Victor Olaiya

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 ...