THE FUTURE OF IGBO HIGHLIFE MUSIC: SPOTLIGHTING PROFESSOR ONYE EGWU

Professor Onye Egwu is a Nigerian musician who is reliving the popular Igbo highlife music genre. Igbo highlife is a contemporary musical genre which combines highlife and Igbo traditional music. It first started off in the southeast region of Nigeria, during the 1920s. The genre is primarily guitar-based music, with a rare characteristic blend of horns and vocal rhythms. Igbo highlife lyrics are sung mostly in Igbo with occasional infusion of Pidgin English.

The real name of “Professor Onye Egwu” is Chibuike Johnpaul Anekwe. He is from Otolo in Nnewi, Anambra State and he is in his late twenties. Professor Onye Egwu portrays an old school identity which is very obvious in the way he dresses.

In the early days of his musical career, due to his doggedness and dedication to his talent, Professor Onye Egwu was crowned the King of Highlife,2022 at the HighLife Music Fest hosted by Life Continental Larger Beer.

He went on to release his first official song titled “PEREMENSE” which became an anthem as it was massively loved and accepted by highlife genre fans and music lovers generally. That gained him more fans as his brand continues to grow.

He went on an international tour to Cameroon where he performed in many locations. While in Cameroon, he was featured by CHINEDUM, an Igbo Highlife artist based in Cameroon in a song titled “ENJOY”.

After the release of “PEREMENSE”, Professor Onye Egwu has released so many other singles like ONYE IGBO, LONG JOHN, CHUKWUBUIKEM, ONYE IJE(JEGEDE) and the most recent one titled OZOEMENA/ECHEZONA which was a song in the remembrance of the heroes of Biafra, who died during the civil war.

Professor Onye Egwu is a very versatile artiste and also a multi-instrumentalist. He is very exceptional when it comes to stage performance, as it is always energetic and mesmerizing.