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BY OLOYE ‘LEKAN ALABI
The 45th Remembrance Anniversary of the passage of Yusufu Olatunji, alias “Baba l’Egba” comes up on Friday, December 15, this year. May the creative and kind soul of the popular music icon continue to rest in perfect peace. Amen.
Baba l’Egba, slumped during a meeting of the Nigerian Musicians Association (NMA), of which he was the National President, on Thursday, December 14, 1978 at a popular hotel on Salvation Army Road, Ekotedo Area, Ibadan in the old Western State of Nigeria. He was rushed back to Abeokuta, his hometown same day, but died the following day, Friday, December 15, 1978. He was aged 70 years.
As an older friend of my late father, Pa AbdulRahim Oladosu Alabi, alias “Right Time”, Yusufu Olatunji and his Sakara Group, played for three consecutive days at my naming ceremony (Friday, November 3 to Sunday, November 5, 1950) at our Ekerin Ajengbe Chieftaincy Family home, Ile Ekerin Ajengbe, SW1/131, Ibadan, with the late Chief Lekan Salami as the Master of Ceremonies (MC).
From December 1979, I have independently been hosting the Yusufu Olatunji Fidau/Lecture/Luncheon Anniversary Party, culminating in the establishment of the Yusufu Olatunji Foundation, in conjunction with the Aremo Olusegun Osoba-led OGSG, 20 years ago, in Abeokuta, Ogun State. King Sunny Ade, MFR, my friend since 1974, and then the President of the PMAN also lent his hand.
Quite expectedly, the eldest child (Aremo) of Baba l’Egba, Chief Tajudeen Alabi Yusufu-Olatunji, now late, the then Baale Lafenwa, Abeokuta was privy. May his gentle soul continue to rest in perfect peace. Amen.
Baale Tajudeen was the father of Ajasa Yusufu-Olatunji, leader of the Yusufu-Olatunji Memorial Sakara Band, based in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
When I paid a condolence visit to the family of the late Iyalode Alaba Lawson, MFR, Iyalode Egbaland and the first Iyalode Yorubaland, on Monday, November 20, 2023, on Quarry Road, Abeokuta, I was accompanied by the versatile Sakara music drummer, Kamilu Kasunmu-Sanni, a son of the late lead drummer of Baba l’Egba band.
The late Iyalode Lawson played a very active role in the Yusufu Olatunji Carnival 2001 in Abeokuta.
Kamilu told me the readiness of the Sakara band he now leads to participate in the 45th Baba L’Egba’s Remembrance Anniversary in Ibadan on Friday, December 15, 2023.
Long before then,I was also assured by Alhaja Kemi Ogunbanjo, daughter of the late Queenmother of Waka music, Alhaja Batuli Alake, of the readiness of her own daughter, Miss Adesola Ogunbanjo, the talented law intern-Waka music prodigy granddaughter of Alhaja Batuli Alake,to participate in the forthcoming celebration in Ibadan.
CAPTIONS
Brochure of the 40th Anniversary Fidau/Lecture/Luncheon Remembrance of Baba L’Egba hosted by me in Ibadan, Oyo State on Saturday, December 15, 2018.
