At last, Ola Onabule's dream of playing on home soil materialised on Saturday, when the British-Nigeria-born musician stormed La Scala Resturant, MUSON Centre, Onika, Lagos, with his full band, for the Lagos Jazz Series Mid Year Gig. The live music concert, which also featured the eclectic Abyssinian Jazz Vespers All Stars on Friday, was a perfect opportunity for Onabule to showcase his brand of music at home, having made name abroad.
Onabule was in his best elements at the gig, as he belted hits after hits. As if determined to create a lasting impression on the minds of his audience, the Lagos boys sang out his heart to his countrymen and expatriates, who responded with resounding round of applause. In deed, it was a successful home coming for Onabule, who seems ready to bring his music home.
Spanning nearly two decades, Onabule's music career has been a testament to his passion and perseverance; he has blazed his own trail at every step. First turning away from expectations and leaving behind an education in law, then choosing to work outside the system of big record labels.
Today, he has gone on to build his own studios, set up his own label, and tour tirelessly with his band. Now a regular presence at some of the world's premier festivals and concert halls, Ola looks forward to building greater inroads into the Americas and Asia, while hoping to play a modest role in raising awareness of the issues afoot in the globalizing of the world.
In a chat with the artiste before his Lagos gig, the powerful vocalist went down memory lane on how he encountered music early in life.
"I have always been in choirs back here in Nigeria; I used to sing with my friends, but I didn't think of music as a profession. It was while I was at the university studying Law that I realised in my final year, that what I would be much comfortable in doing rather than being a Lawyer, is to be a musician."
Obviously, studying law in the UK was never Ola's idea; he only enrolled to satisfy his parents, who wanted a 'professional' son.
"It's the belief of our parents back then that you have to study a professional course; become a doctor, lawyer, accountant or engineer. Those were the only four professions on the list of choices, so, I chose Law, because I had uncles and aunties who were lawyers."
However, along the line, music came calling.
"I think I just had that realisation because I was always struggling through the law degree; I was spending most of my nights in jazz clubs, listening to music or playing on stage with great musicians. So, along the line, it became clear to me that music is what I love to do, so I backed out studying law; I didn't finish it," he noted.
All through his days as a law student, music was a great distraction for Onabule, who spent more time attending and playing gigs.
"It's not like it was difficult being a law student, but the fact that I was so distracted by music. In fact, whenever there's a concert or a talk of a great musician coming to town, then I was in London, I didn't mind missing lectures and assignments just to be there to meet the artiste. Sometimes, I get the opportunity to talk to them and I find out what is necessary to become a musician; that got me distracted from studies," he said.
For sure, his decision to drop out of school in final year only to pursue his music career was never accepted by Ola's parents; he practically started his professional music career without parental blessing.
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