West African ‘Flavour’ comes to Harare

Flavour

Zimbabwean music fans will later this month be treated to some West African flavour, when Nigerian musician Chinedu Okoli, better known as Flavour, shares the stage with Oliver Mtukudzi in Harare. Flavour is riding high with three of his hit songs, “Nwa Baby (Sawale)”, “Adanma” and Oyi”, which are currently receiving heavy rotation on local radio stations, in clubs, at almost every party in town.

The gig has been slated for May 25, Africa Day, at the Andy Millar Hall. Flavour’s visit to Zimbabwe will surely come as a relief to fans who have of late been fed on a diet of dancehall reggae and pantsula. The show organisers said they were bringing the Nigerian singer to bring variety to the local entertainment scene.

“People are now tired of dancehall and South African singers who have been performing in Zimbabwe in the last four years or so. “We are saying, it is now time to revitalise the entertainment scene, hence our decision to invite Flavour to Zimbabwe,” said show organiser Joseph Habis. Flavour is a high-life/soul/hip-hop artiste who hails from eastern Nigeria.

Chinedu Okoli began his musical sojourn in 2002 when he was barely 19 years old.  According to online reports, upon realising that the young man was talented, the resident pastor at his church introduced him to his friend, Chris I. Ordor, who had just opened a company aimed at training young musicians.

Flavour was invited to join the company on a scholarship to study music in 1996. He became a professional drummer after three years of mentoring. In 2000, Flavour graduated from the drums to the piano, also did backups for other band members from the company. He later won a scholarship to study music at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, against his mother’s wishes. 

 The company which mentored him, SoundCity Communications, acquired new premises in Port Harcourt. So Flavour had to shuffle between Enugu State and Port Harcourt, which was extremely difficult for him. The company eventually relocated in 2003, but Flavour’s mother would not allow him join them, effectively terminating the scholarship and his association with his sponsors.

He subsequently gained admission to study Business Administration in 2004. Before the end of the year, Flavour kicked off his live performance career at Bubbles Plaza, Enugu. In 2006, he decided to form his own band, which he named “Flavour and the Crew”. The name Flavour was given to him by his fans at Bubbles Plaza. “It was basically because he sings high-life music with a blend of all other genres people were familiar with. So they called it his Flavour,” reported his website.

The title of his first album released in 2005 by Obaino Music was “N’abania”. The album sold like hot cakes but only in the eastern part of Nigeria and some neighbouring African countries. His second album was recorded two years later and he named it “Uplifted” because he believed it would take him to greater heights. It has several hit singles and is one of the best selling albums of 2010.

Flavour’s collaboration with artistes like Mr Raw (formerly Nigga Raw) and MC Loaf brought him critical acclaim and very recently his song with MI African Rapper Number One, has earned him a keen interest of industry watchers who have dubbed him the next big act. Herald