Nigerians and other music enthusiasts woke up today (Wednesday, August 19, 2020), to a trending topic on social media, as many users debate on the identity of music icon, Lagbaja.
The controversy started when a Twitter user, Omoniyi Israel, shared an image of a man, whom, according to him, is the man behind the mask.
This is not the first time Lagbaja’s identity will become a topic of debate. Rumours have continually swirl around who he is and what his brand represents. One of the common rumours is that Lagbaja has never been seen without a face mask, even by his own wife.
Many people however disagreed with Israel. While some think Lagbaja is a myth, as no one is behind the mask, others expressed confusion on the music icon’s identity.
But below are 5 fun facts you probably didn’t know about him:
- Lagbaja is a Yoruba word that means ‘nobody’ in particular. According to Lagbaja, his face mask is used as a signature of his facelessness. The legendary multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter had revealed that his face mask and name symbolise the faceless, the voiceless in the society, particularly in Africa.
- Lagbaja’s masks are his own personal designs. Interestingly, they are too striking to not be noticed. They can be somewhat frightening, especially the strategically-intentional flash of white teeth through the small rectangular mouth hole. The colours, fabric, and patterns depend on the circumstances but are usually a splash of brightness.
- Lagbaja, during his prime, loved to release albums right around election time without fear of broaching sociopolitical consciousness. Thus, he is often compared to Afro-beat pioneer, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.
- Contrary to popular belief, he doesn’t see himself as an Afro-beat musician. Although, his music is consistently classified as Afro-beat; he cares more about the drums and beats. “I grew up on Fela, but I don’t call my music Afro-beat. I really don’t care about names. They’re just for description. Over time, I think eventually you will see that what I care about is to talk about the beats and the drums.”
- Born Bisade Ologunde, Lagbaja believed that the first language of the drum was proverbs, and it has spoken through the centuries. He is one musician who communicates with the drums. Speaking of that, he once said, “Lágbájá doesn’t use them separately; I mix them together. This is contemporary music. Sometimes it says things that people know, and sometimes it is just making rhythms up. Sometimes it’s a proverb.”