- The Intimate Story Of The Multi-Talented Musician
Demola Olota is not your regular musician that you see everyday performing at every gig. He is also not your run of the mill musician who grabs any opportunity to perform anywhere or at any event because of the mouth watering offer thrown at him. He chooses his events. He chooses his clientele. And he has built his name into the big brand it is today.
When you meet him for the very first time his greeting is usually: Hello sir or Hello ma. I am Demola Olota, leaving you to fill in the gaps. He is not your lousy musician. He is not sloppy in any way. He is not reckless in his conduct. He is too serious minded to be regarded as just another musician.
From his appearance, to his bearing and conduct, Demola Olota is an unusual musician. He is very unconventional. And when you watch him do his thing at a show you will instantly know by his performance that everything about him is professional. Demola Olota has a Band, a Choir and an Orchestra which can deliver any kind of music you so desire to you anywhere. And they do it so well. He is clean and neat in his appearance. That is why when people meet him for the very first time they find it hard to believe that this pencil slim, easy going gentleman, in every sense of the word, is a musician.
Whenever and wherever you run into him he is always neatly dressed in a simple but classy shirt and pants. And he is very professional in his negotiations with clients. He is very organised, maticulous. He is prim and proper in everything he does. So meticulous is Demola that when you sign him up to play at your event he will patiently listen to you and have you describe to him how you want the whole event to go, after which he will request that you fill a form and sign an MOU. Like a doctor will do to a patient, he will have you give him all you require of him, take down the description kind of guests coming for the party and the type of songs you want him to sing. He will then go check out the venue the next day in full readiness for the show. And trust him, he is usually at the venue at least 2 hours to the scheduled time. No wonder Demola Olota has been the most sought after artiste by the rich and famous in Nigeria when they mark their birthdays. He plays at landmark birthdays, like 50th, 60th, 70th, 80th, or 90th. They also go after him when their kids get marry. They all love to have him for their memorable events.
So good is he that some celebrities fly him abroad to entertain guests when they have memorable event. He also performs at funerals also. If you are wondering why this guy is of a different specie lets quickly tell you its because of many reasons. One, he studied Music at UNILAG and came out top of his class. He trained under the likes of Prof. Lax Ekwueme. Two, he also started his music career as a Choir altar boy at a Catholic church. Till today, he is an Organist who wakes up at 5am to enable him meet up with the 6am daily mass. Three, we almost forgot to tell you that he was brought up by a very disciplined dad who was a German trained medical doctor and a mum who was a nurse who rose to become a Matron. He is also married to a lady who though runs a school, but is involved in the day to day management of the Demola Olota brand.
And he himself has raised his craft to high art where clients now give him unique specifications of the kind of unique events they want him to deliver for them, from breath taking wedding receptions, to exclusive private parties hosted by the captains of industry and guest appearances at church services. And after each appearance he usually gets a resounding applause and standing ovation. There are many written testimonials and letters of commendation from highly placed clients who have had a taste of Demola Olota’s super performance.
The icing on the cake for Olota is that there is no kind of music he can’t sing and render, from the music of the 40s, 50s to the 60s, from Old School music to Contemporary music. He is into Jazz. He is into Classical music. He sings Apala, Fuji, Juju and any music you can think of. Apart from his brilliance, he has a magnetic personality that endears him to all those who meet him for the very first time.
Over the years, he has managed to keep his athletic frame which he says is as a result of eating right and regular excercise. He wakes up 5am everyday to enable him meet up with the 6am mass, as he plays the organ at the Catholic Church he attends inside Omole Estate in Lagos.
Beyond all these, you can’t miss the fact that Demola Olota sleeps and breathes music. He plays many musical instruments. He plays the piano (self taught), and blows the 3 major saxophones-alto sax (which Femi Kuti blows), Tenor Sax (which Lagbaja blows) and Suprano Sax. He blows the trumpets too. He is good on the drums and plays the guitar well. But his strong point is his rendering songs. He sings well. He specialises in Voice. He is into all aspects of music.
Don’t forget he is a Vocal athlete/Singer, Organist, Performing Artist, Music Producer, Director, Writer, Trainer and ramifications-Choral Ministration, Coaching and Public Performance.
Call Demola Olota Nigeria’s number one intellectual Music performer and you won’t be wrong.
Popularly called DEMOLA The maestro, he is is an Organist, Performing Artist, Music Producer, Director, Writer, Trainer and Saxophonist.
He is into Choral Ministration, Coaching and Public Performance also.
His upbringing prepared him well for the roles he is playing now.
He was born into a family of Medical practitioners, made up of late Dr. Gabriel Bamidele Olanrewaju Olota, the first Medical Doctor in Oro, Kwara State who was the Organist at St. Andrews Catholic Church, Idumagbo, Lagos and Mrs. Mary Gbonjubola Olota, who was a Chief Matron at Ikorodu General Hospital, before retirement.
