Biography
Who is Dr. Alban?
Early Life and Education
Dr. Alban was born Alban Uzoma Nwapa on August 26, 1957. He grew up in Oguta, Imo state, Nigeria. He was one of ten children in his family. His heritage is Igbo, and he received his secondary education at Christ the King College.
At the age of 23, Alban Uzoma Nwapa moved to Sweden to pursue higher education. He studied dentistry at Lund University. To support himself financially during his studies, he began working as a disc jockey at the Stockholm club Alphabet Street.
Music Career Begins
In 1990, the dentist met Denniz Pop from the SweMix label. Together with Denniz and rap artist Leila K, he released his first record, titled "Hello Afrika." It was at this time that he adopted the stage name Dr. Alban, referencing his dental studies.
His debut album, also called "Hello Afrika," featured successful singles like "Hello Afrika" and "No Coke." Both of these tracks sold over a million copies. The album itself achieved gold certification in several countries, including Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
Continued Success and Dr. Records
In 1994, Dr. Alban released his third album, "Look Who's Talking!" This album entered the top 10 in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. It was also the first album to earn a gold certification in his adopted home country of Sweden, selling over 50,000 units.
The musician established his own record label, Dr. Records. He released his 1996 album "Born in Africa" on this label. While the album's success was more modest than previous works, its title single, "Born in Africa," reached number one in Finland.
Later Activities and Personal Life
After a period away from the music scene, Dr. Alban returned in 2007 with the album "Back to Basics." In 2010, he again collaborated with Sash! For a remake of "Hello Afrika," titled "Hello South Afrika," dedicated to the FIFA World Cup.
In 2014, Dr. Alban performed in Melodifestivalen, Sweden's selection for the Eurovision Song Contest, with Jessica Folcker. More recently, in 2020, he released songs like "Hello Sverige" and "Hello Nations" to encourage social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic. He also released "Drama" in collaboration with Folkhemmet, addressing his relationship with tabloid journalists.
Birthday and age
Dr. Alban was born on August 26, 1957, which makes Dr. 69 years old today. That birthday falls under the Virgo sign. Dr. shares the date with 24 other famous people.
Explore more
