Known for his ability to combine heritage and contemporary storytelling, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Flavour became a household name across the African continent through songs like “Ada Ada” and “Nwa Baby”. For Oshe Naija, our celebration of the sounds of Nigeria, he curates a timeline of highlife hits, including selections from his own catalogue and the contemporary artists who are driving the genre’s evolution. “Nigerian highlife has been a renowned genre, right from the days of the legendary key players who pushed it into the limelight,” Flavour tells Apple Music. “It wouldn’t have gotten far without these legends—Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe, Sir Victor Uwaifo, Jim Rex Lawson, Oliver De Coque, The Ramblers Dance Band of Ghana and others. They upheld the genre with their talent and skills. While there might be no replacements for them, in recent years there have been artists who, inspired by their work, have built their own legacies, reinventing the sound and creating a fresher outlook on the genre.” “It’s no longer just the typical drum rhythms and abridged guitar melodies or music for enjoying bottles of beer in a bar,” Flavour (Chinedu Okoli) explains. “Now there’s a fine blend of old evergreen sounds with contemporary sounds and styles. Tapping into the wealth of the genre and exploring the beauty and uniqueness of it has been a refreshing journey for me. We can also give credit to the likes of The Cavemen. and Basketmouth, who continue to spread the highlife magic through their music in recent years. Even the younger generation is catching the vibe these days. Seeing that happen is very satisfying.”