The Cavemen. | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Imo State,Nigeria |
| Genres | Highlife |
| Instrument(s) | Bass, drums |
| Years active | 2020–present |
| Labels | Sounds From The Cave |
| Members | Kingsley Okorie Benjamin James |
The Cavemen (stylized asThe Cavemen.) are a Nigerianhighlife band consisting of sibling duo Kingsley Okorie, abassist, and Benjamin James, a drummer. They were brought to the limelight byLady Donli and are known for their live performances.[1] In August 2020, they released their debut albumRoots, which won Best Alternative Album atThe Headies 2020.[2]
The Cavemen are natives ofOrlu,Imo State, in the southeastern region ofNigeria and started out as choristers. Kingsley earned a law degree fromBabcock University andNigerian Law School'sKano campus. Benjamin however attendedPeter KingCollege of Music,Badagry,Lagos State in the southwestern region of Nigeria.[3]
The Cavemen were officially formed in March 2018[4] and they stylised their band name with a dot to avoid lawsuits from aNew-Zealand artiste with the trademarked name.[3]
They released their debut single, ''Osondu'' in 2020 and released their debut album,Roots in August 2020.[1] The album was recorded in their living room and was fully produced by the duo.[1][3] They also produced 11 of the songs onLady Donli'sEnjoy Your Life album who in turn was a co-executive producer onRoots. They performed at the finale show of the fifth season ofBig Brother Naija.[5] The duo's sophomore album Love and Highlife was released in October 2021, with guest appearances fromCobhams Asuquo,Made Kuti, PC Lapez and Etuk Ubong, in 2023 the duo featured on Davido'sTimeless album.[3]
Kingsley earned a law degree from Babcock University and Nigerian Law School's Kano campus. Benjamin, however, attended Peter King College of Music, Badagry, Lagos.[6]
The Cavemen. have often been praised for recreating highlife in a way which retains its essence. The writer, Michael Chiedoziem Chukwudera writes about Cavemen's second album for Afrocritik,
“Love and Highlife” embodies an innovative effort to perfect the recreation of Highlife while remaining conservative. The combination of drums, trumpets, piano, and other supporting musical instruments creates a sound that retains the traditional essence of Highlife.
"The Cavemen. teaches us that innovation supersedes creating what is new—which is a beautiful thing to do—and that one can be innovative by taking what was there before and owning it.
"The subject of The Cavemen.’s music is love and philosophy. There is no talk of money, clothes, women, or inane vanities. This lends a purist quality to the music. The duo seems to have derived some of their philosophy from the music of Oliver De Coque; and even the third song in the album, “Biri” is a sample of Oliver De Coque’s classic “Biri ka m Biri,” a song which espouses the principle of “Live and Let live.” But even while they have borrowed from Oliver De Coque’s music, they have been careful to avoid adopting the praise of politicians and wealthy people in society, a style rife in Oliver De Coque’s music.Oliver de Coque as well asOsita Osadebe were pioneers of praise-singing for wealthy and sometimes corrupt individuals in the southeast. The music created by The Cavemen. is made so that it is self-sustaining. It does not pander to any clique, nor does it seek validation from any group of people."[7]
Discography
[edit]
| Year | Title | Details | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Roots |
| [8] |
| 2021 | Love and Highlife |
| [9] |
| 2025 | Cavy in the City |
| [10] |
| Year | Title | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ''Osondu'' | Roots |
| "Anita" | ||
| "Who No Know Go Know" | TBA | |
| 2023 | Open Your Mind/Saviour | |
| 2024 | What a Day That Was[11] | TBA |
Bena - 2020[12]
Adaugo - 2023[13]
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee/Work | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | The Headies 2020 | Best Alternative Album | The Cavemen -Roots | Won | [2] |