I grew up in a neighborhood where music from loudspeakers was some kind of competition
On our street was a record store which attracted customers by how loud the music was. Adjacent to our house was a palm wine shop that sold its product by playing the rave of the moment in the music industry on a loop.
In the neighborhood were also other residents who regaled everyone with their rich collection of music albums.
It was a permanent cacophony.
There was one artist in this confusion that stood out, Chief Ebenezar Obey, the Juju maestro. I did not start off liking his music. As a young boy with latent adrenalin, I was drawn to faster paced music played by the likes of King Sunny Ade and Afrobeat King, Fela Anikulapo Kuti. Except for such classics as The Horseman and Board Members, Obey’s music hardly appealed to me.
As the years have passed,I have learned to appreciate why the older generation chose Obey as their favorite musician. His music tempers the tumult of daily pressure. It is a soothing balm for a society that is in turmoil.
But most importantly, his music and message have transcended generations.
Obey has consistently been a musician of conscience. His compositions speak to all social ills and offer succour to the bereaved, the aggrieved and the frustrated. In political circles, he has demonstrated an attribute not common in our climes. On a number of occasions,he turned down generous offers to play live at functions set up by politicians against those whom he had publicly identified with.
His legacy as a musician will be remembered with gratitude and affection by future generations. If you are in doubt, consider how his classics like the special tracks on Christmas, Board members, Marriage etc are still in popular demand, decades after their initial release.
Happy 79th Birthday to the Chief Commander, Ebenezer Remilekun Aremu Olasupo Obey-Fabiyi, MFR.
Long may the good times roll.
Professor Adeolu Akande, a Journalist, Author, Scholar, Political Scientist and Chairman, NCC wrote from Ibadan
