Nigeria's forgotten king of boogie and his 30-year comeback

Steve Monite grew up in 1970s Nigeria during the country's crude oil production boom. As money flowed into the West African nation, so did Western culture and music. Inspired by funk and disco from American artists like James Brown and Michael Jackson, Steve dreamed of pursuing a career on stage. After living in London for a while and an attempt to start a recording career there, Steve returned to Nigeria where, in 1984, he released his debut electronic funk album, Only You. It was a massive flop. Heartbroken by the reception, Steve moved to London again and buried his musical past.
Over three decades later, Steve's nephew found a video online of R&B superstar Frank Ocean performing Steve's songs. His music had been discovered by a new generation of artists and fans, and without him knowing he had become popular around the world. His album, Only You was re-released in 2022 and now Steve is finally living the life of stardom he’d always dreamed of.

Presenter: Tommy Dixon
Producer: Julian Siddle

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(Photo: Steve Monite, now in his early 60s with a neat grey beard is smiling at the camera and wearing a pink shirt and a straw coloured hat. He is holding a copy of his album, Only You which features a 1980's photo of him in a suit with full head of hair)