By KUNLE AWOSIYAN
A few of them have their voices getting better as they grow older and Pa Jimi Solanke is one of them.
Others include the veteran American country singer, Willie Nelson and Barry Eugene Carter, popularly known as Barry White. White died with his bedroom voice.
While Solanke came with baritone, Nelson’s is a ringing tone. Though late, Barry White’s voice still captures our nights.
It is not enough to have a distinguished voice, with a bit of creativity the echo reverberates and lasts longer.
“Gbotija Omo Lagbayi”, resonates in my ears weeks after I had seen the movie. The voice of a veteran artist, Pa Solanke, which in a way gives Jagun Jagun a new narrative that is seriously lacking in the entertainment and broadcast industries.
There are still great voices around but very few of them are creative enough to take over from this talent of a man, Pa Solanke, whose voice has come to live forever.
Just as I heard the beautiful voice of the retired broadcaster Smalette Adetoyese Shittu-Alamu in my sleep a few days ago, “Gbotija Omo Lagbayi” won’t just disappear in my brain easily.
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There are still great voices around but very few of them are creative enough to take over from this talent of a man, Pa Solanke, whose voice has come to live forever.
Many of today’s broadcasters have good voices too but very few of them are creative with it. They fade when they quit.
I learnt that Baba stays in Ile-Ife, which of course makes it easy for me to locate but how much will he take to say “Suraju Omo Awosiyan” with his voice as my mobile phone ringing tone?
People of this talent sell their voices. It won’t be cheap. This is one aspect of creative arts I think many of our youths can venture into, voice over.
