Rex Lawson: A Star Cut Short
From its roots in Ghana to its many variants today, highlife has remained a popular musical style. Although countless musicians have popularised and elevated the genre, Rex Lawson stands out as one of its most essential innovators. Lawson, a singer, songwriter, bandleader, and trumpeter, rose to prominence as one of the best-known highlife performers in the 1960s with hits such as “Yellow Sisi,” “Love Mu Adure,” and “So Bra Sua Ipri.”
Born to a Kalabari father and an Igbo mother in Buguma, Rivers State, Lawson was considered an ogbanje. He was his parents’ fourth child, after losing three other children. Lawson’s father named him Erekosima, which means “do not name this one,” since he believed the boy would not survive infancy due to his smallpox infection. In the end, Lawson went by several names, including James Osima Lawson, Erekeosima Lawson, and, of course, the well-known Cardinal Rex Jim Lawson.
Leaving school early to pursue his ambition of becoming a musician, Lawson left Buguma for Port Harcourt, where he joined Lord Eddyson’s Starlight Melody Orchestra as a bandboy and second trumpeter. He eventually performed alongside prominent bandleaders like Victor Olaiya and Bobby Benson in Lagos, where he developed his unique highlife sound. Upon returning to Eastern Nigeria, he began to gain recognition for his singing career. The multiethnic multihyphenate rose to prominence for his emotionally intense performances, which he delivered in multiple languages.
Fans also noted the spiritual significance of his songs, leading them to give him nicknames such as Pastor, Bishop, Archbishop, and ultimately Cardinal, which became his official stage name. His music also carried political themes. During colonial-era Nigeria and the Biafran age, records like “Tamuno Bo Iboro Ma,” “Hail Biafra,” and “Ewu Ne Be Akwa (Goats Are Crying)” were used to foster a sense of identity, highlight his Kalabari heritage, and acknowledge his maternal Igbo roots.
Unfortunately, Lawson’s life was tragically cut short when he passed away in a car accident on his way to Warri at the age of thirty-two. Though he died young, his impact on Nigerian music continues to resonate. Since his passing, musicians across Africa have covered and sampled his work. Notable examples include Igbo highlife artist Flavour’s 2010 hit “Nwa Baby (Ashawo Remix),” a remake of Lawson’s “Sawale,” and Rivers State singer Idahams’ single “So Ala Temen,” which features and samples Lawson’s popular record.
Though it seemed he had inexplicably fulfilled his father’s prophecy, Rex Lawson contributed immensely to highlife music, with his influence still visible in modern Nigerian music today. A trailblazer of highlife in Eastern Nigeria, he infused his music with the cultural narratives and linguistic heritage of the Kalabari people, bringing their cultural identity to the forefront. His distinctive sound helped redefine highlife, earning him broad national acclaim and ensuring his music resonated across diverse audiences. With widespread national recognition and the universal appeal of his music, Cardinal Rex Jim Lawson achieved an extraordinary legacy in his brief life.