Soto!!!

Whilst putting together the write-up on Ikenga, I suddenly remembered a gentleman I refer to as my twin brother from another mother and fellow grumpy old man- Dr Sotiris Papadopoulos- Physicist and Guitar virtuoso. I proceeded to call him after digging out his telephone number and we had a memorable telephone conversation- which started with him uttering the emotional words- "You cretinous bastard where have you been!" A man with a way with words...

Sotiris was the bestman at my first wedding and has been a close friend for 18 years, since we met at Jazzville the seminal Lagos Jazz club, where he exercised his immense Guitar-playing skills in his leisure time from his job as a Senior Manager at a Brewery in Lagos at the time, a musical friendship was struck which later became a personal and business association.

Blessed with an uncanny and almost unnerving intelligence and razor sharp wit and an incredible humanity, Sotiris was born on September 17, 1956, in Volos, Greece. He left High School at 17 for Germany where he studied Physics. He moved on to Oxford where he got a Masters and PhD in Atomic Physics, not satisfied with assuming supreme nerd-hood, he then moved on to the Max Planck Institute where he worked as part of the team that supported Professor Klaus Kitzing on his Nobel Prize winning effort in the discovery of the "quantized Hall effect".

This gentleman had other professional ideas however and came to Nigeria on a Hippy visit in 1980 and famously performed on stage playing a Guitar solo with Fela Kuti at the Afrikan Shrine. He basically fell in love with the country and came back in 1987 to take up a job as Head of Department of Physics at the University of Port Harcourt. I remember Soto's account of his having to nip out at night and play gigs in dodgy clubs to support his ludicrous income- although I fathom he would have still played regardless of the same. His stay in Port Harcourt was nonetheless fruitful the highlight being his playing with Dizzy Gillespie on his tour of Nigeria in 1989. For those who aren't aware- Dizzy Gillespie's famous African hat was gotten during this trip where he was made an Honourary Chief.

On his music , he started At 17 as a singer in a local rock band, Eternal Wealth in Volos. He picked up the guitar in Germany heavily influenced by Jimi Hendrix and other rock guitar greats. He made friends with the great Japanese Guitarist Eric Ishihara, a friendship that survives till date. He has also played/guested with some of the following- Steel Pulse, Billy Taylor, Frank Foster (Duke Ellington Orchestra), Ira Coleman (Tony Williams, Herbie Hancock), The Jazzmobile Ensemble, the great Tito Puente and the equally late and great- Art Blakey. Not a bad cv for a skinny hippy Phycist from Volos Greece. In Nigeria apart from Fela Kuti, he's also played with Femi Kuti, Victor Uwaifo and Tee Mac-(top Photo) probably better known as composer of the 70's Disco hit "Fly Robin fly" for his then band- Silver Convention http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RM72iWami9M

In 2004, he formed his second band Sotiris which was renamed Salvador Sango, his pseudonym. The band toured Europe in 2005 and I'm still slightly peeved that the bugger didn't tell me, although he turned it round on me by saying that I never answered my phone and that i didn't call him on my last trip to Nigeria (sound familiar?)- touche!

He recently obtained the franchise for a Fizzy Drink- La Carsera for Nigeria, recently sold or transferred to a Multinational company- which he co-owned with his brother Dimitris, who now heads Coca-Cola in Bosnia(?!) and now is solely occupied with his music- what a life.

We had a massive belly laugh on our telephone conversation last friday, in which we reminisced on some of his caustic-tongued gems- a couple being - i. On a drive back from a gig, he asked me to slow the f--k down "my Guitar is twice the cost of your diseased metal scrapheap!" ii. On Nigerian Policemen- "The worst kind of human being is a policeman and the complete gutterscum of Policemen is a Nigerian Policeman"

Salute to my brother Soto

Ikenga- The 10th Anniversary

This month marks the 10th anniversary of the formation of my band Ikenga www.soundclick.com/Ikenga , http://www.peoplesound.com/artist/ikenga/ Which has also recorded under the peudonym- "Ariara" www.soundclick.com/Ariara

The band's name was sourced from the Igbo tribal symbol of unity and endeavour, physically represented by a carved horned symbol.

I shall pay tribute to some people who have made it all possible:

Joanna Moffatt, Max Chudi Okoye, NU, Deedee, Chris Okoro my sidekick and co-producer, Muyiwa Majekodunmi, Azu Keazor, Eddie Offeyi, - Dr Sotiris Papadopoulos- my twin brother from another mother and one of the greatest Guitarists the world has ever known, who has sadly sold his soul to fizzy drink. VIF studios, where it all started and- nearly bloody well ended.

Its been an interesting journey from the mosquito infested studio in Ikeja Lagos, hard 12 hour gigs in Lagos, all the way to even harder 12 hr gigs in London, to playing at the Jazz Cafe, Brighton Festival, Fridge, Yatra and many other venues around the UK, working in the studio and/or playing on stage with diverse acts like Damon Albarn, Keziah Jones, Dele Sosimi, Fela Kuti, The Ebony Steel Band, Tunde (Lighthouse family), The Funkees, Fatai Rolling Dollar and many more, I wouldn't change a damn thing.

