Former president of the Performing Musicians Enoloyers Association of Nigeria, PMAN, Mr. Obafemi Lasode is dead.
The music producer and filmmaker, died on Friday after a protracted battle with. He was aged 69.
A native of Ogun State, Lasode was born on December 4, 1955, in Port Harcourt, Rivers state. He attended St. Gregory’s College, Lagos, for his secondary education before earning a BSc in Business Administration from Kogod School of Business, Washington, D.C., and an MSc in Communication Arts from City University of New York.
He was a versatile creative — film director, producer, songwriter, music producer, and playwright — best known as the CEO of Even-Ezra Nigeria Limited, the production company behind the award-winning 1997 film ‘Sango’.
He began his professional journey in the U.S., working as a promotions coordinator for Inner City Broadcasting Corporation in New York. In 1984, he made history by hosting Nigerian music legend Sonny Okosun at the iconic Apollo Theatre in Harlem.
Upon returning to Nigeria, Lasode produced Afrika in Vogue, a pioneering African music programme on Radio Nigeria 2, which aired from early 1989 for a year. In 1995, he founded Afrika ‘n Vogue/Even-Ezra Studios, further cementing his legacy in entertainment.
He was president of PMAN, the foremost association of Nigerian musicians from 2002 to 2003.
He also authored Television Broadcasting: The Nigerian Experience (1959–1992), a seminal book adopted by Nigerian universities.
