JONNIEWOOD OLIMMAH (1947-2011): THE ANIOMA MAN THAT HAD A HAND IN THE CAREER OF NIGERIAN MUSICIANS
By Emeka Esogbue It would seem that the life and times of Jonniewood Olimmah was entirely with music, yet he was unsung even in death. Born to Onowu Richard Ebonye Olimmah and Christiana Kanyisiyochukwundu Olimmah in Ibusa, an Anioma community of Delta State. Jonniewood Olimmah in his lifetime was the best known Ibusa instrumentalist; one of the most popular instrumentalists of Nigerian extraction also adjudged one of the best three African organists of his time. He was also one of the best travelled African instrumentalists around the world. Like many of his contemporaries, Olimmah was denied of early years of schooling by the demise of his father. Having started his primary schooling at the then famous Sacred Heart Elementary School, Ibusa, his custody then passed to three of his uncles who nurtured him, Onowu Bernard Olimmah, Onowu Thamos Ilomechina and finally, Lawrence Ashikodi (the Ibusa Historian). It was from this Historian that his cultural foundation was