BLO Brought the Fire to Nigerian Rock

BLO Brought the Fire to Nigerian Rock

100 Nigerian Creators Who Defined the Culture Before You Were Born

2 minutes read

By Muhammed Bello

14 June, 2025

2 minutes read

BLO Brought the Fire to Nigerian Rock

Image Source: Discogs

Formed by Berkley Jones, Laolu Akintobi and Mike Odumosu, BLO began as The Clusters in high school, drawing influence from The Beatles, James Brown, and later Geraldo Pino's electrifying Afro-soul.

After spells with Afrocollection and Ginger Baker’s Salt, the trio returned to Nigeria to launch BLO in 1972. The Chapter One album landed the following year, bold and genre-blending, followed by Phase II and Step Three, where American Funk edged into their sound.

Odumosu left the band for Osibisa and was replaced by Adeniyi Wright, but the group soon broke up as Jones and Akintobi pursued other creative interests. The band regrouped later to release Phase IV in 1977, then signed off with Bulky Backside and Back in Time before calling it a day in the 1980s.

Credits

Editor: Samson Toromade

Art Illustrator/Director: Owolawi Kehinde