Adekunbi Ero
Sir Victor Uwaifo
Sir Victor Uwaifo, Edo-born music legend and exponent of popular highlife music, “Joromi” has died at the age of 80. Uwaifo, until his death on Saturday, was a professor of Visual Arts at the University of Benin, UNIBEN.
One of his sons, Uwaifo Peter de Rock who broke the news on his Facebook page Saturday evening, expressed anguish at the demise of his celebrity father whose hit album, Mammy Water, has remained evergreen.
Peter was silent on the circumstances surrounding the death of the iconic music artiste, university teacher, guitarist, writer, and sculptor. Tell however gathered that he died after a brief illness.
The distraught Peter de Rock lamented: “Daddy whyyyyyyy. Did you leave us now Prof sir Victor UWAIFO has gone to rest. Black Saturday for me nooow”, with 34 sad emoji, arranged in pair of 17 lines.
“One week now after collaborating with me”, the grieving Peter added.
The late Victor Uwaifo was a former Commissioner for Arts and Culture. He served during the administration of Lucky Nosakhare Igbinedion.
He was also the first music artiste to be decorated with the national award of Member of the Order of the Niger, MON.
A First Class graduate of Visual Arts, UNIBEN, his undergraduate project of a king on a horse, is a signature arts poster at the Ekenwan Campus of the university.
The dexterous guitarist celebrated his 80th birthday March 1, this year and was in July hosted by the Esama of Benin, Gabriel Osawaru Igbinedion, who described him as a great son of Nigeria whose legacy would continue to remain indelible in the history of the country.
The music maestro had in his response, stated that “I have never smoked in my life. I do not take drugs. I do not drink alcohol. It is now that I started taking wine. Music makes me high”.
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