1. Orlando Julius began experimenting with combining traditional music with horns, guitar, and American genres, a fusion which came to be known as afrobeat.
22 Facts About Orlando Julius
1. 2.
Orlando Julius had his first hits with 1965's "Jagua Nana" and the 1966 album Super Afro Soul.
3.
Orlando Julius was born in 1943 in Ikole, Nigeria during the British colonial era to a merchant family with roots in Ijebu-Jesa, Osun.
4.
Orlando Julius attended St Peter's Anglican School in Ikole and played in the school band.
5.
Orlando Julius worked at a bakery while playing the drums or flute with juju and konkoma bands.
6.
Orlando Julius spent time trying to connect with highlife musician Jazz Romero, doing chores for him hoping to garner enough favor for music lessons.
7.
When Romero got into a conflict with a nightclub owner and walked out on a gig, Orlando Julius stepped in as bandleader.
8.
In 1960, Eddie Okonta invited Orlando Julius to join his band.
9.
Orlando Julius recorded his first single, "Igbehin Adara", with the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation the same year.
10.
Orlando Julius had his first hit in 1965 with the song "Jagua Nana", the name applying slang for Jaguar cars to a woman.
11.
Orlando Julius traveled through Europe first, and then went to the United States in 1973, where he decided to stay.
12.
Orlando Julius took up residence in Washington, DC, formed a band named Umoja, and played in local nightclubs.
13.
Masekela had split with his band, Hedzolch Soundz, and formed a new group with Orlando Julius, including some members of both bands.
14.
Orlando Julius says they noticed his distinctive style of playing the saxophone in a minor key, owing to the Ijesha way of playing.
15.
Orlando Julius spent time as a session musician in Los Angeles, before moving to Oakland in 1978.
16.
Orlando Julius had always been interested in film production, and once in the Bay area attended film school.
17.
Orlando Julius did not stop playing music and met up with others regularly at a small bar, Michael's Den.
18.
Orlando Julius began teaching his style of playing to local musicians and formed Ashiko.
19.
Orlando Julius quickly began recording tracks for the album Dance Afro-Beat, leading him to put together the 18-person Nigerian All Stars band.
20.
Orlando Julius began touring internationally and, in 2014, went to London to collaborate with The Heliocentrics.
21.
In 2019 or 2020, Orlando Julius moved to Ijebu-Jesa with his wife, Latoya Ekemode.
22.
On 15 April 2022, Latoya reported that Orlando Julius died in his sleep, at the age of 78.