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 laid early enough in his life. It is of essence to mention here that he later completed his secondary school in Ghana.
In 1967, when the Nigerian Civil War broke out, he travelled to Ivory Coast from where he consequently moved to Gabon. From Gabon, he would travel to Ghana then from Ghana to Liberia. After spending some years in Liberia, he returned again to Ghana where he lived for years while performing his music. In Gabon, he co-founded a band with Baba Memba and both continued to sustain the musical band while traveling around several states of the United States of America and other European nations to release albums and perform in life concerts.
The Anioma pianist was the first ever General Secretary of Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN) Lagos Chapter, helping to play pioneering roles that not only shaped the organization but stabilized it to what it is today.
Between the 1970s and 1980s, Olimmah became the best sought after organist by established Nigerian musicians who needed his musical contributions at every cost to perfect their music business, a testimony of his proficiency and expertness. He was so widely regarded as the bride of top Nigerian musicians that Sunny Okosun, the Ozzidi King in an interview published in the Nigerian newspaper described him as 'part of the success story of Nigerian musicians'.
From the background and as an organist, Olimmah became one of the best hired Nigerian instrumentalists to play in the studio as well as perform on stage having performed with the big Nigerian names in the substance of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, Sunny Okosun, Onyeka Onwenu, Christy Essien Igbokwe, Funmi Adams, Evi Edna Ogoli Ogosi, JAMBOS Express, SJOB Movement, Ogbogu Okonji and His Anioma Brothers and many more too numerous to mention. In 1977, during the FESTAC '77 Show, upon the invitation of the Federal Government of Nigeria, he was on ground to contribute his quota to the cultural development of the Black world. It was on this occasion that he performed with Steve Wonder. He was indeed Anioma pride.
In Ghana, Jonniewood Olimmah was best known by his 'Jonnie Wooden Show' that he nightly performed in Zenith Hotel, Takarodi in Ghana.
The linguist that spoke three distinct languages - Enuani (Igbo), English and French. He was so versed in Ibusa traditional matters that his home was a Mecca of some sort to those needing advice on Ibusa cultural affairs. Olimmah yet he found time to attend as many traditional marriages as he was invited. He may not have enjoyed absolute popularity in the Nigerian music world as much as well-known performing musicians due to the nature of his contribution coming from the background always but he certainly remains one of Anioma's gifts bequeathed to the Nigerian music industry. Instruments are certainly like movie producers and directors, while they work from the background, performing artists due to their regular stay in limelight
take the popularity.
Izuka Olimmah AKA Olimmah Vin Shuntee, a rising entertainer in comedy world and a noted MC is one of the late organist's children.
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 laid early enough in his life. It is of essence to mention here that he later completed his secondary school in Ghana.
In 1967, when the Nigerian Civil War broke out, he travelled to Ivory Coast from where he consequently moved to Gabon. From Gabon, he would travel to Ghana then from Ghana to Liberia. After spending some years in Liberia, he returned again to Ghana where he lived for years while performing his music. In Gabon, he co-founded a band with Baba Memba and both continued to sustain the musical band while traveling around several states of the United States of America and other European nations to release albums and perform in life concerts.
The Anioma pianist was the first ever General Secretary of Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN) Lagos Chapter, helping to play pioneering roles that not only shaped the organization but stabilized it to what it is today.
Between the 1970s and 1980s, Olimmah became the best sought after organist by established Nigerian musicians who needed his musical contributions at every cost to perfect their music business, a testimony of his proficiency and expertness. He was so widely regarded as the bride of top Nigerian musicians that Sunny Okosun, the Ozzidi King in an interview published in the Nigerian newspaper described him as 'part of the success story of Nigerian musicians'.
From the background and as an organist, Olimmah became one of the best hired Nigerian instrumentalists to play in the studio as well as perform on stage having performed with the big Nigerian names in the substance of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, Sunny Okosun, Onyeka Onwenu, Christy Essien Igbokwe, Funmi Adams, Evi Edna Ogoli Ogosi, JAMBOS Express, SJOB Movement, Ogbogu Okonji and His Anioma Brothers and many more too numerous to mention. In 1977, during the FESTAC '77 Show, upon the invitation of the Federal Government of Nigeria, he was on ground to contribute his quota to the cultural development of the Black world. It was on this occasion that he performed with Steve Wonder. He was indeed Anioma pride.
In Ghana, Jonniewood Olimmah was best known by his 'Jonnie Wooden Show' that he nightly performed in Zenith Hotel, Takarodi in Ghana.
The linguist that spoke three distinct languages - Enuani (Igbo), English and French. He was so versed in Ibusa traditional matters that his home was a Mecca of some sort to those needing advice on Ibusa cultural affairs. Olimmah yet he found time to attend as many traditional marriages as he was invited. He may not have enjoyed absolute popularity in the Nigerian music world as much as well-known performing musicians due to the nature of his contribution coming from the background always but he certainly remains one of Anioma's gifts bequeathed to the Nigerian music industry. Instruments are certainly like movie producers and directors, while they work from the background, performing artists due to their regular stay in limelight
Izuka Olimmah AKA Olimmah Vin Shuntee, a rising entertainer in comedy world and a noted MC is one of the late organist's children.
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