Popular Nigerian Saxophonist, Orlando Julius has died at the age of 79. His wife, Latoya Ekemode, confirmed his death to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Lagos.

She said that Orlando Julius passed out in his sleep on Thursday night.

“Yes, my husband passed on late last night, there was no indication that death was coming, he was not ill, he only slept and died in his sleep,” she said.

NAN reports that Orlando Julius, was a Nigerian saxophonist, singer, band leader, and songwriter closely associated with afrobeat music.
Some of his musical albums were: Disco Hi-Life, Ololufe, Love, Peace and Happiness; Dance Afrobeat and more.

Also, Managing Director of Evergreen Musical Company Limited, Bimbo Esho, confirmed this in a post on Facebook.

She wrote: “’Bimbo, daddy has passed on’”, this was the message I stumbled on waking up at exactly 3:00am to peruse my watsapp page.. It was a message sent in to me by Orlando Julius beautiful and supportive wife Lady Latoya”.

“Orlando Julius a native of Ijebu Ijesha succumbed to the cold hands of death and breathed his last few hours ago at the age of 79.

“We shall miss one of Nigeria’s fathers of Afro/Highlife Music , a gentleman and a fine Saxophonist.

“May daddy Orlando Julius soul journey well. To the entire Ekemode family may God give you the fortitude to bear this irreplaceable loss,” she wrote.

Julius attended St. Peter’s Anglican School Ikole and played in the school band.

He however, dropped out of school in 1957, after his father died then left for Ibadan to pursue a career as a musician.