News of the sudden death of veteran musician and scholar Prof. Emeritus Gabriel Chukwuma Ozoani better known as Gabzani has been spreading across Nigeria music circles as well as academia where he also was a colossus.

Gabzani was a pioneer in Nigeria pop music genre as a singer with then famous groups as The Wings, Strangers and One world.

A close family source confirmed that Ozoani died in Enugu recently after a brief illness and was last weekend, buried at his hometown, Imezi owa, Ezeagu LGA, Enugu state

After his stint with music Gabzani left to pursue academic laurels and started a journey in the academia in the US.

After his return from the US, he joined the staff of Enugu state University of Science and Technology from where he retired and moved over to ESUT Business School, his last port where he was until his sudden death.

He is survived by wife, son and a daughter.

The Death of Gabzani coming a few months after the death of pioneer guitarist, singer, producer and consummate engineer Goddy Oku of Postmen and Hygrades and the burial of famed drummer Bazy Cole Akalonu of Sweet Breeze is seen as a big blow to Nigerian music industry.

Said veteran musician and band leader Manford Best, only surviving member of the Wings, the death of Goddy Oku and Gabzani is still very devastating. It was Bazy Cole earlier.

Goddy and Gabzani made huge impressions in my music career as we played in same bands. For your information, It was Goddy Oku that gave me the first opportunity to play the drums in a band and guided me till I got my bearing. The war was raging and Enugu had fallen when I heard of the new band performing at civil engineering mogul FGN okoye’s mansion at Enugwu ukwu. That band, the famous Postmen led by Goddy Oku had left Enugu due to the war.

Goddy Oku was already very proficient with the guitar. Their drummer Stoneface Iwuagwu had suddenly relocated to Owerri because of the war and they were in need of a drummer. I had played some church bass drums at the Cherubim and seraphim and he said I should try when I told him I could. Then Goddy heard me play and screamed that they have found a new drummer.

There was nothing as encouraging as that statement. He kept encouraging me till I moved on to play better. The band later moved to Awka then PH before leaving when the Garden city fell. I also noticed that aside from the microphones and drums in the band, all the three guitars, three amplifiers and all the speakers were built by Goddy Oku who earns my biggest respect forever. I feel worthy to call Goddy Oku my boss and band leader.

“For Gabzani, I first met him during the formation of the Biafra Airforce Wings. He was lead singer of the pop music section including myself on drums, Dan Ian on lead guitar, Spud Nathans on guitar, Arinze Okpala on bass and Frank Moses Nwandu, our manager.

“Gabzani continued as our lead singer and play-maker when the Wings reconvened after the Civil War. He had a sonorous voice which mesmerised our female fans and also doubled as our spokesperson. As a singer, he had a notebook into which he wrote down lyrics for rehearsals. He was meticulous and also was good with guitar and helped guide me when I started learning to play the guitar.

“When he suddenly decided to leave the Wings, it was a big blow and we felt lost and everything seemed to ground to a halt. He went to join the Strangers. That made us to buckle up. I must say that without the departure of Gabzani from the Wings, the singing talents of Spud Nathan might not have blossomed. He was challenged and he started rehearsing without rest. And the rest is history.

A mutual friend intimated me of Gabzani’s death after a brief illness. The pioneers are all going one by one. Sad”

When veteran singer, broadcaster and events promoter Frank Fyne was contacted he screamed; “Meeeen, the sad news hit me yesterday evening like a thunderbolt.”

According to Fyne who is currently a popular radio presenter at Reel Fm Aba “Our paths crossed way back in 1972.

“Then I was with The Gaskins in PH. Gaskins were formerly Blackstones, a proprietary band owned by Chief Gaskin Egede, proprietor of Land of Cannan Hotels on 222 Niger St.

Gab was a great singer with the One World at the time. Although the One World line up was made up of tall, pleasant and disciplined personalities, Gabzani was the most disciplined after Anii Hofner.

I knew he played with the Wings, the strangers too. I feel sad to hear that he has passed on. I have been trying to see if I could get one or two of his pics with me to authentic my story.

Not long ago we went to bury Bazy Cole of the Sweet Breeze.

With Gabzani’s demise, One World as a band regrettably has joined Sweet Breeze and even the Wings at the verge of extinction. They all have one surviving member each. Lord have mercy.

May their souls and those of the faithful departed, R I P. (VanguardNews)