A wickedly talented trumpeter who's fiery timbre won the hearts of his fellow Nigerians, Dr. Victor Olaiya was one of the very first highlife superstars. In the ‘50s and ‘60s, the musician and his band filled dance halls with their swinging renditions of highlife classics, such as the big band-inspired “Iye Jemila”, while the rocking “Labalaba” showed Olaiya's ability to harmonise his fluid horn section with slinky, rolling bass lines and syncopated rhythms. His legacy is assured to endure; an extensive catalogue serves as the bridge into modern Afrobeats.