Classical music bass player, Olalekan Adebayo, has lamented that the Nigerian music industry has no place for the classical double bass instrument.
The well-travelled and veteran classic bass instrumentalist, said the industry does not believe the double bass can fit into any afro-music genre, more less a solo instrument. He further noted that the industry hardly considers the cost of transportation of this equipment from one location to another, during performances.
Such limited viewpoint of classical instruments, have impacted the artiste’s career and chances of personal engagements as a musician in the country.
In spite of these challenges, the musician has stuck to his chosen career path in classical music, creating a niche for him music and proclaiming it to the world.
Today, he has performed in major concerts and played in popular opera pieces including the full ‘Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s, The Magic Flute ‘Die Zauberflote’ in 2016; played with the Vesta Orchestra during the Asa Encore Concert at the Eko Hotel & Suites VI in Lagos in 2017. He has also performed and contributed to notable events such as The African Concert Series in collaboration with the BBC World Services, the Hackney County’s Coronation Concert in honour of King Charles III, and the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee to name a few.
Born into a non-musical family, Adebayo began his career in 2005 as a member of his church choir. Discovering a preference for classical music, he picked up the double bass instrument and began studying, and eighteen months later, joined an orchestra and has been performing since.
The lead bassist of the Divine Symphony Orchestra, he has performed in other countries of the world, and participated in music programmes from Nigeria to South Africa, the United Kingdom, Austria and Germany, shared the stage with world renowned musicians, and infused Double Bass into African music. He also holds a diploma from the Association Board of the Royal School of Music, London, UK.