Prince Nico Mbarga

Nico Mbarga (1 January 1950 – 23 June 1997), better known as Prince Nico Mbarga, was a Cameroonian-Nigerian highlife musician, born to a Nigerian mother from Mbembe Obubra LGA, Cross Rivers State and a Cameroonian father in Abakaliki, Nigeria. He is renowned for his hit song "Sweet Mother", recorded with his band Rocafil Jazz, which has been described as the best-selling song in history by an African recording artist.

Early life Mbarga grew up at Ikom, Cross River State with his Cameroonian father, a timber sawyer, and Nigerian mother, a peasant farmer. Much of his time was spent fishing by the river. While still a boy, his father inadvertently sparked his passion for highlife music when he brought home a secondhand Philips radio. Mbarga was captivated by the sounds of Bobby Benson's 'Taxi Driver'.

Following his father's death from a sudden illness, life took a harsh turn. His mother struggled to make ends meet. To support his family, he started singing at bars, and often went unpaid. Among the nine Mbarga's surviving children, only Nico, Descrow, Estelle and Slimphilz are actively involved in music and working to promote their late father's ‘panco' style of music. Joan, Lillian, Lucy, Lionel, and Nicoline are said to be either currently engaged in doing business or working white collar jobs at the Nigerian civil service commission.

Music He played the xylophone, conga, drums, bass guitar and electric guitar. He first started playing in school bands and he made his professional debut as a member of a hotel band, the Melody Orchestra, in 1970.

Sung in Pidgin, "Sweet Mother" became one of the top sellers in the history of Nigerian music. In the six years that Mbarga and Rocafil Jazz remained with Rogers All Stars, 1975 to 1981, they recorded nine albums.

Discography

Studio albums Sweet Mother (1976) Prince Nico Mbarga & Rocafil Jazz (1976) Rocafil Jazz 76 (1976) Prince Nico Mbarga & Rocafil Jazz (1977) Free Education in Nigeria (1977) Family Movement (1978) Rockafil Jazz & Nicholas Mbaraga (1978) Prince Nico Mbarga & Rocafil Jazz (1978) Cool Money (1979) Experience 001 (1979) Lucky Marriage! (1980) No Die, No Rest (1980) Music Message (1981) Let Them Say (1982) Papal Visit (1982) Chameleon (1984) Panco Juju System (1986) Sweet Family (1987) Only One God (1989)