I Didn’t See My Dad As A Superstar – Oliver De Coque’s Son Says

Darlington Akanite, the second son of highlife legend Oliver De Coque, reveals that he didn't view his late father as a superstar, unlike others who admired and cherished his music during his lifetime.

Darlington, better known as Safin made this assertion, while unveiling his recently released remix of the late highlife mastro’s evergreen song, “Identity”as well as the music video to our reporter in Asaba.

The single, released under the Virgin Birds Entertainment, owned by actor Cyril Pharaoh, was more of spiritual connection with his late father, who popularized highlife music in Africa.

Safin said, in remixing the song, he reassembled his late father’s band members who helped in delivering the chorus of the song, reuniting the fans with the golden tunes of the late Ogene Sound exponent. “Identity” was released in October 2011, by Chief Dr Oliver De Coque and His Expo ’76 Ogene Sound Super of Africa.

Though Safin’s music is a slight departure from his late father’s Ogene sound, as he plays hip hop with a blend of highlife, the rising singer said he believes in following new trends, while keeping tab with the message of his music. The song, however, relives the heydays of Oliver De Coque on stage.

On his relationship with late father, Darlington said he had been privileged to accompany the late Ogene sound exponent to shows a couple of times, though he never climbed the stage with him.

“I didn’t see him as a superstar, even though he was my dad. I didn’t see him the way other people were seeing him. But I realized how big he was after I saw the people’s views of his songs on digital platforms,” he said.

Darlington revealed that his late father was planning to retire from music at the age of 70, and was already building a mansion where he intended to retire into, before he died of heart failure on June 20, 2008.