Most adults still have vivid memories of the varieties of music we enjoyed growing up.

Today’s youths will either go for Fuji or Afro hip-hop. Some of them who speak about Fela Anikukapo Kuti only know about the legend through “Felabration” where their own music stars perform annually.

The youths of today hardly listen to the songs of Fela or those of his sons, Femi and Seun, even when it is obvious that personalities as Burna Boy, Wizkid and Tiwa Savage coined their musical genres from Fela’s beat and lyrics.

In his song, “Who’s gonna fill their shoes”, legendary country singer, George Jones laments the gradual death of real country music in America. The death of Jim Reeves, Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, George Jones, Don Williams, Kenny Rogers did not only change the face of country music, it left a big vacuum in the music tradition of native America.

Just as it is in the Yoruba setting where some great singers died and their music genres also died, the question that came to mind is “where have you gone, the old Yoruba music genres?”

How many adults still listen to the “ìjálá Ọdè”, the “Hunter’s chant” of Akinola Oniiwere, who is also known as Ogundare Foyanmu. His genre was a pure class of rendition derived from typical hunter’s tradition of the Yoruba race.

The question is who will fill these shoes? Yoruba music genres of the old, where have you all gone?

Do we still remember Ayinla Adegator, the  Dadakuada crooner and Odolaye Aremu, one of these was dubbed the Alaroye Ilorin, who shared almost the same genre that elated our sense of humour in those days.

READ ALSO: Let us learn the language of NYSC, NOA, By Kunle Awosiyan

The likes of Ligali Mukaiba, Ayinla Omowura, Haruna Ishola, Fatai Olowonyo, Yusuf Olatunji, Saka Layigbade, Jimoh Ojindo and S.A. Aka ruled our days then in the Apala and Sakara genres.

Our fathers could separate these great singers by their tones but for people of my age in our fifties, it will be a bit difficult to differentiate “Sakara” from some genres of “Apala”. These are our own country music that have become so difficult to replicate in today’s music industry.

The likes of Tatalo Alamu did something that looked much like “Wèrè” while Dauda Epo Akara sang “Áwùrébe” in Ibadan.

Alhaji Sikiru Ayinde Barrister and Killington Ayinla transformed this to real Fuji while Salawa Abeni and Batili Alake dominated the “Waka” genre.

One would not forget the Ikale woman who sang “Munene Munene”, Comfort Omoge, in her “Asiko” genre and the popular Iya Aladuke, Mrs. Hawawu Alake who originated “Sẹnwele”.

Then were the masters of the strings and accordion like Ambrose Campbell who sang “Odale Ore, Eni to ri nkan hee”.

Campbell sang “Eroya E wa” in his highlife genre, which had since become the opening song for popular “Eroya” programme on Osun State Radio station. Campbell formed Britain first ever black band.

Unknown to many youths and young oldies, some of the songs of Chief Ebenezer  Obey and King Sunny Ade were originally released by Campbell.

He sang during the reigns of Bobby Benson, Victor Olaiya even though their genres were a bit different. While Campbell did his own with what he called “Ashiko”, Olaiya and Benson did pure Highlife.

It was Pa IK Dairo and Fatai Rolling Dollars that opened the streets with their “Juju” genre, which today stands out as the only oldies that are still making wave in social gatherings. Thanks to King Sunny Ade who has continued to beat the drum and making it louder.

The likes of Ebenezer Obey, Sir Shina Peters, Dele Abiodun are silent now.  Could that have been due to old age and dwindling creativity?

Of course, there were Tunji Oyelana and Jimi Solanke with their Folk songs. Oyelana’s “Okete and Ifa” will always remain in our brain as some of the best folks ever sung.

The question is who will fill these shoes? Yoruba music genres of the old, where have you all gone?

*Awosiyan (kunlesure@gmail.com)

The post Yoruba music genres: Who’s gonna fill their shoes? appeared first on Frontpageng.

Obey in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, on Saturday, in Lagos, said he would love to touch the lives of the Nigerian youths,  considering  current happenings in the society.

The Chief Commander noted that he would continue to intensify efforts in empowering more of the youths.

He said he would remain grateful to God, haven ordered his steps in the right direction in the last 80 years of his life, as he rededicates his life to Him for greater exploits.

Obey said: “I thank God for making me to clock 80 years, it is by God’s grace, He has really seen me through. I commit my future to him.

“What I have done in life that gives me joy is that I have handed over my life to God right from time, I rededicate the remaining part of my life, my future to God, He should see me through.

“For my career, I have no more rivers to cross, my dream and wish now is to impact more lives, to solidify all I have built in the past and contribute more to the growth of the entertainment industry.

“I want to impact the youths, the youths are the leaders of tomorrow and if we see what is happening to them recently, we will observe that they need help.

“So, I want to continue touching on their lives through my musical empowerment programme which has been on for long.”

Obey noted that so many youths had benefitted from his empowerment programme through scholarships and subsidised fee for musical training at his music school located in Abeokuta, Ogun.

He said the music school was affiliated with some Nigerian universities and federal polytechnics.

He explained that it is a well-equipped school with modern studios, as a 350-seater Information Communication Technology (ICT) centre was currently under construction to impact more youths.

Ebenezer Obey was born April 3, 1942 to an Egba-Yoruba ethnic background family; he is of the Owu subgroup of the Egba.

He began his musical career in the mid-1950s after moving to Lagos and after tutelage under Fatai Rolling-Dollar’s band, he formed a band called,  “The International Brothers”,  in 1964, playing highlife-juju fusion.

The band later metamorphosed into “Inter-Reformers” in the early 1970s, with a long list of Juju album hits on the West African Decca musical label.

Some of his songs are , “Around the World”; “Asiko Mi Ti To”; “Awa Ewe Iwoyi”; “Ema Se Lo”; Edumare Adupe”; Ile Ti Ya” and more.

The post Juju legend, Ebenezer Obey, reveals dream as he clocks 80 appeared first on Frontpageng.

The president paid tribute to the musician, who used his art and skills to fly Nigeria’s flag round the world, bringing joy and merriment to people with his sonorous voice, and didactic songs, for over six decades.

President Buhari remarked that though he is from Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria, Obey’s music had been a blessing not only to the entire Southwest but he had garnered tremendous recognition and adulation nationally and internationally.

He said he had used his music to champion government programmes such as:

#Change of lane in 1972 (Keep Right)

# Change to the Naira (Naira/Kobo)

# Operation Feed the Nation, and many others.

The president noted that the musician/ preacher had sang on virtually every area of human endeavour and activity with countless gold discs and many platinum discs to his credit, leading to being honoured with the prestigious award of Member of the  Federal Republic, MFR, in 2001.

Buhari lauded the fact that on 7th of July, 2014, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye,  Ogun State conferred on Chief Commander Obey the status of Professor of Music, as a visiting lecturer in the Department of English and Performing Arts of the  University.

Successfully blending the secular and spiritual, the president urged the younger generation to borrow a leaf from the musician, who was formally ordained into the ministry on his 50th birthday on the April 3, 1992.

He is the General Overseer of Decross Gospel Mission, Lagos, and the President of Ebenezer Obey Evangelistic Ministries.

President Buhari wished Obey longer life, good health, and further service to God and humanity.

The post Obey at 80: He used his art to fly Nigeria’s flag round the world -Buhari appeared first on Frontpageng.