By Ghazali Ibrahim
For a generation of Nigerians who grew up with his masked face, infectious rhythms and distinctive blend of Afrobeat, Fuji and contemporary sounds, Lagbaja’s music remains deeply familiar.
But there is a problem, much of that music is difficult to find on major digital streaming platforms.
That gap has renewed calls for the works of the legendary musician, Bisade Ologunde, popularly known as Lagbaja, to be properly digitised and made available online.
The renewed attention was made by journalist Kayode Badmus, who used a recent reflection on Lagbaja’s career to appeal for the musician’s catalogue to be preserved and made accessible to fans.
Badmus argued that Lagbaja’s recordings deserve a new life in the digital era, especially as younger listeners increasingly discover older Nigerian music through streaming platforms.
Beyond nostalgia, Lagbaja’s catalogue represents an important chapter in the evolution of Nigerian popular music.
Before becoming the mysterious masked performer known across the country, Ologunde was involved in creative production and advertising. He also worked as a music producer and was involved in Fuji Sandoka’s “Yoboro Yobonsin” album, which blended Fuji with hip-hop.
When he started his own band, Ologunde reportedly did not initially intend to become its lead singer. According to Badmus, veteran musician Sunny Neji was among the vocalists connected to his early band, ‘Call Us Band’.
The story later took another significant turn when Neji introduced Ego to Lagbaja’s band.
Ego eventually became one of the most recognisable voices associated with Lagbaja, contributing to a musical partnership that produced songs still remembered by Nigerian music lovers.
That history, Badmus suggested, makes the preservation of Lagbaja’s recordings even more important.
While younger Nigerian artistes and older catalogues continue to find new audiences through Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube and other digital platforms, the absence of some of Lagbaja’s works from mainstream streaming services leaves an important part of Nigeria’s contemporary music history less accessible than it should be.
Digitising the catalogue would also help protect the recordings from being lost, damaged or becoming increasingly difficult to access as physical copies disappear.
For fans who remember the music, putting the catalogue online would mean easy access to songs that shaped an era.
For younger listeners, it would provide an opportunity to discover an artiste whose masked identity, theatrical performances and musical experimentation made him one of Nigeria’s most distinctive performers.
Badmus also floated another possibility, a Lagbaja comeback concert, potentially bringing together Lagbaja, Ego and Sunny Neji at the National Theatre in Iganmu, Lagos.
His mask may have kept his identity hidden, but his music should not remain hidden from the digital generation.
