance music for his diverse community, and became notorious for being "the greatest entertainer in all of Edo State".
These four tracks epitomize his style, each is lengthy at over eight minutes a piece, and each centers Warizi's unforgettable voice. Musical comparisons could be made to Fela Kuti or Ebo Taylore but there's something else going on here. Waziri was fascinated by highlife when he was growing up, but was booted out of the family home by his parents who thought he was straying too far from Islam. His response was to integrate Quranic teachings with his music, and when he started a band he made sure it was between a sermon and a dance party. Triumphant, warm and good natured, it's an example of faith's power to heal and elevate.