In the
music industry, Ebenezer Olasupo Remilekun Aremu Fabiyi-Obey, is worthy of
mention and deserving of accolades and encomiums.
Ebenezer
Obey-Fabiyi did not create JuJu music, but he and some of his friendly
competitors, gave JuJu music it’s soul, breath and life.
Juju is a popular Nigerian music, derived from
traditional Yoruba percussions. The name comes from the Yoruba word- Juju or jiju- meaning- throwing or something being
thrown.
Juju
music is played in clubs, taverns, halls and at parties across Nigeria and its
neighbouring countries of Republic of Benin, most especially the Yoruba
speaking parts of Ajase-Ipo, Cotonou, Ghana, the Gambia, Senegal etc.
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| Late MKO ABIOLA |
JuJu
was believed to have been created and popularised by Abdul Rafiu Adekunle king,
popularly known as Tunde King who waxed his first JuJu Album in 1937, followed
by some other itinerant musicians, most especially, the blind minstrel-Kokoro.
Ayinde Bakare, also waxed his Juju album in
1937.
Life
beamed into JuJu music, with the entry of Ernest Olatunde Thomas (Tunde
Nightingale), an Ibadan native. Tunde Nightengale and His Agba Jolly Ochestra,
held regular performances, at the West African Club, Ibadan. He pioneered
Sowambe dance (is it there?) possibly, a reference to the beads (Ileke),
usually worn on the waist of dancing women. Despite sounding like a
Nightingale, he always kept a live bird in his house. Fatai Rolling dollars, from Ede, but lived in
Lagos, Dele Ojo, Ayinde Bakare, Adeolu Akinsanya (Baba eto) and his Western
Toppers Band, Victor Olaiya, IK (Isaac Kehinde) Dairo and his Morning Star
Ochestra, later known as Blue Sports Band, were early pathfinders. However, Ebenezer Obey and Sunny Ade, made this
genre, the most popular music by bringing in spectacular innovations.
JuJu
was popular then, in places like
Lagos, Abeokuta and Ibadan
In the
immigrant neighborhood of Ekotedo, Adamasingba, Mokola in Ibadan and the Lagos city centres- in their taverns, dance halls, night clubs, hotels and brothels,
JuJu began to compete heavily with the imported highlife from Ghana.
This
was the music, that Ebenezer Obey, popularised and took to a greater height, from the level of its forebears, and from
obscurity to prominence.
Human
Life is certainly propelled by interests, talents luck, opportunities and the
ability to discover a deposited latent power. Ebenezer,
made a quick discovery of a life, that would be dominated by music. Ebenezer, was born on the 3rd of April 1942, as
Ebenezer Remilekun Aremu Olasupo Fabiyi in Idogo, in Egbado division of present
day Ogun State, to
Abigail Oyindamola Abeke Toriola Fabiyi an Owu woman, from Ago Owu, Abeokuta and his father-Nathaniel Olaseewo
Fabiyi, an Egba man, also from Keesi in Abeokuta.
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| With Late wife |
The
circumstances surrounding his birth, was quite interesting, amazing and divinely
inspired. Abigail his mother, was earlier married for over 20 years to her
first husband, without the fruits of the womb, that is, without a child. She
had travelled round the northern part of Nigeria with her husband, as a wife,
of a Senior Station Manager (SSM), with
the Nigerian Railways, before they finally settled in Lagos. The family of the
first husband, at a family meeting, proclaimed her a barren woman, and advised
her to seek her fortune elsewhere. This shocking news was almost a death
sentence, being suddenly discharged, from a man she had married for over 20
years. The family however acknowledged, that she was a good woman, but what
does a good woman do, without the fruit of the womb? She was distraught and
melancholic. But a man of God had told her, that God’s mercy endures forever
and that she would eventually be blessed with her own children.
She
left Lagos for Idogo, an agrarian community and Railways train station, in Egbado, present day Ogun State, whose produce from the
Idogo community, usually crashes prices of agricultural commodities, food
stuffs, vegetables, yams etc. in mainland Lagos, on market days, whenever
the Idogo train (Oko Idogo) smiles into Lagos. In melancholy, she moved to Idogo,
to stay with her elder brothers, who were farmers.
Around
this period, Ebenezer's father, a carpenter and also a farmer, had also
relocated to Idogo, from Lagos. It was in Idogo that Nathaniel Fabiyi met Abigail, his friend’s
sister. Jovial and rich in Egba dialect, he had jokingly proclaimed himself,
husband of Abigail and that he was aware of her story. He further prophesied,
that Abigail would give birth to both male and female children for him. To her,
it was infra, (infra dignitatem), for
anex-wife of a Senior Railways Station Manager, to
marry a carpenter. But nonetheless, they became husband and wife, and she gave
birth to her first child- Obey's elder sister, and because this miraculous delivery
was a product of God’s grace, she pleaded with
Fabiyi, that the child should be called- Grace (Anuoluwamipo) Olasumbo
Fabiyi...
Grace
was almost 80 years, when she died. The birth of Grace heralded another
bouncing baby boy, that was instantly named- Ebenezer- (God has helped me thus
far)- (titi de
yii, l' Oluwa ran mi lowo de), with the permission of her
husband, who also gave him additional names- Olasupo,
Remilekun, Aremu.
In
Idogo, they lived in a rented apartment- the first storey building in Idogo. Coincidentally, Fabiyi was the carpenter that
roofed the house. Shortly after Ebenezer's birth, Fabiyi disappeared into Lagos
again, where he already had two other wives, and could not surface into the Idogo
community, until after 7 years. As a matter of fact, Ebenezer did not meet his
father, until he was 7 years old.
In this
intervening period, Abigail was making tremendous success in her clothes
selling business (Iya Alaso). She decided to build her own house in Idogo, and
her neighbour, who assisted her, became her next husband and this union, gave birth to her third child- that was named
Clement Oluseye Olusegun Akanni Kembi, who died in November 2018, at the age of
73.
In
parenthesis and sweet juxtaposition, Zulikat Wuraola Abiola, was the mother of Moshood
Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, an Egba woman. She got
married to a man in Ikirun, in present day Osun state, and for several years,
the marriage could not bear fruits and she was also pronounced a barren woman. She was advised to move back to her home town-
Abeokuta, to seek a new pasture.
In
Abeokuta, she was introduced to Salawu Abiola, who had also suffered 22 “abikus” that is, none of the 22 children
stayed. Salawu, then of advanced age, heard of Wuraola's case too, and decided to marry her, at least, if for
nothing else, but companionship. Wuraola
instantly became pregnant and gave birth to a bouncing baby boy, that was given
an “abiku” name- Kashimawo- let's see if this one would stay.
Kashimawo
stayed and was only given further names- Moshood
Olawale, when he was 13 years, having been assured, that this one would stay. Kashimawo,
like Ebenezer, also became hugely successful. They eventually became brothers
and soul mates. M.K.O
became a business partner and perhaps, mentor of Ebenezer's music and both bought
over Decca West Africa Ltd. Salawu
in his life time, was always happy, that the very first time, that he would enter an aircraft, it was
Kashimawo's aircraft.
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| with Hon, Femi Kehinde |
ARTICLE BY:-
HON. (BARR.) FEMI
KEHINDE
FORMER MEMBER, HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES,
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY,
ABUJA,
REPRESENTING
AYEDIRE/IWO/OLAOLUWA FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY OF OSUN STATE (1999-2003)
