Sonny Okosun

Who was Sonny Okosun?

Sonny Okosun was a musician from Nigeria. His surname is sometimes spelled Okosuns and first name Sunny. He was one of the leading Nigerian musicians from the late 1970s to mid '80s.

His first band, The Postmen, was formed in Enugu in 1965. In 1969 he joined Melody Maestros, a band led by Victor Uwaifo. From 1972 to 1974 he led a group known as Paperback Limited and then formed a new band, Ozziddi. From then on, he released several albums either with Ozziddi, or solo recordings.

His 1977 song, "Fire in Soweto", became a major international hit. He was featured in the 1985 anti-apartheid album Sun City, and his song "Highlife" was in the soundtrack of 1986 film Something Wild. His mainstream success started to fade in the late 1980s, but he continued his career as a gospel musician under the name Evangelist Sonny Okosun.

He died aged 61 of colon cancer on 24 May 2008 at Howard University Hospital, Washington DC. His musical styles ranged included reggae, highlife, Afro-funk and gospel among others. He made music in the Edo language, Igbo language, Yoruba language and English.