Were iconic Nigerian highlife music superstar, Oliver de Coque be alive today, he would have been 74. He was however, honored by Google Doodle on his posthumous birthday 14 April.
Oliver de Coque hit the Nigerian music scene with the release of his first album Messiah Messiah in 1977 and went on to deliver loads of albums in his lifetime.
Real name Sunday Akanite, he was a master guitarist, vocalist and entertainer. His jet black, curly and shiny beard remains an emblem of his uniqueness.
He was a skilled player of the board game okwe, which is how he got the nickname “Oliver de ka Okwe,” which he later adapted to his stage name, Oliver de Coque.
Oliver de Coque was one of the most recognizable Nigerian faces in the 1990s.
Among Oliver de Coque’s notable songs were ‘Biri Ka Mbiri’, ‘People’s Club of Nigeria’, ‘Nempi Social Club’, ‘Ana Enwe’, ‘Nnukwu Mmanwu’, ‘Identity’, which was on Radio Nigeria 2’s Top Ten for most of 1981.
Oliver de Coque’s music is still enjoyed today with remixes by a number of artists, he passed on 20th June in 2008.