Dr Alban

Alban Uzoma Nwapa, known professionally as Dr. Alban, was born on August 26, 1957, in Oguta, Imo state, Nigeria. He pursued his education in dentistry at Lund University in Sweden, relocating at the age of 23. To support his studies, he worked as a DJ at the Stockholm club Alphabet Street. This early experience laid the foundation for his eventual career in music. His unique blend of Eurodance, hip-hop, and reggae, delivered in a dancehall style, garnered him international recognition.

His music career began in 1990 when he collaborated with Denniz Pop from the SweMix label and rap artist Leila K, releasing his debut record, “Hello Afrika.” This marked the adoption of his stage name, Dr. Alban, reflecting his background in dentistry. The album featured successful singles like “Hello Afrika” and “No Coke,” both achieving million-selling status. This initial success was further amplified by his second album, “One Love,” released in 1992. This album included the worldwide hit “It’s My Life,” which topped charts in several European countries, including Sweden, Austria, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Belgium, and reached number two in the UK. “It’s My Life” alone sold over two million copies across Europe.

Dr. Alban continued to build on his success with subsequent releases throughout the 1990s. His third album, “Look Who’s Talking!” (1994), was a top 10 hit in multiple markets and earned a gold certification in Sweden. He founded his own record label, Dr. Records, and released “Born in Africa” in 1996, which included a number one single in Finland. In 1997, he released the compilation “The Very Best of 1990–1997” and the studio album “Believe.” He maintained an active performance schedule, including a notable performance on “ZDF-Fernsehgarten” in 2018. His career also saw collaborations, such as with Sash! on “Colour the World” in 1998, and later with Basic Element and Waldo’s People featuring Elize Ryd on “Life Is Now” in 2022. He also released the single “Drama” in 2020.