Sunday Akanite at Ezenifite in the Nnewi Local Government Area of Anambra State in 1947, Oliver De Coque is one of the young highlife artists whose career blossomed after the civil war. Although he started his career by playing Ekpili, an

Igbo folk music with the Ukonu Club after qualifying as a stenographer in 1965, Oliver parted ways with Ekpili and joined Sunny Agaga’s Lucky Star Band, a Juju group as a solo guitarist after the civil war. In 1971, he left Agaga for Jacob Oluwole’s Friendly Unity Juju Band. Oliver who later ended up in Sule Agboola’s Moonlight Guitar Band finally had his big break in 1976 when he released 􀀪Fire Disaster􀀯, his debut album. A highlife number, Fire Disaster which lamented the woes of the unfortunate Aba traders whose stalls were gutted by fire at the Ekeoha market instantly became a hit, particularly amongst Igbo-speaking highlife fans. Fire Disaster not only brought the relatively unknown Oliver fame, but it also brought him wealth. Since his debut, however, he has released several other chartbusters including Peoples Club, Naira Power. Oliver who `styles his kind of highlife OGENE has represented the country in sundry international shows including the 1st Los Angeles Music Festival in the United States. With as many as twenty international awards and honors in his Kitty, this guitar twanging son of an Igbo native singer ably supported by his herbalist/soothsayer mother, was one of the vanguards of those who kept the highlife intern aglow in Nigeria.