One of the surviving highlife music legends from the south-east, Alexander Mella  a.k.a Lexy Mella who was known for his infusion of ‘western style into bongo music’ in the 80s, has revealed plans to make a comeback into the nation’s music scene after more than two decades of disappearing from the scene.

The veteran highlife musician says he’s been writing and researching on his music, and will now bless fans with a new body of work, as he prepares to release his latest album some time in November, this year.

The highlife singer, whose protégés included Johnny Eze of blessed memory, Celestine Obiako, Edeiri Nwaeze, Sir Warrior and other departed highlife maestros of Igbo extraction, once dominated the music scene with his brand of classical highlife music. He is making no bones about rekindling the enviable but lost tunes enjoyed by highlife music lovers during the heydays of the 60s and 70s.

Lexy Mella

Speaking in a chat with WG last week, Lexy Mella said, he disappeared from the music scene for over 27 years to rebrand his music, and perhaps, return with something that will be acceptable to all and sundry.

According to him, “when I released my first album in 1985, my fans said my music sounded too western. As a result, they named me after Curtis Blow. But now, I want to give them the impression that I can play African music. This time, I want to play something that I will identify with.  That’s why it took me so long a time to release another album. Also, I have been writing and researching on my new work.”

Lexy Mella, who was inspired into music by his late father, Wilfred Mella was the first Nigerian musician to experiment on rap music.

His first album, “ Bena” released in 1985, and produced by Nkono Telex, a Cameroonian  born music producer ruled the airwaves in the 80s. Following his desire to be different, in addition to having  his music cut across boundaries, Lexy Mella played contemporary bongo music with an unequal passion.

He said, his second album, which will be released later in the year, contains six tracks including “Uzo Mama”, “ Ajolanju” and “Shabala”. There will also  be  a rehearsed of the famous track  “Bena.” “I want to use the album to relaunch myself into the music scene in Nigeria.”