Meet Prominent Nigerian Musician I.K. Dairo Who Was Awarded MBE by Queen Elizabeth II
- An Instagram page called Yoruba blog recently highlighted the life and times of one of Nigeria's prominent and influential musicians, I.K. Dairo
- Dairo achieved great things in life and his career as he served as a member of the Ethnomusicology department at the University of Washington
- The late musician was also recognised for his contributions to the culture of the commonwealth
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An Instagram page called Yoruba blog has shared an interesting post about singer, Paul Play's father, Isaiah Kehinde Dairo aka I.K. Dairo.
Dairo was Nigeria's most influential and prominent juju musician after independence and by 1963, his addition of accordion, Yoruba talking drums, guitar, and traditional song repertoire to the juju music travelled far and wide.
Source: Instagram
When Queen Elizabeth II visited the country, she awarded him the MBE (Member of the British Empire) for his contributions to the culture of the commonwealth.
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Dairo was not born with a silver spoon, through the 1940's he worked as a barber, cloth seller, and labourer while also working part-time with a juju band leader, Ojoge Daniel, at nightclubs and pubs.
In 1956, he formed his band, the Blue Spots, and his success and fame increased year after year as the band travelled all over the world.
Dairo's band experimented and played with musical styles originating from different Yoruba areas and also used the Edo, Urhobo, Itsekiri, and Hausa language in some of their lyrics.
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He was also instrumental in the establishment of the Musical Copyright Society of Nigeria and from 1994 to 1995, Dairo held a professorial position on the ethnomusicology faculty at the University of Washington, Seattle.
He, unfortunately, passed away on February 7, 1996, at the age of 65. He was reportedly survived by 3 wives and 24 children.
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Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that Paul Dairo ended 2020 on a rather exciting note following a piece of good news he shared with members of the online community.
Taking to his official page on Instagram, the veteran musician revealed that he had been appointed as a director of entertainment at the Atiku Care Foundation.
The entertainer noted that he looks forward to positively impacting the lives of fellow Nigerians.
Source: Legit.ng
