Benin City was and will always be, one of the biggest cities in the heart of Nigeria. It was in this lovely and culturally rich town, steeped in history, that it is no surprise a new electrifying and intoxicating hybrid of highlife music, known as Edo Funk, took shape in the early 1970s and continued evolving well into the 1980s.

Nick Roseblade from The Quietus described Edo Funk as a hybrid music that mixed traditional rhythms, highlife horns, driving drums, day-glow keyboards, and wonky guitars.

Edo Funk, or what you could also call Funky Highlife, emerged as the soundtrack of the era in Benin. What made this unique was not just the instruments or synths, it was the raw stripped-down production and the artist’s thought process of blending ancestral tradition with modern expression.

It became the root sound everyone tapped into across the bustling town—royalty, traders, the upper and middle classes—everyone, essentially, loved it.

This musical fusion first emerged in the early '70s, when a group of musicians of Edo descent began experimenting with ways to integrate elements of their native Edo culture with the music and effects coming out of nightclubs across Nigeria and the broader West Africa scene. What they created was breathtaking and brilliantly inventive.

Legendary Sir Victor Uwaifo is widely considered the godfather of Edo funk. Although he might not have been the originator of this psychedelic regional funk style, his influence in spreading it—especially through his legendary Joromi Studios, which he built in 1978 in his hometown—was monumental.

With his unique guitar style acting as a bridge between West African highlife and the traditional rhythms and melodies of Edo music, he pioneered the Ekassa style. Having already scored several hits in the early 1970s, prior to the full emergence of Edo funk, Uwaifo pushed the sound further with his studio’s advanced recording setup, which allowed for simultaneous tracking.

His studio became a hub for experimentation and this gave artists the creative freedom to explore endless musical possibilities—adding squelchy synths, swirling organs, studio effects, hypnotic basslines, and raw grooves—ultimately improving the sound of Edo Funk.

While Uwaifo laid a foundation, others were equally impactful. Osayomore Joseph, for instance, was a powerhouse of innovation. Being the man who brought the flute into Nigerian highlife, Joseph had already made waves in Lagos before returning to Benin in the mid-1970s. With encouragement from the royal family, he set about modernizing Edo music—plugging it into the electric current of funk and popular Afrobeat.

Osayomore’s songs often did more than entertain. He used it as a medium to question government corruption and address personal struggles, blending groove with grit. Alongside his band, The Ulele Power Sound, he has released many records that helped push the genre mainstream.

Akaba Man on the other hand, often referred to as Edo Funk’s philosopher king, approached music with a subtle, less political but potent message. He wrapped meaning into the groove. His track “Popular Side” is a perfect example: catchy, danceable, yet layered with commentary. And unlike Uwaifo and Osayomore who gained fame early on, Akaba Man’s biggest successes came later, in the late '80s as the genre evolved.

Edo Funk was a bold fusion. An inventive blend of tradition and innovation. By blending funk with Edo roots, these artists created something entirely fresh, unforgettable, and something people loved. It stands today as a proud, defining chapter in Nigeria’s musical history.

Edo Funk emerged as the soundtrack of the era in Benin.

Edo Funk: The Inventive Sound of Benin City

Edo Funk emerged as the soundtrack of the era in Benin.

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