๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐จ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐ฅ๐๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐๐, ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐๐ข๐ ๐ฒ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐จ๐จ๐ง ๐๐ก๐จ ๐๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐ญ ๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ ๐จ๐ง ๐๐ค๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ง๐ข ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ ๐๐จ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ฅ๐ข๐๐
Charles Boumda, a Cameroonian multi-instrumentalist, was also known as the โmusic spiritโ and Charlie Boogie among his fans and music enthusiasts. His musical journey began in his native country, where he was a former guitarist of Cameroonian makossa sensation Manu Dibango. However, Charles decided to immigrate to Nigeria, where he settled in the Eastern part of the country and became a regular freelance musician.
In Nigeria, Charles had two brief stints with the Oriental Brothers in the 1970s and 80s. During his time with the Oriental Brothers, Charles showcased his skills as a lead guitarist in their album โNwanne Awu Enyi/Ama Onye Wu Onye,โ where he displayed his mastery of the Igbo highlife rhythm, despite being Cameroonian. Charles was also the lead guitarist on the Oriental Brothersโ โObinwanneโ and โEbele Onye Uwaโ albums, where he again demonstrated his musical class.
After the disbandment of Oriental Brothers in 1980, Charles decided to concentrate on his own band, BLACK SPIDER INTERNATIONAL BAND, which he had founded. He had released his debut album in 1979 titled โEluka Alanma,โ and in the early 80s, he rebranded his band to AFRO JAZZ INTERNATIONAL BAND.
Charles reunited with Dr. Sir Warrior in the 80s, where he played both lead guitar and keyboard. He was not only a wizard on the strings of guitar but also on the keys of the piano. Charles was one of Sir Warriorโs band members that participated in the Oriental Brothers reunion album.
When Agu Risky, a lead guitarist, left King Ubulu International Band after a fallout with LOVE A U (King Ubulu), the leader and vocalist of the group brought Charles in to fill the void Agu Risky created. LOVE A U quickly made Charles a co-owner of the group because of the impact he made. Charles introduced piano sounds to Ukwuani highlife music, which was new to the genre, and this gave him an edge in the industry.
Charles was again on the move when one of the prominent and wealthiest sons of Ukwuani, a music promoter, and a philanthropist, Chief Moses Okom, sponsored and funded a band called ETIOMA DANCE BAND LED BY CHARLIE BOOGIE. The band consisted of Sir Solo, Eric Enumah, Goddy Okweddie, Richard Murphy, Ozzidy Sunday, Olinga Daniel, Kuti Dinma. Charles released several albums with the Etioma dance band, and he spent the rest of his musical career in Ukwuani highlife.
Charles was a highly skilled musician, and during his time, he was a lead guitarist, rhythm guitarist, bass guitarist, keyboardist/pianist, synthesizer, sound engineer, and beat maker. He was a gifted musician with a unique style and sound that set him apart from his contemporaries. He married from Obiaruku in Ukwuani LGA, and the marriage was blessed with children. Charles Boumda passed away in 1998, but his music and legacy continue to live on in the annals of Ukwuani and Igbo highlife and Nigerian music history.
โ Obinna Okoro
โ Chidi O. Uwabuofu
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