He started playing the organ in 1987 at St. Dennis Catholic Church, Bariga headed by Rev. Fr D.J. Slattery (SMA) founder of St. Finbars College Akoka, during his final year at Bishop Howell’s Memorial Secondary School.
Demola Olota is presently the Organist and Master of the music at St. Dominic Catholic Church, Yaba. He runs De Clique Vocals Studio and Music consult.
He initially studied Computer Science, but his deep love for Music and the Arts generally took him back to the Creative Arts Department of the University of Lagos, where he formally studied BA Music majoring in Voice, Theory and Piano Minor. He graduated with The best result in Voice (then) at the university, with Masters and Ph.D in view.
He was the youngest Assistant Organist at the Holy Cross Cathedral at a time. Later, he was then employed as the Resident Organist and Master of the Music at St. Dominic-Catholic Church, in 1990 by Rev. Fr. Thomas McDermott (OP) on special demand when he heard him play ‘Jesu Joy of man’s-desiring’ by J. S. Bach shortly before one of the, Sunday Masses.
He played the organ for 6am mass every Sunday for several years before the church could get a reliable assistant due to the commitment and demand of the position. He has since been the organist till date, an engagement he never misses despite being in such high demand at high profile Social Events.
Being well grounded in his musical career is foremost on Demola’s agenda, which is why he consistently chooses the rigors of classical expression over the reward of commercial exuberance.
He founded his musical team of young talented musicians “De Clique Vocals”, a private choral group on the 8th of August 1992, and later De Clique Band which has since then performed for the American Embassy, Norwegian Embassy, French Embassy, opening ceremony of the musical Society of Nigeria complex MUSON, Lagos State Government, Adam and Eve, Aart of Life Foundation, Chevron, Exxon Mobil, Michelin, First Bank of Nigeria Plc, Zenith Bank, Equatorial Trust Bank, Intercontinental Bank, Diamond Bank, Addax Petroleum, Total, The Presidency, Emzor Pharmaceuticals, Globacom, Kings College Centenary Dinner, Vivian Fowler Memorial Girls College Annual Graduation ceremony, Cadbury Nigeria, His Royal Highness Oba Adedapo Tejuosho, Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adetokunbo Gbadebo, Sir (Dr) Molade Okaya Thomas, Mr & Mrs L. Ogunlesi, Prince & Mrs. J. Adelusi Adeluyi, Chief Rasaq Okoya, Mr. & Mrs. Abiodun Shobanjo, Mr. & Mrs. Femi Somolu, General & Mrs. T. Y Danjuma and Chief. Dr. Mike Adenuga.
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“He can often be found at high profile-events easily holding down the most fastidious audiences and-he usually leaves utterly awed audiences in his wake, most of whom beat a path to book him for their next social engagement”
Other prominent Nigerians include: Dr. & Mrs. T.M. John, Chief. Mrs. Sena Anthony, Mr. & Mrs. Sunny Igiri, Mr. & Mrs. O. Onabanjo, Prince & Mrs. J. A Adeluyi, Dr. Mrs. Stella Okoli, Chief Mrs. Christy Okoye, Chief & chief Mrs. Taiwo Taiwo, Engr. & Mrs. Adamalekun, Mrs. Bella Disu, Mr. & Mrs. O. Akinkugbo, Pastor & Mrs. Yemi Akisanya, Dr. & Mrs. Biyi Ogunyemi, Mr. & Mrs. Laolu Akintobi, Mr. & Mrs. Laifa Oriowo, Mr. & Mrs. Rayo Ayeni, Mr. & Mrs. Dapo Egbeyemi, Chief & Mrs. T. Halim, Pastor & Mrs. I Iluyomade, late Dr. Tunji Braithwaite & Dr. Mrs. Braithwaite, Mr. & Mrs. T. Akomolafe, Otunba & Mrs.
Yomi Ogunusi, Mrs. FVE Emanuel, Dr. & Mrs. Ojiakor and other personalities, corporate bodies and well meaning Nigerians to name a few.
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“Call Demola Olota Nigeria’s number one intellectual Music performer and you won’t be wrong”
His versatility and special demands by his fans and clientele makes him fit into any event.
He can often be found at high profile-events easily holding down the most fastidious audiences and-he usually leaves utterly awed audiences in his wake, most of whom beat a path to book him for their next social engagement. Amidst his tight schedules and numerous social engagements, he offers private professional voice, piano foundation and music theory lessons for interested music enthusiasts who care to Do It Right.
He is happily married to Olufunmilola Ibironke Olota; a jewel of inestimable value and daughter of Zion and a Montessori trained Educationist and School Director of Blooming Lights Montessori School. They are blessed with 4 lovely children: Ireayooluwanitemi Oluwafikunayomi, Oluwajomiloju and Ifeoluwamuyiwa.
–SEYE KEHINDE
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