Diẹ̀kọ́

Diẹ̀kọ́ Òbì is a Nigerian Kavalierbariton, Multi-Genre Vocalist, Composer, Songwriter and Journalist. As a child he was exposed to Highlife Music of Oliver De Coque, Osita Osadebe, Rex Jim Lawson, Chris Hanen, Hugh Masakela, Miriam Makeba, Paul Simon, Fela Anikulapo Kuti and too much Reggae Music by his Father who was also a Tenor Singer/Organist and owned too many vinyl records. At 8 Óbí could already sing songs by Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Jacob Miller, Culture etc, off by heart and also nursing the ambition of becoming a Reggae Star in the future. He's father, who had a wrong perception of Reggae Music like many Nigerians do and scared of him becoming a Reggae Musician, enrolled him at the Children's Choir of his church, in a move to make him forget Reggae Music. As he grew older, his father realized how much he loved Reggae Music, he couldn't let go. As a Baritone, he grew through the ranks as a Classical/Opera Singer and widely known and respected in his country, Nigeria. He hails from Akaboukwu, Uruagu Nnewi in Nnewi North LGA of Anambra State in the South Eastern part of Nigeria. He recieved his first vocal lessons under his father, Mr. Michael Ifediora, who was an Organist and a Tenor singer, a founding member of the then City Chorale Lagos and later handed him over to Sir Emeka Nwokedi who was a very close friend of his at the time He also took lessons from Bennett Baldwin Anyasodo. He started his singing career as a Treble singer at the children's choir of his church, All Saints Anglican Church, Surulere Lagos and was promoted to the adult choir after a brilliant performance at the childrens harvest in 1991. He later moved to Tenor, but had a stint with the part, as his voice quickly settled to Bass at age 17. Just one week after be became a Baritone Singer, he was told to sing Rejoice Oh Judah, an Aria from Judas Maccabeus, at the Choir Festival, he did that solo off by heart to the amazement of his Music Director, Sir Emeka Nwokedi. After then, he went on to become the youngest active Bass/Baritone singer in the country at the time, performing with the likes of Chike Akwarandu, a Fellow of the Trinity College of Music, London and Samuel de Palmer, one of the best Bass singers in the world. Under the tutilage of his childhood Vocal Coach Sir Emeka Nwokedi, he was enrolled for the MUSON (Musical Society of Nigeria) voice exams grades 3, 5 and 8, which he passed with distinction. He later joined the Lagos City Chorale in 1999 and soon became the principal Bass/Baritone Soloist and later The MUSON Choir in 2002 and has since been the principal Baritone soloist, taking solos in different MUSON Festivals until 2014. At the MUSON (Musical Society of Nigeria) Festival in 2004, he played the role of BARTOLO in the Opera, Le Nozze di Figaro, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. At the 2011 edition of the Festaval, he played the role of the PIRATE KING in the Pirates of Penzance by Arthur Sullivan and in the 2012 edition of the Festival, he played the role of SARASTRO in the Opera, Magic Flute, also by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and conducted by German Cellist and Orchestra Conductor Mr. Thomas Kanitz. He is the one of the few Nigerian Baritone from his generation with the Largest Repartoire, having performed 8 Oratorios, 5 Operas, 6 Requiem Masses, 2 Choral Symphonies, 4 Cantatas and 2 Musicals, taking lead roles in all of them. Along with several Broadways, Art Songs, Showboat Music, Italian, French and German Arias. Óbí has performed at several National and International events including; the Oxbridge and Cambridge ball for the alumni of the Cambridge University, he was opportuned to perform for the former President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo at Nigeria's 44th Independence command performance at the Aso Rock Abuja, in 2004, and at a Media briefing during president Clinton's visit to Nigeria in 2000, he also took part in singing at the COJA All Africa Games in FCT Abuja in 2003 and World Choir Games in Riga, Latvia, Eastern Europe in 2014. He has also performed for the President of the Republic of Rwanda, President Paul Kegame, at the Oxbridge and Cambridge spring lecture in 2012. He is a member of the "3 Baritones", Nigeria's first Baritone trio comprising of Olumide Dada and John-Paul Ochei two of Nigeria's best Baritone Singers and also sang with Dallas Symphony Chorus under the baton of Josh Habermann and Seventeen Voices, Ottawa, Canada, conducted by Kevin Reeves, where he also played lead roles. He was a visiting Baritone Soloist and member of The Port Harcourt Art Society (PHARSO). He has also been the lead with notable Nigerian choirs like; Life Art Chorale, Lagos City Chorale and The MUSON Choir. Òbí has performed with over 30 choirs in Nigeria, one of which include the FRCN Choir Enugu, among others. In 2011 he gained a full scholarship from Telecommunications Giant MTN, to study Music at the MUSON School of Music, and graduated with flying colors in 2013. He holds several Muson Graded Certificates, which include Grades 3, 5 and 8 in Singing, Grades 5 and 7 in Theory of Music and Grade 2 in Piano Playing. He was a regular performer at the Muson Centre with the Muson Symphony Orchestra. As a Music Director, he became an assisting Choirmaster to the Nigerian Choral Music Legend, Sir Emeka Nwokedi at All Saints Anglican Church, Surulere, Lagos at the age of 19, he has also been a Music Director at All Saints Army Headquarters Cathedral, Abalti Barracks where he led them to an album release in 2014 and also St Augustine’s Choir in Umunze in the South Eastern part of Nigeria, he led them to a Second Place finish in the Aguata Diocesan Choral competition in 2008. He’s also trained a lot of Choirs and taken them to various great heights. In 2013 Óbí started working at Silverbird Television as a Reporter with the Entertainment Department. He was formerly a Sound Engineer at Digitrack Studios and formerly a Personal Assistant to Nigerian based American radio star; the late Dan Foster. In 2013 Óbí graduated from the Muson School of Music Lagos Nigeria, where he bagged a Diploma in Music, majoring in Vocal Performance and graduating as the Best Male Operatic Singer. In 2009, he formed a Band called the "Irie Groove" and performed at the Silverbird Man of the Year in 2013 and the Lagos International Jazz Festival among other notable events in Nigeria. In 2017 he led Praise and Worship at the RCCG North America Convention in Dallas, Texas USA. He has been a Praise and Worship Leader at Guiding Light Assembly, Parkview Estate, Ikoyi, Lagos, Holy Trinity Lagos a Neo Orthodox Church in Lagos Island, Nigeria and RCCG - Heaven's Glorious Embassy, Plano, Texas USA. Óbí was a Vocal Student of former La Scala Star, Prof. Annamaria Popescu of Shculich School of Music, McGill University in Montreal, Quebec and Tom Oliver, a Vocal Teacher based in Hamilton, Ontario. In June of this year, he auditioned to join Vancouver Bach Choir and upon auditioning, was appointed the Bass section lead.