Happy 70th birthday to Charlie Boy.
Charly Boy, born Charles Chukwuemeka Oputa, 19 June 1950 (also spelt Charlie Boy and known as CB, His Royal Punkness, and Area Fada), is a Nigerian singer/songwriter, television presenter, publisher, producer and one of Nigeria’s most controversial entertainers, best known for his alternative lifestyle, political views, and media productions, most notably The Charly Boy Show. He has been president of the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria, and in 2011 an Idol Series judge.
Early life
The second son of former Supreme Court justice Chukwudifu Oputa, Oguta-native Oputa was born into a Catholic household, and is the cousin of Swedish musician Dr. Alban. As he often refused to reveal his date of birth in interviews, his age remained unknown until 2011 when he celebrated his sixtieth birthday, however, in his usual enigmatic character, he announced his 63rd birthday on 19 June 2013, making his age a contentious one. Although he has described his parents as liberals who always encouraged their children to speak and say what they had in mind, Oputa has also spoken about their conservative nature. He had set out to become a priest, but left seminary school after a year. In his late teens he moved to America where he attended college, graduating with a degree in Communications.
Music Career
1982-1985: Nwata Miss
Oputa entered the music industry in 1982, and in 1984 independently released the highlife single Obodo GiriGiri. In 1985 was nearly denied a record deal with Polygram Nigeria due to his unconventional appearance until he was introduced to managing director Ton Seysener who signed him, and Nwata Miss was released.
1988-1990:1990
Towards the late eighties Oputa, with the help of stylist and fellow singer/songwriter Tyna Onwudiwe, created a new punk persona consisting of leather jackets and boots, powerbikes, mohawks, and a new direction in music, combining African pop and Afrobeat. A pioneer in Nigeria’s short-lived punk movement, he soon earned the unofficial title His Royal Punkness, and renamed his Lagos residence The Punk Palace.
Oputa’s most popular album was 1990 released in 1988 – the title was a reference to Nigeria’s corrupt military government which was expected to hand over power to civilians in that year, although civilian rule did not start until 1999). 1990 earned Oputa mixed reviews due to its political nature and caused national controversy, and a number of radio stations refused to play the title track. Despite this, 1990 was one of Nigeria’s best-selling albums of 1988, and Oputa was credited with using his music to stand up to his government, a lá Fela Kuti. Oputa would also collaborate with Seysener to establish the annual beach concert Lekki Sunsplash.
In recent years, Oputa has worked on several collaborations with his cousin Dr. Alban, most notably on the song “Carolina” which sampled an earlier hit of Dr. Alban’s – “Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner” – and had originally featured singer Michael Rose. The re-worked version was sung in Nigerian Pidgin and was a hit in Nigeria. The pair also recorded the songs “Work Work Africa” and “Commercial Waste”.
Source; wwww.wikipedia.org
Video: Charly Boy – Big Bottom (1988)
