Kokoro (musician)
Encyclopedia
Benjamin ‘Kokoro’ Aderounmu (25 February 1925 – 25 January 2009) was a widely-know blind minstrel from Lagos
, Nigeria
. He was born into a royal family in Owo
, Ondo State
, and became blind when he was aged ten. He developed a unique style of singing accompanied first by a drum, later by a tambourine. He moved to Lagos in 1947, where he became exposed to major local musicians such as Ayinde Bakare
, Bobby Benson
and Victor Olaiya
. In the 1960s and 1970s he featured regularly on Federal and local radio stations, and was widely respected for the depth and wisdom of his lyrics.
An early pioneer of Jùjú music
, he sang in Yoruba
about love, money, conflicts and urban decadence.
He had wide influence on other musicians.
The author Cyprian Ekwensi
wrote a fictionalized version of his life in his novel for adolescents, The Drummer Boy.
He performed in many cities in Nigeria and overseas, but was exploited by people who took advantage of his blindness. Often he was homeless, playing on the streets to make ends meet.
However, in 2007 the governor of Lagos State Babatunde Raji Fashola donated him a two-bedroom apartment after meeting him at a performance by King Sunny Ade
. Kokoro died of a diarrhea-related ailment shortly before the planned release of his album titled Igi Araba He was survived by his wife of 32 years, Abike Beatrice Adewunmi.
Lagos
Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
, Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
. He was born into a royal family in Owo
Owo
Owo is a town in the Ondo state of Nigeria. Between the years 1400 and 1600 AD it was the capital of a Yoruba city-state.-Etymology:According to Owo historian Chief Ashara, the name Owo derives from the first ruler, or Olowo, named Ojugbelu...
, Ondo State
Ondo State
Ondo State, Nigeria was created on 3 February 1976 from the former Western State. It originally included what is now Ekiti State, which was split off in 1996. Akure is the state capital.-Government and society:...
, and became blind when he was aged ten. He developed a unique style of singing accompanied first by a drum, later by a tambourine. He moved to Lagos in 1947, where he became exposed to major local musicians such as Ayinde Bakare
Ayinde Bakare
Ayinde Bakare was a pioneering Yoruba juju and highlife musician. He began recording on the HMV label in 1937 and is thought to have been the first juju musician to use an amplified guitar, in 1949....
, Bobby Benson
Bobby Benson
Bobby Benson was an entertainer and musician who had considerable influence on the Nigerian music scene, introducing big band and Caribbean idioms to the Highlife style of popular West African music.-Life:...
and Victor Olaiya
Victor Olaiya
Victor Abimbola Olaiya, or 'Dr Victor Olaiya', is a Nigerian trumpeter who plays in the Highlife style. He was possibly the biggest star in Nigeria in the 1950s and early 1960s, but received little recognition outside of Nigeria...
. In the 1960s and 1970s he featured regularly on Federal and local radio stations, and was widely respected for the depth and wisdom of his lyrics.
An early pioneer of Jùjú music
Jùjú music
Jùjú is a style of Nigerian popular music, derived from traditional Yoruba percussion. The name comes from a Yoruba word "juju" or "jiju" meaning "throwing" or "something being thrown." Juju music did not derive its name from juju, which "is a form of magic and the use of magic objects or...
, he sang in Yoruba
Yoruba language
Yorùbá is a Niger–Congo language spoken in West Africa by approximately 20 million speakers. The native tongue of the Yoruba people, it is spoken, among other languages, in Nigeria, Benin, and Togo and in communities in other parts of Africa, Europe and the Americas...
about love, money, conflicts and urban decadence.
He had wide influence on other musicians.
The author Cyprian Ekwensi
Cyprian Ekwensi
Cyprian Ekwensi, MFR was a Nigerian short story writer and author of children's books.-Early life, education and family:Ekwensi, an Igbo, was born in Minna, Niger State...
wrote a fictionalized version of his life in his novel for adolescents, The Drummer Boy.
He performed in many cities in Nigeria and overseas, but was exploited by people who took advantage of his blindness. Often he was homeless, playing on the streets to make ends meet.
However, in 2007 the governor of Lagos State Babatunde Raji Fashola donated him a two-bedroom apartment after meeting him at a performance by King Sunny Ade
King Sunny Adé
King Sunny Adé is a popular performer of Yoruba Nigerian Jùjú music and a pioneer of modern world music. He has been classed as one of the most influential musicians of all time.-Background:...
. Kokoro died of a diarrhea-related ailment shortly before the planned release of his album titled Igi Araba He was survived by his wife of 32 years, Abike Beatrice Adewunmi.