@nostalgicsound_ng: Celebrating Tunji Oyelana at 87 🎉 . Born on 4 October 1939, Tunji Oyelana’s creative journey has stretched across more than six decades of Nigerian music, theatre, television and film. A singer, composer, bandleader, actor and teacher, he developed a distinctive musical voice with The Benders, drawing deeply from Yoruba folklore and storytelling while moving through highlife, Afrobeat, funk, jùjú, reggae and other sounds. . His creative relationship with Wole Soyinka began in 1960 and continued across several decades, from theatre productions to recorded music. By the 1970s, Tunji Oyelana & The Benders had become an established presence on the Nigerian music scene, with records including Which Way, Africa?, their self-titled 1974 album, Double Face and Voster and Smith Must Reason. . In 1983, Oyelana and The Benders also joined Soyinka on Unlimited Liability Company, bringing music and political satire together in commentary on corruption and Nigerian public life. . But his story was never limited to records. Oyelana’s work also extended into theatre and television, and he became widely remembered by audiences as Sura the Tailor. In 2001, he also appeared performing in Tunde Kelani’s Thunderbolt: Magun. . Across music, stage and screen, Tunji Oyelana built a career that crossed generations without ever fitting neatly into one box. His songs carried humour, social observation and Yoruba storytelling, while the breadth of The Benders’ music allowed them to move across several strands of Nigerian popular music. . At 87, we celebrate Tunji Oyelana, Sura the Tailor to many, leader of The Benders, and a living legend whose work remains part of Nigeria’s cultural history. . . . #TunjiOyelana #TheBenders #SuraTheTailor #NostalgicSoundNg #AfricanMusic

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Monday 05 October 2026 16:00:19 GMT