The band has had some of the most talented musicians on the planet I'm proud to say, have we made money? No, it was never about that, did we make good music? Hell yes. I know because Number one spot on the African and World fusion Charts on http://www.mp3.com/ in its heyday and a number one spot on the soundclick.com charts World fusion charts for 3 months, is enough testimony to the fact that the music brought enjoyment and enlightenment to many. Have we stopped? No, but slowed down? Yes sadly. A roll call of some of the members/guest performers of the band- past and semi-present would be:

a. Eddie Offeyi- Drums; b. Mike Aremu- Alto/Soprano Sax; c. Laja Adeyemo- Guitar; d. Wille Makola (ex- Quartier Latin); e. Chris Okoro- Keyboards; f. Sotiris Papadopoulos- Guitar; g. Dieudonne Falna King (ex-Zaiko Langa Langa; Lagbaja); h. Samson Olawale - Percussions (ex-John Scofield, Carl Denson); i. Tino Batangisa; j. Tex Becks- Alto Sax; (ex-Rex Lawson, Fela Kuti); k. Phillipe Bitamba- Bass; l. Gary Walsh- Keyboards; m. Jose Suarez- Guitar; n. Oscar Elimbi- Guitar (ex- Damon Albarn, Ayetoro etc); o. Biodun "Batik" Adebiyi- Trumpet; p. Leo Adjebro- Bongos/Harmonica; q. Hickson Delmondo Mokinda- Vocals; r. Claude Ngaishani- Bass/Vocals; s. Barry Laing- Fiddle.

Special mention must be made of Chris Okoro, a massively talented Classically trained Pianist and Hammond Cat, who co-produced the albums with me and played the Keyboards on some of the early tracks, an incredibly talented guy, who I'm proud to have worked with. Eddie "Metronome" Offeyi- an incredible dynamo of a Drummer with a gentle, compassionate personality that contradicts his muscular playing style and strength as a drummer, one of the most steady hands I've ever encountered on the Jazz Drums. Eddie put a lot of things together behind the scenes and has always been a friend/confidant. Max Chudi Okoye, whose financial support in finalising the first recording was a God-send, my sister OO, whose painting above was nicked for the original album God bless these four.

I shall end by paying tribute to one of the great musicians who was part of this band but who passed on a couple of years ago - the great Tex Becks- Ex- Rex Lawson, Ex- Original Fela Kuti Koola Lobitoes Saxman, Ex-Orlando Julius sideman amongst many other great bands in Africa and the USA. Becks career straddled three generations of African music from the late 50's and the highlife scene to the 60's and the advent of Afrobeat, the 70's and Afro-Funk, the 80's -90's with Afro-Jazz and the 00's with the Highlife revival. A colossus of a man inspite of his slight frame. He was a complex , difficult man but a genius nonetheless, who inspite of his dying in his 60's died far too young. I remember Becks' standard mantra- "where's my bread man?" He never suffered fools and certainly didn't die one. I salute his genius and leave you with a track- Becks and I composed and which the band recorded, which was nameless but which I have named after him- "Becks last stand", which was the last track he recorded in his lifetime- http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=305893&content=music. On the same page you shall find the band's first recording - "Fuel for love".

Thanks for listening one and all and God bless.

Doherty does Porridge

Well fancy that Pete Doherty actually having to serve a custodial sentence?

All I can add is that my criticisms of him go beyond his problem but to the seeming dupicity of standards, every adult human being of sane mind has to take responsibility for his/her actions. Whilst a custodial sentence may not cure him of his problem, there has to be a consequence for his actions which do not give younger impressionable persons the feeling that its okay to take drugs and evade the consequences of the Law that everyone else has to comply with - pure and simple.

My valued mate the - venerable Rasta Mouse considered my comments somewhat judgmental, well I fully appreciate an respect that there is need to consider circumstances before passing such judgment, however the substantial argument remains that if a man is found guilty of administering drugs to a teenage fan- he is not just a danger to himself but to others and my only concern about the sentence being that it wasn't longer. I sincerely hope that this prison sentence provides a catalyst for this guy to clean up his act, many far more deserving people have not had a tenth of the chances he's had and if he doesn't well ....

The Inquest

The results of the Lady Di inquest may not have come as a surprise to many, least of all those who are familiar with Al Fayed's style, well...so much for that, for me the highlight of the whole business was his colourful attack on the Royal family. I need not bore you with details, you've probably read the various pieces. Reading between the lines i believe we may come away with the impression, he's not too pleased with them.

I noted in particular his reference to Camilla as a Crocodile, now that in my view was absolutely unfair, low inappropriate and totally uncalled for after all....we all know that her association with the animal kingdom is more appropriately of the equine species. Really Mr Al Fayed!

Well I guess his citizenship application now rests on shakey ground...