The Cavemen (band)

The Cavemen (stylized as The Cavemen.) are a Nigerian highlife band consisting of sibling duo Kingsley Okorie, a bassist, and Benjamin James, a drummer. They were brought to the limelight by Lady Donli and are known for their live performances.^[1] They won the 2020 Headies Award for the Best Alternative Album.^[2]

The Cavemen.
Background information
Origin	Imo State, Nigeria
Genres	Highlife
Instrument(s)	Bass, drums
Years active	2020–present
Labels	Sounds From The Cave
Members	Kingsley Okorie Benjamin James

Early life

The Cavemen are natives of Orlu, Imo State, in the southeastern region of Nigeria and started out as choristers. Kingsley earned a law degree from Babcock University and Nigerian Law School's Kano campus. Benjamin however attended Peter King College of Music, Badagry, Lagos State in the southwestern region of Nigeria.^[3]

The Cavemen were officially formed in March 2018^[4] and they stylised their band name with a dot to avoid lawsuits from a New-Zealand artiste with the trademarked name.^[3]

Career

They released their debut single, ''Osondu'' in 2020 and released their debut album, Roots in August 2020.^[1] The album was recorded in their living room and was fully produced by the duo.^[1][3] They also produced 11 of the songs on Lady Donli's Enjoy Your Life album who in turn was a co-executive producer on Roots. They performed at the finale show of the fifth season of Big Brother Naija.^[5] The duo's sophomore album Love and Highlife was released in October 2021, with guest appearances from Cobhams Asuquo, Made Kuti, PC Lapez and Etuk Ubong, in 2023 the duo featured on Davido's Timeless album.^[3]

Education

Kingsley earned a law degree from Babcock University and Nigerian Law School's Kano campus. Benjamin, however, attended Peter King College of Music, Badagry, Lagos. ^[6]

Legacy

The Cavemen. have often been praised for recreating highlife in a way which retains its essence. The writer, Michael Chiedoziem Chukwudera writes about Cavemen's second album for Afrocritik,

Discography

Videography

Bena - 2020^[11]

Adaugo - 2023^[12]

Awards

Year	Award	Category	Nominee/Work	Result	Ref
2020	The Headies 2020	Best Alternative Album	The Cavemen - Roots	Won	[2]

References

1. "The Cavemen release their highly anticipated debut album, 'ROOTS'". NativeMag. 2020-08-21. Retrieved 2021-05-09.
2. "See di full list of winners for di 14th edition of Headies". BBC News Pidgin. 2021-02-21. Retrieved 2021-05-09.
3. Ihekire, Chinonso (2021-03-06). "Cavemen… Redefining Highlife Music". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. Retrieved 2021-05-09.
4. Obi, Ify. "The Cavemen". nataal.com. Retrieved 2021-05-09.
5. "How viewers vote BBNaija Laycon, Olamilekan Agbeleshe to win Big Brother Naija lockdown Season 5 show - BBC Pidgin". BBC News Pidgin. Retrieved 2021-08-07.
6. "The Cavemen". Music In Africa. 2023-01-27. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
7. "In "Love and Highlife," The Cavemen. Become Better Masters of their Craft - Afrocritik". 2021-11-02. Retrieved 2022-11-12.
8. Alake, Motolani (2020-08-21). "The Cavemen release new album, 'ROOTS'". Pulse Nigeria. Retrieved 2021-05-09.
9. Oloworekende, Wale. "The Cavemen Detail Their Sophomore Album, 'Love and Highlife'". The NATIVE. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
10. "What A Day That Was Lyrics by The Cavemen". NotjustOk. 2024-05-23. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
11. Onabanjo, Adedamola (2020-09-22). "Heartbreak And High-life Fuse Perfectly In The Cavemen.'s Video For 'Bena'". The Culture Custodian. Retrieved 2021-05-09.
12. "Premiere: Watch The Cavemen's Stunning Music Video for 'Adaugo' - Okayplayer". www.okayafrica.com. Retrieved 2024-06-14.