Oliver De Coque

Oliver De Coque
Birth name	Oliver Sunday Akanite
Born	(1947-04-14)April 14, 1947
Origin	Ezinifite, Nnewi South, Anambra State,
Died	June 20, 2008(2008-06-20) (aged 61)
Genres	Igbo highlife
Occupation(s)	Singer, Songwriter, Record Producer, Lead Guitarist
Years active	1965–2008
Labels	Olumo Records Nigeria Limited

Oliver Sunday Akanite (14 April 1947 – 20 June 2008), better known by the stage name Oliver De Coque, was a Nigerian guitarist and one of Africa's most prolific recording artists.

Oliver's iconic stage name, 'Oliver De Coque', originated from his early days playing Ekpili music in 1976. His band was initially called 'Oliver de coque and co-singers' ,and people affectionally referred to him as'Oliver De Ka Okwe' due to his love for playing okwe(Draft). Overtime, he adapted this nickname to create the household name 'Oliver De Coque'.

Early life and career

De Coque was born in Ezinifite, Anambra State, Nigeria, in 1947, to an Igbo family. He started playing music at the age of 17 with the Ekpili music and was taught to play the guitar by a Congolese guitarist 'Piccolo' living in Nigeria. De Coque was an apprentice of juju musicians Sunny Agaga and Jacob Oluwale and became locally well known by the time he was a teenager.

De Coque received international attention after performing in London in 1973, and his guitar work was featured in Prince Nico Mbarga's 1977 album Sweet Mother.

In a landmark ceremony,the then Alaafin of Oyo, Lamidi Adeyemi III, crowned him 'The King of Highlife' of Africa in 1994,for his consistency in his craft.

His debut album, Messiah Messiah, was released in 1977. In total, De Coque recorded 93 albums. Many of his songs were noted to be in the ogene genre, blending modern music with traditional Igbo harmonies. Singles included "People's Club of Nigeria", "Nempi Social Club", "Biri Ka Mbiri", "Ana Enwe Obodo enwe", "Nnukwu Mmanwu" and "Identity", the latter of which spent several weeks on Radio Nigeria 2's Top Ten in 1981.

In addition to his solo work, De Coque frequently played with the Igede International Band, led by his brother Eugene.

Personal life and death

De Coque had 12 children and at least four sons, including Solar De Coque, Safin De Coque (Darlington Akanite), Edu De Coque (Chinedu Akanite), and Ikenna Akanite.

De Coque was awarded an honorary degree in music from the University of New Orleans.

De Coque died on 20 June 2008 following a sudden cardiac arrest. His son subsequently noted that De Coque had prioritised performing 2008 but had planned to seek medical advice the month after his death.

Legacy

On 14 April 2021, a Google Doodle showcased De Coque to mark what would have been his 74th birthday.

Partial discography

• Messiah Messiah (1977)
• Odiri(2002)
• Biri ka m biri
• People's Club
• Chukwu Kelu Uwa Cho Ya Nma
• Father Father
• Oppurtunity(1982)
• Nwanne Di Na Mba
• All Fingers Are Not Equal
• Onye China Azo
• Ka Anyi Bilibe Ndu
• Messiah Messiah
• Uwa Cholu Obi Umeana