Bernard Olabinjo Benson aka Bobby Benson (11th, April 1922 – 14th, May 1983)
Entertainer & Musician
He was one of African music's larger than life characters, a comedian, showman and musician with a colorful early background.
Entertainer & Musician
He was one of African music's larger than life characters, a comedian, showman and musician with a colorful early background.
Born in 1921 in Ikorodu, Lagos to an aristocratic family, he started his career as a tailor, but he was soon overtaken by the urge for adventure and briefly worked as a boxer, before leaving for new horizons as a sailor in the British mercahant navy.
Image: The Benson Brothers
Image: The Benson Brothers
In 1944 his ship was torpedoed and he was adrift at sea for 32 days before being rescued and taken on to London. There he made his entertainment debut with the Negro Ballet, with which he toured the European capitals.
Image: Benson (3rd from Left) with Les Negres in Paris, 1946
Image: Benson (3rd from Left) with Les Negres in Paris, 1946
In 1947 he returned to lagos with the wife he had met in Britain, and established his first band with her, the Bobby Benson and Cassandra Theatrical Party, in which he played guitar and saxophone and she danced. This was followed by the Bobby Benson Jam Session Band.
The Benson band started out playing regular ballroom dance and swing music spiced with jive, sambas and calypso.
Image: Tony Benson performing with his dad Bobby Benson in the Bamboo Room, Art Alade is at the bottom left of picture.
Image: Tony Benson performing with his dad Bobby Benson in the Bamboo Room, Art Alade is at the bottom left of picture.
Ballroom dancing was the big craze at the time with studios all over Lagos offering lessons in the latest imported styles.
In the early 50s highlife music caught on with increased airplay on radio following the visit of E.T Mensah from Ghana and Nigerians showed they were now ready for the new form. Benson changed direction of his band accordingly.
Image: Bobby Benson & E. T. Mensah in 1952
Image: Bobby Benson & E. T. Mensah in 1952
His 11-piece outfit included an important trumpet section which featured at various times several trumpeters who would later establish themselves as icons of Nigeria's music industry;...
... these included Victor Olaiya, Zeal Onyia, Roy Chicago and Eddie Okonta. One of the Benson band's best known hits was the classic song "Taxi Driver" covered by countless other artists.
Video: Excerpt of Taxi Driver Original track
Video: Excerpt of Taxi Driver Original track
Benson became the first president of the Nigerian Musicians Union when it was formed in 1960. In the 70s, Bobby Benson criticized the use of fictitious titles by fellow musicians. Denounced the use if Commander, Dr, Lord and so on.
He continued playing highlife until he died in 1983.
