Between 1970s and early 80s, Nigeria music made a significant swing. There was a big shift towards Nigeria’s local sound from the world pervasive rock and roll psychedelic era projected heavily by The Beetles, the Rolling stones or the Motown hits from Stevie Wonder, The Supremes and the Temptations or James Brown.
Nigerian musicians who had listened to so much of such foreign sounds began to assimilate and construct an afro rock style that sounded more indigenous, according to Saturday Vanguard.
Out of a punishing 30 months of devastation produced by the civil war, bands developed in Nigeria’s south west, mid-west and south east, playing a quasi rock sound.
In those years, while record companies especially EMI relied on Odion Iruoje to produce these new Nigerian afropop artistes in the mid and south west including BLO, Joni Haastrup, Monomono and a host of others, they relied on extra prolific music producer Pal Akalonu to harvest the ubiquitous pop music talents abound in the south east of Nigeria. And so effectively he played this part, as the world would say.
Pal very recently passed on.
What made Pal different from all was that while many other producers specialised in one genre of music, he proved to be indeed a very versatile and all- round sound man who traversed musical genres producing both pop music, highlife as well as hymnals and traditional cultural music for EMI as well as other labels. Like his dead TV show Now Sound, Pal Akalonu adored the sound of all of it.
Pal Akalonu as producer was the imprint on most if not all the popular and commercial pop music from Eastern Nigeria from 1970 to the early 80s.
Before we list the bands and records Pal Akalonu produced in his early beginnings sometimes in conjuction with EMI GM Eastern Nigeria CU Nwaiga produced for EMI, Anodisc, CAP, Feathers a division of Melody Records, Blackspot Records, Phonodisk, Clover Leaf etc, let us trace the background of the Emii, Imo state born broadcaster and celebrated music producer.
HIS PAST
Akalaonu worked as a presenter then producer at the ENBC in Enugu, with so much biases for music.
He hosted music shows on both radio and TV. Not long after, East Central state was split into two and Pal went to Imo state and to Aba where he soon started presenting several programmes most memorable being NOW SOUND a programme that brought him closer to the many talented pop musicians of the south east who converged at Aba at the end of the civil war.
Aba was also very financially and musically viable and entertainment friendly. Big hotels such as the Unicoco and Ambassadors Hotel were well located and open for regular performances. Indigenous record firms like Anodisc, Clover, Ben Records etc. also sprang up.
He rose to become the General Manager of NTA Aba and later Benin before his retirement.
He was elected best entertainment manager in 1985.
Akalonu’s claim to fame as a music man may have been that he came from a family of musicians. He spoke of his father who was a soldier and who played the organ, a talent that he passed on to all his children and siblings including his younger brother Basil and sister.
“Music came first for me before broadcasting,” he told an interviewer.
Now let us see a few of the extensive list of artistes that Pal Akalonu discovered, produced or became affiliated with. Stoneface and Life Everlasting Christy Essien Igbokwe Sweet Breeze which had his younger brother Bazy Cole Akalonu as drummer.
Akalonu also produced the first renowned Wings record ‘Kissing you so hard’ with CU Nwaiga and Odion Iruoje and later Original Wings when the band separated after the death of its frontman Spud Nathan.
He has helped cook up outstanding tunes into unforgettable albums like One world, Apostles, Founders 15, Heads Funk, Semi Colon, Dan Ian, Soki Ohale and a host of many others.
Pal Akalonu also produced highlife music by the Peacocks Dance band featuring the song Eddie Quansah, Various folk songs from Imo state, Great Oriental Brothers International when the Oriental Brothers split, Abraka Guitar Band and some soukous music by Negroe Bantus and a faction of Rocafill Jazz etc.
REGRETS OF HIS
Akalonu might have died with three basic regrets one being what he informed his prodigies that he would have wished his younger brother Bazy Cole Akalonu formerly of the Sweet Breeze bury him but sadly, Basil died a few years ago.
Again, in an interview with Arise TV, Akalonu lamented not being honoured by the nation for arts and culture contributions with any national honours of MON or OON.
He also intended to publish an album of his last composed songs. But that was not to be as death came for her at the age of 91.
Burials
His son, Hendrix Akalonu, announced the date of his death and burial which is scheduled for August 21, 2026. A burial committee has been formed up comprising the many prodigies and former pupils of PAL AKALONU school of music production headed by a renowned broadcaster Allan B Onyemaechi.
Also included are Pastors Kingsley Dallas Anyanwu of Sweet Breeze and Paul Chukwu, Dame Nkem Opara, Prof Chinedu Asinu Anosike (Cona) and Chief Soki Ohale.
Others on the committee include Engr. Olaedo Anyanwu, Chief Nnamdi Olebara, Lady Patsy Gal Nwachukwu, Elder Iyke Ekeoma, Elder Marshall Udo Oruh of Founders 15, Walton Arungwa of the Apostles, Chairman of Imo State PMAN as well as Elders Emma Okere and Frank Fyne who are tasked with publicity.
They have been meeting serially towards giving the famous music producer a proper burial. And they pledge that Pal Akalonu must get a decent burial.
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