Adedeji !!!

Quite a bit to say about a young man who believes he was born a musician. Born Adedeji Olugbenga Adetayo to an anglican priest of Ile Ife origin and a nurse mother of Igan Okoto Yewa/Egbado less than thirty years ago. His formative years was quite challenging due to the type of music happening around his immediate enviroment mushin,in lagos,an area considered to be the abode of contemporay fuji/highlife musicians,how ever the heavily percussive nature of the music genre was a major influence on his writing style. He even produced an album of a fuji musican as a teenager(first production). Without any formal musical training, Deji trained a church choir and made them perform the Messiah by G.F Handel and other reknowned works shortly before going on to launch his performance career. He was also a strong tenor and soloist in the denominational mass choir of a church and the choir director, the H.O.D. of the music technolgy department of a polytechnic encouraged him to take a certificate course under is tutelage. The major factor that influenced his decision to drop the clarinet, his first instrument for guitar was his first ever jazz CD, Mark Whitfield's "True blue", ever since, he had embarked on a quest to explore the groove of home in link with sound abroad thereby naming his group denaijazz(The Nigerian jazz/sound) Before one could say "birdland", Deji has become a household name as far as performing vocalist/guitarist is concern likening his story to that of one of his major influences George Benson. His profile rose rapidly so that he perfomed alongside musicians like Lagbaja, Ayo Bankole jnr., Saxtee, Sammy Okposo, and he was the guitar player in Steve Rhodes orchestra, a nigerian big band of the reknowned octogenerian. The credit is quite endless, these include a great deal of jingles and commercial music. He played in some notable venues like Melvis Avenue(Jo'burg) with a South African guitarist (Reza Khota), Irish club in Athens, Casablanca Soul Club on Santorini Island, and at the anti racist festival at Komoundorou Square, all in Greece; with a group comprising of Nigerian friends(Naija rite). He participated in the world music day 2006 in Ioanina/Athens Greece . His trademark of doing all vocals and backups can not be overemphasised and this is evident on the track "Odun a y'abo" which he did with just a friend on piano. Since returning from Greece he has been involved in various production works of arranging, recording and performance. He is presently puting finishing touches to his long awaited album.... . Dimeji Onasanya.