Full Interview With Dan Satch The Founder Of Oriental Brothers International Band

Biafra And The Untold Story Of The Oriental Brothers let us go way back to look at the famous Oriental Brothers. The Oriental Brothers International Band was the first Nigerian highlife boy band formed after the devastating 3 years of civil war that ruined the Eastern Nigeria where the boys hailed from hence their name "Oriental" having come from the east. They started as an in-house band (70's) at Easy Going Hotels in Owerri owned by Chief James "Ewele" Azubuike. They became famous, lasted decades in the Igbo Highlife music scene, toured Africa & rest of the world. The Oriental Brothers were originally 5 members namely: Godwin "Kabaka" Opara, Ferdinand "Dansatch" Emeka Opara, Livinus Akwilla(Aquila) Alaribe, Fred "Ichita" Ahumaraeze and the popular Christogonus Ezebuiro "Dr. Sir Warrior" Obinna. The first split within the group occurred in 1977 when founding member and the first leader of the band, Godwin Opara left to start his own band after a dispute under the moniker "Kabaka International Guitar Band" and was replaced with Aloysius Anyanwu, a former guitarist with Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe's Nigerian Sound Makers Band and a founding member of the Ikenga Super Stars band after they left Osadebe's band. Later Ichita and Livinus Akwila Alaribe equally left the band to form another group called the Great Oriental Band. In 1978 a mistrust and copyright issue ensued between Dansatch/Warrior on one side and Aloysius Anyanwu on the other which ended in a libel action. The acrimonious dispute led Aloysius Anyanwu too leaving the band to go solo as Aloy Anyanwu and His State Brothers Band. So that left only Dansatch and Warrior as the only remaining founding members. They recruited freelance musicians around Owerri and some migrant musicians from Ghana to relaunch the band after many exits. They had hit after hit after this reshuffling. Yet again dispute emerged between Dansatch and Warrior over the future shape of the band regarding artistic style. So after their 1980 hit album "Obi Nwanne" both men parted ways. Warrior retained the core of the band's musicians and named himself "Dr Sir Warrior & His Oriental Brothers International Band. While Dansatch continued as Oriental Brothers International Band led by Ferdinand Emeka Opara. Though each of the groups had their distinct sound, they all shared a passion for blending Eastern Africa region's Congolese guitar rhythm blended with traditional Igbo percussional rhythms. According to the Igbo magazine Kwenu the Oriental Brothers played a very important spiritual role in keeping many Igbo people sane. They were the pride of a people traumatized by a war so vicious. He always had a sense of revolution, as he created a brand of highlife that is Igbo at the core, and at the same time universal in taste. Warrior, one of the most influential musicians to come from the East, introduced the "Oyorima" concept which is an Igbo word that means a refined feeling of rhythmic movement and balance. Some of their classics include; Amaghim Onye wu Onye, Nwanyi Di Ya wu Eze, Onye Si Nani Ya Biri, Nwa Ada Di Mma, Obi Nwanne, Ozo wu Iwe m, Anam Ele Chi, Ochichi Nigeria, Ofe Owerri and many others. I bet you've learnt a thing or two about the history of the Oriental Brothers.