Dovie okson mena whose stage name is baba 2010 is a very popular figure in abuja with regards to music and entertainment . He is a special brand that cannot be shoved aside in all ramifications . Mena who is in his thirthies started his music carrier at an early stage in life and has paid his dues.
As the eldest son of a clergyman cum teacher,mena who hail from emede in the isoko south area of delta state started his carrier in a church choir in his home town. The multi –instrumentalist who plays the keyboard as his main instrument moved to port harcourt, rivers state .
While in port harcourt , his dream for the big stage began to materialise . In the 1990s , dovie okson mena , who was then a rap -rapsody and blues , artiste migrated to abuja to feel the big picture and be part of it. Abuja was a green city at that time.
In abuja, he met a great musician named don bruce, a giant in the music industry, who migrated from lagos to abuja to put his weight behind the budding music scene in the new federal capital territory . Don bruce in his life time and even in death is regarded as the father music in abuja.
With a godfather like don bruce , a fellow isoko man from udeje as a guide, the sky was mena dovie’s limit. The young artiste who is a humour merchant and a humble person warmed his way into the hearts of abujalites. Before you could say jack robinson, the name, baba 2010 had filtered into almost every ear in the capital city.
On arrival in abuja , mena performed at the nicon nuga hotel-presently transcorp hilton hotels . He was appointed as the music director of the hotel . He also worked for a while with sheraton hotels , abuja moving back to nicon nuga hotels .
The musician who is dubbed the fela of abuja is an afro beat major and is versatile in other music genre . Apart from performing fela’s tracks , he has his own original afro beat albums .
To the surprise of his fan s, he started the afro beat part of his music and the band in abuja and remained independent since then .
According to dovie , ‘ as a rap artiste, i thought of doing something that would make people take me more serious ly because as a rapper at that time , one was not taken seriously outside the stage in nigeria , so i decided to play afro beat and it took me to the level that i am now’. The irony of it all is that baba 2010 never met fela anikulapo- kuti and never had the opportunity of watching fela perform live and had never been to the afrika shrine .
Inspite of this, like fela , baba 2010 believes in communal living practices , the open door policy and has taught his wife , joy dovie okson mena a.k.a. Mama 2010 and their two sons, mark and zino to always accept visitors and hangers – on in their home at the utako district of abuja the federal capital territory .
Like fela’s afrika shrine, it’s commom place to find highly placed nigerians be it businessmen and women , civil servants , entrepreneurs, diplomats, expartriates, students , men and women in all works of life in the
baba 2010 arena.
baba 2010 arena.
This same crowd has followed the train to all the venues that baba2010 and the dovie soundz band has performed including the blinkers night club, leisure castle, eddy vic hotels, broadway and the other spots in abuja .they would not miss baba 2010’s yappis night every friday and comprehensive night every saturday for any other show in abuja.
The major similarity between fela and baba 2010 is that they both play the keyboard they are both basket mouths- yabbis no case- they are great performers on stage. Their major difference is that fela smoked igbo -nigeria natural grass- and cigarettes but baba 2010 has never smoked igbo and cigarettes .
however baba 2010 as a proper isoko boy drinks his whisky or brandy when performing on stage . He refers to them as ogogoro or sapele water-local gin-. So next time you are going to baba 2010’s show , do not forget that ogogoro is in stock.
Fans refer to dovie okson mena as the re-incarnate of fela . Maybe they are right because spiritualy , one does not get to meet his re-incarnate and maybe that is reason baba 2010 took after baba 70 though they never met in person but in spirit.
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