Google on Wednesday celebrates the 74th posthumous birthday of Nigerian guitarist, Oliver De Coque with a doodle.
Oliver is one of Africa’s most prolific recording artists; he infused modern pop, Congolese-influenced guitar, & traditional West African music to perfect a musical genre, Ogene.
Below are seven things you should know about the late Oliver De Coque:
1) Oliver Sunday Akanite, popularly known as Oliver De Coque was born in 1947.
2) He was born in the small town of Ezinifite, Nnewi South, Anambra state.
3) Oliver was taught to play the guitar by Piccolo, a Congolese guitarist living in Nigeria.
4) He served as an apprentice with juju stars Sunny Agaga and Jacob Oluwale.
5) In 1994, in recognition of his prodigious music achievement, de Coque was awarded an honorary doctorate in music by the University of New Orleans.
6) Oliver was a gifted player of the Nigerian board game okwe. Akanite got known as “Oliver de ka Okwe,” which he later adapted into his stage name, Oliver de Coque.
7) Oliver de coque died on 20 june 2008.
