Oluwaseyi Paul Osaro Olagunju, aka Gunju, is a Nigerian British musical Thespian, author, academic, and cultural ambassador celebrated for his fusion of World Music and House Music. His artistry blends deep cultural influences with contemporary sounds, creating a unique and powerful musical identity.
His musical style is rooted in Nigerian heritage while embracing global musical traditions. Gunji’s music resonates with diverse audiences, delivering a rhythmic and soulful experience that transcends borders.
His latest released album in December 12, 2024 Through Thick and Thin is a deeply personal and transformative body of work. It chronicles Gunju’s seven-year journey of isolation, healing, and creative rebirth, capturing his evolution as an artist and individual.
The album showcases a compelling selection of tracks, each telling a unique story: Take Eye Go Market, Oga Jankaraman, Kiss of Love, Aromisalegbe, Lagos Laipe, Sons of Lagos.
One interesting thing is that Gunju draws inspiration from musical legends such as Fela Kuti, James Brown, Isaac Hayes, and Barbara Tucker, infusing their legacy into his sound with a modern and innovative twist.
Olagunju, as the founder of GUNJU Music, has created a dynamic platform for artistic expression, fostering a space for creativity, culture, and musical excellence.
However, beyond music Gunju is a storyteller, educator, and cultural bridge. As an author, academic, and cultural ambassador, his work extends beyond music, using literature and advocacy to inspire, educate, and uplift communities worldwide. He is also into fashion.
In a media chat with journalists in Lagos, Gunju revealed how he developed passion for music. “I first came to Nigeria at eight.Then I lived in Benin City where I started attending Celestial Church of Christ. There I quickly joined their choir, those playing drums for the church. That is how it all started. During that period I was playing with the church, we used to travel from one place to another in the East, Calabar, in most cases during church harvest and in the process I picked different musical sounds, traditional and many others. However, before I went back to UK in 1989, I attended todifferent occupations including Optometry which I studied at UNIBEN.
On how he stood on his own as a musician, Olagunju said, “as a musician I travel a lot, within London and England playing. After some years I was exposed to play drums outside the country. Then, in the house musical world, DJS where producers are the main musicians, I started playing with them, even though they were not used to drummers playing with them. But they were few top DJS I played along side with and that was how I kicked off. Add to that, I started listening to musics and applying my vocals, the Yoruba and Edo languages. I can speak and I tried to infuse them into the general house music. Then Afro House just started, which we started the movement in London. And we also kicked off in South Africa, and that is how I graduated from Thespian drummer to artist. During that period we visited South Africa, Nigeria few times, New York and Miami residences in USA festivals andall over Europe playing as an artiste.
Already in my mid 40s , I decided to pursue a musical and African studies in SOAS, University of London. That was an opening for a whole new game plan in UK. In the University in London, they have a very well to do African culture department. It was there that I began to speak better Yoruba language than when I was in Nigeria. All the phrases, proverbs and others I learnt there. Sometimes they are being taught by Europeans and West African history which I found so interesting.
Along the line while I was aspiring higher in my music lifer, I became paralysed for 7 years, between 2016 and 2023. During that period so many things couldn’t work out, but I thank God. But before that time I was a dancer and I still dance till date, that is where we are now. One good thing that happened that time was while in paralysis, I received inspiration to write more songs.
On his breakthrough in Music, Olagunju told the media, “It came in the early 2000 when I released a track which by interpretation, make them dance, show them dance etc. under the moniker title: The African drummer, Dean Zepherin remix- Tribe records. It was top of the heat in New York, South Africa and in the house music world, and that is what established me as a musician and gave me confidence to say I want to release an album”.
