Lagbaja
Lagbaja (born Bisade Ologunde in Lagos) is a multi-award winning Nigerian Afrobeat musician, singer and song-writer. He was born in 1960 in Lagos state. He is a descent of Odogun’s Compound, Ijagbo Community in Oyun Local Government Area of Kwara State.Bisade is a Baptist by birth. He is also a Globacom ambassador.
Name and mask
According to Lágbájá (pronounced la gba jah) his mask is used as an icon of man's facelessness. Lágbájá is a Yoruba word that means "nobody in particular". It depicts the anonymity of the so-called "common man". The mask and the name symbolize the faceless, the voiceless in the society, particularly in Africa. He is also known as "Omo baba mu'ko mu'ko".
Style of music
Though the concept was developed long before that, his first album (entitled Lagbaja) was released to national acclaim in 1993. Over the years and more albums later, the music continues to fascinate with its unique focus on a core of African drums. His music is a product of various influences ranging from traditional Yoruba music to Jazz. Often the music is purely instrumental- an interplay between traditional Yoruba percussion, drums, chants, western instruments, and especially the saxophone. When there are lyrics, they are primarily sung in Yoruba, English or a blend of the two as is colloquially spoken in Yoruba cities. Many of his songs dwell on serious social issues, while others simply entertain. Some compositions are introduced with a simple "time to dance", informing the audience of lengthy dance numbers, while other songs address complex social issues through biting wit made palatable by disarming parables, irony, and multilingual puns.
