Victor Efosa Uwaifo was a Nigerian musician, writer, sculptor, and musical instrument inventor, university lecturer, music legend, and the first Honorable Commissioner for Arts, Culture and Tourism in Nigeria.
24 Facts About Victor Uwaifo
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Victor Uwaifo was the winner of the first gold disc in Africa released in 1965 and seven other gold discs in Guitar Boy, Arabade, Ekassa series and Akwete music.
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Victor Uwaifo recorded under the name "Victor Uwaifo and His Titibitis".
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Victor Efosa Uwaifo was born in Benin City, Edo State, Colonial Nigeria and obtained his secondary school education at the Western Boys' High School Benin and St Gregory's College, Lagos, from 1957 to 1961.
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Victor Uwaifo began playing guitar when he was 12 years old, his earliest popular music influences being records of Spanish and Latin American music.
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Victor Uwaifo received a bachelor's degree with first-class honours at 54 years old and a master's degree from the University of Benin in 1997 at 56 where he studied fine and applied arts and majored in sculpture.
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Victor Uwaifo was a contemporary of Segun Bucknor, and they were both among the leading Lagos high school bandleaders at the time.
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Victor Uwaifo briefly worked with Stephen Osadebe and Fred Coker before he formed Melody Maestros in 1965.
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Victor Uwaifo made history in Nigeria when he won the first golden record in Nigeria, West Africa and Africa for his song "Joromi" in 1996.
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Victor Uwaifo later experimented with a new rhythm that was similar to soul but soon left it for Ekassa, an interpretation of a traditional Benin sound.
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In 1971, Victor Uwaifo opened the Joromi Hotel in Benin City, and within ten years established his own television studio.
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Victor Uwaifo, who had a total of 12 golden records to date, travelled to many countries including the United States, Russia, Japan, United Kingdom, Bulgaria, Romania, Germany, France, Hungary, Rome, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Togo, Benin Republic, Spain, and Canada.
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Victor Uwaifo was the first professional musician in Nigeria to receive such an award.
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Victor Uwaifo was a Justice of the Peace and had served in many capacities.
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Victor Uwaifo was appointed the Honorable Commissioner for Arts, Culture, and Tourism and a Member of the State Executive Council, the highest policy-making decision body in Edo State from 2001 to 2003.
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Victor Uwaifo was awarded the National Honors of Nigeria.
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Victor Uwaifo was invited to the State House by four Presidents and heads of state of Nigeria.
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In 1995, Victor Uwaifo was invited by the United Nations Staff Day International Committee to perform during the UN Golden Jubilee celebration.
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Victor Uwaifo was an Honorary Member of the Biographical Advisory Council, Cambridge, England; a member of both the Performing Right Society, and of the advisory board of American Heritage University, California, US.
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Victor Uwaifo was the first Nigerian to win a gold disc in Africa, released in 1965 at the age of 24 years old.
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Victor Uwaifo was the Chairman of Joromi Organization, a multi-track recording and television studio in Benin City.
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Victor Uwaifo ran and managed an art gallery and the Victor Uwaifo Hall of Fame.
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Victor Uwaifo was a lecturer at the Department of Fine and Applied Arts at the University of Benin, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria.
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Victor Uwaifo died on 28 August 2021 at the age of 80.