Orlando Julius

Orlando Julius
Julius playing in Montreal in 2016
Background information
Birth name	Orlando Julius Aremu Olusanya Ekemode
Born	(1943-09-22)22 September 1943 Ikole, Nigeria
Died	14 April 2022(2022-04-14) (aged 78)
Genres	Afrobeat,[1] Afro-soul, highlife[2]
Occupation(s)	Musician
Instrument(s)	Saxophone, drums
Years active	1960s–2022

Orlando Julius Aremu Olusanya Ekemode, known professionally as Orlando Julius or Orlando Julius Ekemode (22 September 1943 – 14 April 2022)^[3] was a Nigerian saxophonist, singer, bandleader, and songwriter closely associated with afrobeat music.^[3]

Julius began by playing drums or flute with juju and konkoma bands and learned saxophone to play highlife music, eventually playing with musicians Jazz Romero, Rex Williams, and Eddie Okonta. He began experimenting with combining traditional music with horns, guitar, and American genres, a fusion which came to be known as afrobeat. He had his first hits with 1965's "Jagua Nana" and the 1966 album Super Afro Soul. In the 1970s, Julius moved to the United States, forming a band with Hugh Masekela and later working as a session musician before returning to Nigeria in 1984. A series of reissues in the 2000s and 2010s led to international touring and a collaboration with The Heliocentrics which reached the Billboard World Albums chart.