| Some of my Favourite Music Part 2 |
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| Written by Olumide Ogunremi | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Monday, 04 February 2008 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Zeal Onyia was certainly one of the legendary master trumpeters whose skill was acknowledged by none other than Louis Armstrong and ET Mensah of Ghana who both jammed with him in 1966 in Lagos and Accra. Eddie Okonta the fabulously talented wit and Racconteur who was an excellent trumpeter and who could also tell salacious and ribald jokes by making a play on his own name in Yoruba. Essentially the one that comes to mind is his flawless rendition in Yoruba about two friends Eddy and Okonta who went to steal but Eddy was caught.The owner of the property then said unless he sees Okonta he would not leave Eddy alone.. His Royal Highness Professor Laz Ekwueme also comes to Mind.He is the brother of Second Republic vice President Alex Ekwueme and was a Professor of Musicology at Unilag.He now occcupies the throne of his Fore Fathers at Oko In Anambra state.He is in a class of his own and is ranked up there With the Likes of Professor Ayo Bankole and the Late Sammy Akpabot of University of Ibadan. I also enjoyed the Second All African game
song which was released in 1973 and enjoyed listening to it.The song was
Makkossa at it's best and great.Even today is till sing the Chorus from ''Congo
to Nigeria''.Other phrases were thanking General Gowon,Mobolaji Johnson
and Abraham Ordia.The record still exists in perfect condition in our family
archives in Ibadan.I also remember the Festac 77 song.The official song was
great.'' Festac 77, 77'' is here. I also enjoyed the song for the International
year of the Child in 1979. ''Let a new earth rise let another world be
born.International year of the Child'' I dare not forget Osibisa the Nigeria and
Ghanaian band or the 9 year old boy from Cameroon Who used to sing ''Look
up Look up i see the sky''. His name eludes me now.
Around
the time of the meteoric rise of Juju simultaneously in The Yoruba muslim
Community some geniuses were at work.In the 50's, 60's and 70's there was the
convergence of various music forms such as Agidigbo,Were and Sakara to what is
now universally acclaimed as Fuji.Back then the music was popular during Ramadan
festivals.Yours truly had a share of the delicious Ramadan Ram.Those were days
when we were all NigeriansIt is of note that MKO Abiola played Agidigbo
music in Abeokuta as a youth. I also enjoy Apala music and the lights of Apala
were Ayinla Omowura who unfortunately died to soon.He was killed in a bar room
brawl by a Lagos socialite Ejigbadero who paid for his Crime by Hanging for the
maestros murder.I remamber Ligali Mukaiba for his song'' Ijoba Lagos''.Haruna
Ishola was however my favourite we had quite a nuber of his albums particularly
''Egbe Amuludun Ikenne'' Others include '' Eyin tin peri wa Saida'' which talks
about evil doers.His ode to his dear friend Alhaji Owonifari '' Iku Owonifari''
His use of voice and drums to show his sorrow was very skilful and almost 40
years after you hear his sorrow and feel it.His Yoruba proverbs are
extraordinary and till date i still hear new meanings in his deep songs. Haruna
Ishola is however more important in another way was his establishment
of his own private Music Company called Afrodisc and this was the one that
made sure Kris Okotie's massive hit ''I need someone '' was made in 1980 on his
label.The produced was none other than the legendary Odion Iruoje. This was the
beginning of the Hits in the 80's by Kris Okotie, Jide Obi, Terra kotta of
''Lamentation from Sodom fame''. Yes indeed as Shakespeare said in Julius
Ceasar Haruna Ishola bestrode the world of Music like a collosus.
I also enjoy Sakara
leading exponents were Abibu Oluwa, Yusuf Olatunji and Saka Layigbade. Were
music by Alhaji Dauda Epo Akara whose break out song was in my opinion his Love
song in what i would call Yoruba English'One Day One day one i met a pretty girl
who wanted to know my name'' For Waka Alhaja Batuli Alaka, Alhaja Kuburat
Alaragbo and the Waka queen herself Salawa Abeni who started as a child prodigy
come to mind. Other people were Alhaji Ajadi Ilorin who played in a style like
Haruna Ishola.
The Fuji stars of Today such As
Kollington Ayinla whose stand out record was Ijo Yoyo and Sikiru Ayinde
Barrister with Fuji Garbage also Wasiu Ayinde Marshall'' Eku Atijo''
Now i will mention my favourite records from
various artistes which i consider the bare essentials of any music collection on
those artistes.
Fela
For Fela the essentials of any collection worth it's name include the
following among others.These songs are so familiar that i would just list
them
I would like to thank every body for their E-mails and contributions.
Coming soon is a series on Nigerian Heroes and people that every Nigerian should
know something about.
Orems, A founding Member of NVS is a St Louis-based MD
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| Last Updated ( Thursday, 24 April 2008 ) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Posted by Robot| 03.02.2008 23:21