THE CAVE MEN

Today, I bring you the most unique highlife band ever. I bring you The Cave Men, a band of two highly talented brothers: Kingsley and Benjamin. Before I tell you more about these amazing musicians, let us get to know what highlife as a genre really is. Highlife as a genre is directly associated with West Africa, it is a pure Afro genre. It is characterized by a unique Afro style of drumming, guitar solos and bass lines. With respect to some categories of highlife, special traditional percussion and/or horns might be required as well. There are certainly more to say about highlife, but we shall be stopping here for today. Let us get back to the subject matter.

In the Afro music world, there are numerous styles of highlife. Each of them though unique in themselve never miss the true Afro nature of highlife. Among all the past great highlife musician I have listened to, The Cave Men are the most unique. These two brother have in fact invented an entirely new music genre, a genre that is being referred to as "highlife fusion". Though the root of their music remaines Highlife, but somehow they fusse in jazz, soul and even Afro-beat in some cases. Another amazing thing about them is their unique way of playing the instruments they major on, while Kingsley majors on Base, Benjamin is an extraordinary drummer.

Though the two brothers are highly talented, but my favourite in Benjamin. Benjamin is a drummer and a flutist. Here, I am not talking about the usual kind of flute, I am talking about oja. Oja is a local flute particularly associated with the Igbo people of Nigeria (the cave men are probably the first to have made use of that unique instrument for highlife music). The Africanness of Benjamin is what makes him even more unique. Being the lead singer in almost every of their performances, Benjamin have got a unique voice, the uniqueness of his voice is part of what makes them stand out as a band. Kingsley on the other hand is no small musician, he is simply a god in his world. His style of base is like non I have ever seen, and he has also got an amazing voice.

Personally, I love Afro music. It is in fact my specialisation as a musician (though I have not gotten to the level I want to be). Among every genre of Afro music that their is, highlife has always been my favourite. Having encountered the Cave Men, I think I am begining to love their style of music more than the traditional highlife. These guys are so unique that they have completely dominated the highlife world, they are probably the best highlife band that have ever being. Though highlife have always been there, but this is new, Unique and special. The most amazing thing about the cave men is the fact that the two brothers have never been close to their culture, they are two boys who grow up in the City of Lagos. But somehow they are able to make music that brings one closer to the ancestors. They are indeed blessed by the gods.

THE CAVE MEN | Ecency