In this piece, NET profiles 10 Nigerian musicians who are brothers.
Femi Kuti and Seun Kuti:
They were born into the family of the late Fela Anikulapo Kuti so it is not surprising that these 2 have gone on to perform the genre their dad created. With 5 albums and 4 Grammy nominations, Femi has registered his name as one of the biggest musicians from Africa while Seun Kuti who has toured Europe and America this year (and is still on tour) is also a successful musician. Femi started performing with Fela when he was 15 after he learnt to play the saxophone. Seun Kuti on the other hand informed Fela at age 9 that he would love to do music professionally. 5 years later, after the demise of Fela, Seun became the leader of Fela’s Egypt 80 band at the age of 14.
D’banj and Kswitch:
Unknown to many, DB records boss, D’banj while growing up was highly influenced by his elder brother, Femi Oyebanjo who died in a plane crash at the age of 17. Femi was in the Army and the dream of a younger D’banj was to join him in the military. However, the unfortunate crash which claimed Femi’s life while he was in military school squashed D’banj’s dream of joining the Army. He subsequently picked up Femi’s harmonica and that was how music started for him. D’banj has also directly been of influence to his younger brother Kehinde Oyebanjo better known as K-switch who has also made a name for himself in the music industry. Both brothers are acts under DB Records after leaving Mo’hits in 2012.
Don Jazzy and Dprince:
Don Jazzy is one of the most respected producers on the continent. He is also a singer whose unique style on hooks has helped make a lot of songs massive hits. Like his big brother, Dprince has also made a name for hiself as an artiste. Both brothers are part of the Mavin crew which was established after the breakup of Mo’hits.
Sound Sultan and Baba Dee:
The duo of Dare and Lanre Fasasi better known as Baba Dee and Sound Sultan respectively have come a long way over the years to stamp their presence in the music industry. Sound Sultan started doing music after being influenced by Baba Dee who was a buzzing act in the late 90s and early 2000s. The brothers operate their own label named Naija Ninjas and also have interests in Fashion, Movie production and sports.
Psquare:
Peter and Paul Okoye are household names on the continent with dozens of hits which has won them numerous laurels home and abroad. The twins who are both married and have their own children were inspired to do music by their elder brother and manager, Jude Okoye who dropped a rap album in 1995 long before Psquare started doing music.
Skuki:
Born Tumininu Laolu-Oguniyi and Atewologun Laolu-Ogunniyi, Skuki emerged on the music scene years ago with singles like Fire, Banger, Stamina and many others. The duo whose father also did music at some point teamed up in 2007 after their university education.
Ikechukwu and Uzikwendu:
Sina Rambo and B Red:
Adeshina and Adebayo Adeleke better known as Sina and B Red are signed under their cousin, Davido’s HKN. The brothers have over the past few years released singles which have further make them quite popular among music lovers especially fans of Davido. Sina Rambo and B Red are sons of former first governor of Osun state, Isiaka Adeleke who recently won a seat in the Nigerian senate. The brothers also have a sister, Adenike Adeleke who is set to launch a reality show named Keeping up with Nikkos.
Obesere and Valentine:
Nigerian musician, Abass Akande Obesere is one of the most prominent acts performing the indigenous genre of music known as Fuji. Obesere has been in the industry for decades with numerous albums. His younger brother, Fatai Akanbi Iyanda known as Valentine years ago followed his brother’s footsteps and has also made a name for himself among fuji lovers. Valentine was also the official musician for Lagos governor, Akinwunmi Ambode’s 2015 campaign.
M.I and Jesse Jagz:
