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| Feladey |
By Fred Iwenjora
Condolence messages continue to inundate the Lagos home of star artiste, guitarist, composer, singer, songwriter, music producer Alex Felix Odey better known in Nigerian music circles as Feladey.
The master guitarist died after a brief illness on July 28 2021 at a Lagos Hospital. He just turned 70 in January 2021.
As at the time of filling this, the Condolence register set up at his residence had been filled with emotional tributes from fans, friends and well wishers who visit to commiserate with his family on his passing.
Feladey hailed from Okuni, Ikom LGA of Cross River state but was raised across south eastern cities of Enugu, Awo Omamma, Abakaliki, Ogoja,(his mother’s place) Afikpo, Owerri, Aba, PH etc.
He had followed in the footsteps of his fellow compatriots from Cross River state like Inyang Henshaw, Peter Effiom, Prince Nico, Commy Bassey and a host of others who projected the character of Cross River state as a major force in the aggregate of musicians in Nigeria in the early 70s.
Starting out after the civil war right from secondary school, Feladey first armed himself with prodigious knowledge of several musical instruments, became an advocate of live band music.
His well perfected guitar skills was highly sought after by many bands too numerous to mention.
He played with the best bands in Nigeria including the famous Heads Funk with whom he made five albums.
Before then Feladey had had a hand in 2nd Generations, The Funkees, Wrinkars Experience, De Nono, Red Parrots, Labamba and with Bongos Ikwue and the Groovies to mention but just a few etc.
With the Groovies he recorded Say a little prayer just as his guitars are very audible in Bongos Ikwue’s famous hit track Cock Crow at dawn.
He later was in- house producer at wave making music companies like Tabansi Records as well as Japex Records through which he released his first album Japadodo.
His band Labamba was a regular backing band for hit artistes of those years.
His gregarious character which saw him performing across the nation gathered for him a huge fan base.
Some of his many solo albums which include songs like Japadodo, Sawalele, One pound no balance, Band Boy, Watershed, Angelina, etc. made Feladey to feel at home in any parts of Nigeria.
Sawalele and One pound no balance were special remakes as tribute to highlife music icons as Rex Lawson and Osita Osadebe respectively. And they endeared him to many fans.
Many are of the opinion that with his pioneering contributions to Nigerian music and musicianship and impacting on the nation’s pop culture through his many albums either as group or as solo artiste as well as his incredible mastery of the guitar, Feladey is well assured a place in the Cross River state music hall of fame.
As a musical ambassador exported from Cross River state to the world, he was a big inspiration to younger generation of musicians in Nigeria in general and Cross River state in particular including Sunny Neji, Edward Blackky Inyang and a host of others.
In fact, many count Cross River state as a major music state in Nigeria because of the artistic imprints of people like Feladey.
Former Governor of Cross Rivers state and initiator of the internationally renowned Calabar Carnival Mr. Donald Duke recognised this artistic imprints and invited him as well as other notable Cross River state born artistes as consultants to the carnival. He even was inspired to record an album for the carnival.
This is the best time to rally together to give Feladey a befitting burial whenever the family is set for the event.
The Cross River state government must champion and spearhead the funeral of an illustrious son because it would rekindle interest in the state and its cultural heritage which he lived to propagate.
That is the best way to go.
By Fred Iwenjora
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