By Charles Nwagbara
Nigerian-born internationally acclaimed showbiz practitioner, Gbubemi Amanoritsewor popularly known as Gbubemi Amas, is dead.
Itsekiri, Delta State-born Gbubemi Amas reportedly died on Sunday afternoon in Wales, United Kingdom.
Amas is a multi-talented artist – a writer, pianist, guitarist, singer, dancer, African drummer, sculptor, public speaker. Amas sculpture pieces are in collections all over the world and to be found in the private collections of the Prince of Wales and Nelson Mandela, the National Museum Iganmu Lagos and at the Iwalewa- Haus, Bayreuth, Germany, as well as corporate companies in Nigeria.
Amas who studied Fine Art in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, UNN, released his first album in 1981 entitled “Grill”.
According to music critic, Peter Moore, “Grill” is proof that in 80s Nigeria was producing a class of boogie funk that was as sophisticated as anywhere in the world.
From 1981 to 2016, Amas released six other albums which include, ‘Children’, ‘Fire And Rain’, ‘Ereyon’, ‘Slow Down’, ‘For You’, ‘Politician, Listen’ and ‘Spending My Life.”
Gbubemi Amas is reputed to have established the first Night Club in Nsukka known as “The Anthill”. He also had another night club, “The Rabbit” in Warri, back in the day.
Gbubemi Amas, spent the last years of his life in Wales and Dublin. The Nigerian musician, artist and writer and his wife Oby(footballer Alex Iwobi’s aunty) embraced Welsh culture as the first African family to settle in the village of Cross Hands.
He later became a theatre producer and writer in Cardiff in Wales. He was also Associate tutor in writing and drama for the University of Wales (DACE) as well as a Trustee of the Sherman Cymru and past adviser and mentor with the Messupthemess Theatre Company Ammanford.
