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Opinion:
By Snr. Chief ‘Lekan Alabi
IBADAN – Chief Commander of Juju music, Professor (Evangelist) Ebenezer Obey-Fabiyi, MFR, on Monday, April 3, 2023 clocks 81 years.
May God continue to shower His blessings on the icon of music, philosopher, reformer, gentleman, etc.
My path, 39 years ago, first crossed directly with that of Ebenezer Obey in Ibadan, Western State, in 1974, while I was the Social Page Editor of the now-defunct Sunday Sketch, the best-selling weekend newspaper in Nigeria, after the mother of them all, the great Sunday Times of the Alhaji Ishmael Babatunde Jose (Chairman) and the Prose-Paster Editor, the late Gbolabo Ogunsanwo era.
In Nigeria then, there were just three Sunday weeklies.
Four years before our first meeting, I had been privileged to attend a live show of Ebenezer Obey and his International Brothers Band at a party the Oyenugas held for their matriach at Isale-Gangan, Lagos Island in 1970.
I was a guest of Kola Oyenuga, Tunji (now late) and Deji Wellington.
As a member of the late Pa Afolabi Majekodunmi (King of Boys) rollicking Circle, I was a regular attendee of the midweek social gig on Africa’s first television, the Western Nigeria Television (WNTV 1959) Ibadan’s live programme, “COME LET’S DANCE”, compeered by the delicable tube-godess-turned lawyer, the late Auntie Toun Adeyemi, on whom I had a crush.
Ebenezer Obey-Fabiyi’s Band, the Inter-Reformers, entertained my guests in 1990 and 2010, on my 40th and 60th birthday celebrations respectively.I chaired Obey’s 70th Birthday Planning Committee in 2012.And what a great success God enabled us make of the landmark celebration.
As Yoruba say, “Opolopo oro ki i kun agbon” (Too many speeches don’t fill a basket).
Happy 81st birthday to the affable Chief Commander of Juju music.
Baba Agba, e ku oriire ajodun okanlelogorin odun ibi yin loni (3/4/2023).
A f’ope f’Olorun fun yin. Emi yin yio s’opolopo odun alayo si i laye yi. Amin.
Mo ro Admin OBEY MUSIC LOVERS, labe akoso Tolu Obey-Fabiyi, wipe ki won jowo ba mi te awo rekoodu yin, “FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION” nile “aye je.
“E jeki a mu “lesoleso: K’a se jeeje
“Ile aye ko se
“T’o ri e se kirakita
“Ile aye o to nkan.”
A s’eyi, s’amodun. Amin. Igba odun, odun kan.
R-L:Baba olojo-ibi 81, emi aburo yin, Oloye ‘Lekan Alabi, Maye Olubadan tile Ibadan, lojo ti mo pe omo ogota odun (27/10/2012) ati oluku yin, King Sunny Ade, MFR., Egbe onilu yin, Inter-Reformers Band lo wa sere lojo naa n’Ibadan, gegebi Egbe osere Sakara Baba l’Egba ti se ko mi jade n’Ibadan ni ojo Sunnah mi ni 3/11/1950. Ki emi ola o gun. Ase Odumare.
*Oloye ‘Lekan Alabi, ni Maye Olubadan tile Ibadan.
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