Olaniyan Olamide Phillips

Olamide Phillips Olaniyan, professionally known as Olamide Sax, is a Nigerian-born multidisciplinary musician, performer, and participatory artist based in the United Kingdom. His artistic journey began in 2010 through traditional Yoruba percussion, developing first with indigenous instruments such as the Cord/Omele before expanding into djembe, omele bàtá, and talking drum. Rooted deeply in African musical heritage, these formative experiences shaped his rhythmic understanding, improvisational instinct, and connection to storytelling through sound.

Over the years, his practice evolved into a broader Afro-fusion expression spanning saxophone, vocals, keyboard, and live improvisational performance. Drawing inspiration from Yoruba musical traditions alongside contemporary African and global sounds, Olamide creates work that blends rhythm, spirituality, theatre, and cultural expression.

Since relocating to the UK, Olamide has continued to build an expanding creative presence across live music, theatre, and community arts. He has performed at cultural and multidisciplinary events including ÀTÙPÀ at CAST, where he delivered the opening saxophone performance and appeared as the theatrical character Adigun, demonstrating his versatility across both music and stage performance. He has also collaborated with artists and bands at ArtBomb, performing alongside The Skintone UK in immersive live music settings that fused reggae, funk, ska, folk, and improvisational sound.

His performance work further includes appearances at Black History Month and Black & Minority Ethnic cultural events in Doncaster, where he presented African musical works through saxophone, vocals, and keyboard performance before community leaders and distinguished public figures. Alongside live performance, he has participated in open mic and theatre-based collaborations with creatives connected to Utopia Theatre and other independent arts spaces across South Yorkshire.

Alongside his performance practice, Olamide is currently developing within participatory arts and creative health through a traineeship with darts in partnership with Maya Productions. Through this work, he engages with community-centred creative practice, exploring how music, movement, and collective participation can support wellbeing, connection, and cultural exchange across diverse groups and settings.

As both a performer and facilitator, Olamide's work is driven by improvisation, collaboration, and the desire to create meaningful artistic experiences that bridge cultures, generations, and communities.