William Oneyabor, Groove Preacher :: An Unsolved Puzzle

There is a shadow of doubt in Onyeabor’s life story which had never been cleared. All that
was known for sure is that he released a few albums, on his own Wilfilms label. Beyond that
there were only rumours. Had he really studied cinematography in Moscow? Did the film,
for which his 1977 debut LP “Crashes in Love” was the soundtrack, exists? How he found the
money to set up a fully equipped studio? Was he a spy for the Russians? Why he never
performed live? Who are the musicians that accompanied him in his recordings? Truly, no
one shed light on this enigmatic figure. His life remained private and reclusive.
Onyeabor was born, 26 March 1946, in Enugu, Nigeria, into a poor family, but became
financially successful enough to travel to Europe to study record manufacturing (?). Some
biographies claim that he studied cinematography in Russia. By the late 70s he could afford
to fund his own recording studio, record label, pressing plant and film company.

He was later crowned a High Chief in Enugu, where he lived as a businessman working on government
contracts (?) and running his own semolina flour mill. His business successes saw him named
West African Industrialist of the Year in 1987. In the early 1990s, he became the president of
Enugu’s Musician’s Union and chairman of the city’s local football team, the Enugu Rangers.
Onyeabor self-released nine albums between 1977 and 1985 and then became a born-again
Christian, deeply religious –later he was ordained as a pastor – and influential in the local
community, with a paranoid dedication to secrecy that extended to people who knew him.
He lived in a flamboyant white mansion, almost like a temple, apparently unchanged since
the 1980s, refusing to ever speak about himself or his music again. Nobody wanted to get on
his bad side.
He create unique music described sometimes as heavy rhythmical, driven by funky
synthesizers, -no other African musician was using synthesizers back then,- occasionally epic
in scope and his conscious lyrics and messages for equality and love or decrying war. Singing,
almost preaching sometimes, Onyeabor himself and unknown female backing vocalists. The
musicians that participate in his recordings it’s another question. Probably he created an in-
house band for his studio.

William was an expert in composing music and inventive in studio techniques. A few other
African bands or artists trust him and took part in Wilfilms Records roster, like Ofu-Obi Social
Club, Pete Baja, Dibson & Essody, Uncle Victor Chukwu and Anambra Brothers, Jaamike
Zeluwa, Obidike International Band. Sometimes he was adding or playing synthesizers in
some recordings, like N’Draman Blintch’s “Cikamele”.
Onyeabor’s music wasn’t successful beyond Enugu until his 1985 hit “When the Going Is
Smooth and Good,” a playful synthesizer driven jam, sound like a proto-techno gem. Even
then, he refused to play live and disliked press attention. It was to be his last record. More
vinyl from this mysterious man was hard to find, but some trickled in. A few record
collectors and music aficionados knew the music of William Oneyabor.
In 2001 the Strut label featured 1978’s “Better Change Your Mind,” a song whose message is
as relevant today as it was then, on its Nigeria 70 compilation. Other tracks emerged
sporadically over subsequent years, before the Luaka Bop’s compilation. Most of what we
know about Onyeabor is thanks to Luaka Bop’s people, while they were trying to collect
around any information for him. “Who is William Oneyabor?” came out in 2013. Onyeabor’s
music came to life, it was fresh and transcendent. Everyone felt it, but not himself.

He declined to promote the 3LP compilation, requiring neither money nor attention. For
someone like Sixto Rodriguez, – after the documentary “Searching for Sugarman,” – gave him
vindication and a second chance. In 2014 a documentary was out, by Noisey, called
“Fantastic Man” – A Film About William Onyeabor, named after his song. But for Onyeabor,
growing interest in the music he released during his career not moved him at all. Α series of
live tribute shows took place, performed by the likes of David Byrne, Damon Albarn, Alexis
Taylor, Lijadu Sisters and Ghostpoet.
In December 2014, he stated “I only create the type of music that would help the world” It
was his first ever radio broadcast on the Lauren Laverne Show on BBC 6 Music. William
Onyeabor has died on 16 January 2017, peacefully in his sleep at his home at the age of 70,
following a short illness. His surprising and groundbreaking music, creating anything that
sounded similar, were all way ahead of their time. At the time of his death he was more
popular and influential than he had ever been but he remained to the end one of music’s
most unsolved puzzles.
