Benson Idonije is a well-known Nigerian broadcaster, writer, and critic who is frequently referred to as that country’s most esteemed music critic. He was born on June 13th, 1936 in Otua, an area of Owan East local government in Nigeria’s Edo State.
The renowned radio host and music critic is best known for being Fela Anikulapo-Kuti’s first band manager and a founding team member of Radio Nigeria 2 (now Metro FM), which was established in 1977. The Nigerian reggae-dancehall performer Damini Ogulu, better known by his stage name Burna Boy, is also his grandson, and he is his director. This might be related to the fact that Burna Boy’s songs often feature Fela-inspired music.
Before beginning his career as an engineering assistant at the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation (now Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria) in 1957, Idonije ran a number of jazz-related columns for numerous newspapers beginning in 1953. Benson Idonije transitioned into mainstream broadcasting later in 1960, hosting and presenting well-known on-air programs like The Big Beat and Stereo Jazz Club.
One of the most treasured moments in Benson Idonije’s career and life was when he first met Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, the legendary father of Afrobeats, in 1963. Benson talked about how he met Fela Kuti and their time together in an interview with Yinka Olatubosun of This Day Live.
He revealed, “I was hosting a jazz program called NBC Jazz Club. “Fela had tuned in to my radio show for a month. Then, one Thursday evening, he made his way to the broadcasting facility in Ikoyi to find out who was in charge of the show. He arrived at the studio and made himself known. That’s how we got to know each other. Both I and he were impressed by my jazz expertise. He had a great trumpet tone. We became close after that night.
“We cultivated the notion of a quintet. Until his mother advised us to return to highlife in 1965, I assisted in the formation of his new band. Before he started playing jazz, Fela was performing highlife in London. Back to highlife we went. We named the band “Koola Lobitos,” and it is a very long story. I assisted him in managing the band because I knew more about Nigerian music at the time.
“I was the band’s manager until 1969, when he embarked on an international tour. I continued to be his band’s manager until the early 1970s. I didn’t really have a business relationship with him, just some management work that we did together. He was easily provoked, so I had to counsel him, show him the rope, and generally lead him. From 1963 to 1974, I was his employee. However, I persisted. Simply put, he wasn’t in need of a manager like me anymore. He required foreign managers who could connect him to major performances. Till his passing, we remained friends. “.
Benson Idonije attended Holy Trinity Grammar School, Sabongida Ora for his secondary schooling, and Yaba College of Technology where he studied communications engineering. He received the Wole Soyinka Centre For Investigative Journalism’s Lifetime Award for Journalism Excellence in 2012.