Nigerian electronic afro-funk pioneer William Onyeabor has sadly passed away, aged 70. The elusive artist found popularity in 1970s/80s Nigeria where his iconic blend of afro rhythms and synthesisers gave him a totally unique sound. Though always elusive (and consistently bootlegged around the world), Onyeabor rose to mythic status with the help of Luaka Bop‘s release of the seminal Who is William Onyeabor in 2013. A businessman, producer, record label president, innovator, and many more titles, Onyeabor carved out a niche rooted in idiosyncrasy. Tributes to William Onyeabor have flooded in from across the world, including David Byrne who participated in Atomic Bomb, a series of live renditions of Onyeabor’s work.
Read tributes from The Guardian, and NPR, and find out more about the man behind the music, in Noisey’s ‘Fantastic Man’ documentary: