Musical instruments are powers that instrumentalists and musicians use to create life to music for every individual to enjoy. Music is not whole without instruments being played by professionals, these guys with their creative minds bring out melodies that body and soul needs for existence. The songs we listen to day-in-day-out might be a computer-based processed work, thanks to technological advancement, but it still requires musical instruments to be played and recorded with good mixing and mastering to create a wonderful work of art. Apart from the classical musical instrument, we have the popular musical instruments like drums, bass guitar, lead guitar, pianos e.t.c. we have different individuals that specialize in each instrument.
In Nigeria, we call these guys ‘just musicians’ because we see them in beer parlors, jazz clubs, churches, and concerts but we never appreciate them as the work behind the voices we hear. They go through the pains of learning and rehearsing this instrument to perfection so the music would continue to be with us always. One of the instrument is the LEAD GUITAR, we all grew up to know this lead guitar was played by legends like Fatai Rolling-Dollar, King Sunny Ade, Sir Shina Peter, Oliver De Coque, Sir Victor Uwaifo e.t.c.
In this era of Afro-pop instrumentalists are not really appreciated but there is a very popular guitarist that struck my mind with his strings, his name is Fiokee!
Ifiok Effanga, popularly known as Fiokee is a full-breed Nigerian lead guitarist who hails from Akwa Ibom. He is one of the most popular instrumentalists we have in the Nigerian music industry. He has contributed 70 percent to the Nigerian music industry since the year 2007. Fiokee has made producers believe that they actually need the natural sounds of the musical instrument to make their music complete. His breakthrough contribution was the popular ‘SCAPEGOAT‘ by D’banj been produced by Don Jazzy and Kanye West jumping on the remix, since then he has made an impressive impact in the industry. He played for D’banj for four years touring nations and later joined Flavour N’abani, the king of Igbo Highlife Fusion, and success has been the story so far.
Fiokee is an icon and a lookout for everyone that plays the lead guitar in Nigeria and across the African continent. Most lead guitarists take him as a role model. He made upcoming lead guitarists learn the art of creating their time out of established tunes. As an upcoming or existing lead guitarist, you should learn a lot from Fiokee, most especially his level of creativity. He creates melodies that are angelic and that suits the soul.
He has this uniqueness that he creates, when you hear a song you will freeze and listen till you are not tired. We all remember Simi’s breakout single “TIFF”, fiokee did the intro which introduced the virgin voice of the artiste, his melodies sound like melodies of stories portraying the artiste mind. Let me bring you back to “LIKE” by Rekaado Banks and Tiwa Savage, his solo at the end of vocals was an imagination and an extension of vocals which both artistes refuse to add, his solos give different sweet addiction to the song that made it perfect.
Fiokee is leading a voice of many in Africa
Fiokee also has created a pathway for other players of the musical instruments to be given their credits. If we look at our music industry, instrumentalists are not given their credits like producers get all the time. Fiokee has created a pathway for artiste and producers to always give credit to any instrumentalist that add his or her own work to their singles, E.Ps, and albums. Fiokee has made instrumentalists have importance in recordings especially the guitarists. Fiokee once said in one of his numerous TV interviews that:
“I want to make something out of nothing for the music industry”.
Ifiok Effanga, popularly known as FIOKEE
He also wants guitarist to make a living out of music not just be a musical accessories for artiste and music producers. He’s been preaching this gospel for a very long time and that leads him into management.
How Fiokee’s ‘Passion for The Strings’ All Begin?
Fiokee learned to play the guitar from a taxi driver inside the Ibom Metropolis. He learned from the street and now he is on the hallways of different music producers. Fiokee might not be the best guitarist of the country but he infuses melody to songs he recorded and all these songs are pure fire.
He has this chord-melody that beautifies every song, his guitar articulation is perfect. With this special weapon, the lead guitar role, Ifiok Effanga had recorded over 500 songs and almost all these songs are bangers.
In all his works so far he gives producers good problems to make appreciate the energetic construction that real instrument gives better than the software produced beats. Fiokee has also given lead guitarist in the industry a goal to always be the flavour and spice to every song, he has shown this and also makes it a major lifestyle in the music industry, he gives that analog feeling to each sounds he gets to be on.
It has been 20 years since Fiokee has been giving us spice which we always crave for. He has also been a major influencer in making afrobeat acclaimed globally. Like I said earlier, he has recorded over 500 songs in the space of twenty years, which some have grown to be hit songs and evergreen. We can’t just get enough of his melodious sound and rhythm with the help of his magic fingers.
Fiokee’s collaborations
He has worked with many music artists like Wizkid, Davido, Dbanj, Kizz Daniel, Simi, Adekunle Gold, Yemi Alade, Reekado Banks, Teni, Skiibi, RIC Hassani, and most especially his current act, Flavour. His connection with most of this A’list artistes has made to be respected by the entire industry. It is for a fact that fiokee is a hero in the industry. I will end with one of fiokee’s recent tweet-
You must be remembered for something good or bad. The choice is yours!
The joy of living on this planet is all about having an impact, and Fiokee is a perfect example of an impactful art coming of out Nigeria to bless the whole work with his work of art. Not many people are aware of Fiokee’s exploits in the Nigerian music industry, and my intentions are to feature people of influence in the Nigerian entertainment industry without bias.
Thanks for coming around this week once again, see you next week as I bring another interesting act on this Peter Talker’s Diary. Still tuned in to SOFO.ng. Don’t change the dial.
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