Chief David O. Adetunmbi (1919-1990)
Chief David Opeyemi Adetunmbi was a teacher by profession and a veteran organist out of strong passion for good church music. Organ music was
his forte. A connoisseur of harmonized organ music who was full of ardour for church hymns and good choral music generally. His association with organ music started in 1942 in Nigeria where Rev. D. O. Ayorinde introduced him to the rudiments of
orthodox organ music. On his own he developed himself and improved to become
one of the best organists of his time. Citation on behalf of his hometown, Ifaki-Ekiti Anglican Communion parish church at his funeral in 1990, bore credence to his proficiency: “How Chief Adetunmbi learnt playing on the organ and became organist and music master in so many churches in Ilorin, Offa, Ido-Ekiti and Ifaki-Ekiti schools and colleges where he worked in Nigeria was mystery to so many people. Looking at the slender opportunity he had to learn the art and judging from his standard of play and handling of music lessons, one stood in bewilderment of this rare gem in music and organ manipulation.”Signature Organ recital of D.O. Adetunmbi
His love for organ music was unparalleled in his domain. He bought his French Christophone organ, 1916 model for 50 pounds on the 10th of September in 1953. He had in his library over 100 hymnbooks of different shades and more than 50 other kind of music-related textbooks including pamphlets. Wherever he travelled to or visited outside Ifaki-Ekiti in Nigeria, he was in the habit of visiting the reputable bookshops in the town. If he came across any good music book that was not part of his collections, he would buy it without any hesitation. Most of the time if he entered a bookshop, he was either going to buy a music book or a refill for his Parker pen.
Quite often he tuned to BBC, London on Sundays and several other reputable local radio stations to listen to Sunday morning and evening church service and organ recitals. He would record any new tune and a well orchestrated choral music he heard. He would research into any new tune heard and checked if it was available in any of his books. Several times he worked late into the night when he was engrossed in his search of a tune. A typical search started with a breakdown of the new tune into sofa thereafter, he would use his wealth of experience to trace the origin of the music. If he found the rhythm very interesting, his choir would be thought the new tune.
He organised a choir at the All Saints’ Teacher Training College, Usi-Ekiti that featured several times on the Ondo State Radio Corporation in the late 1970s. His organ recitals featured prominently on Ondo State Radio-Vision most of the Sundays in the Easter and Christmas seasons. He was a meticulous organist and an advocate of playing complete and full notes of hymns. Of course, he detested vamping, and would detect a badly played note without fuss. His home church choir won trophies during competitions organised by Ekiti Diocese. On his 62nd birthday in 1981 he recorded 90-minutes cassette of organ recitals. There are over 4 hours of his complete work on organ music in recorded cassettes. This made it possible for people to hear his voice and listened to his various organ recitals at his funeral ceremony. His preserved organ recitals are now available in CDs and effort to make it available online is now in progress.
He composed and harmonised several songs for the use of the church and Ekiti Diocese. His harmonised hymns included hymns numbers 420 and 435 in the Yoruba Hymn Book. Whenever he harmonised any tune, he was in the habit of photocopying the notes and sent them to co-organists in Ekiti Diocese for the use of their respective churches. He established correspondence with a couple of publishers in Europe on his harmonised works. Perhaps one of his greatest works is Salvation, which he composed and harmonised as the choice peace for the Ekiti Diocesan Music competition in 1983. He was the organist and choirmaster of St. Michael's Anglican Church, Ifaki-Ekiti in gratis for over 3 decades and was the Diocesan organist at the Synod of the Diocese of Ekiti in 1982. To say that he liked organ music would be tantamount to an understatement. By share providence he played late on the night of his transition, to be precise, he passed-on, less than three hours after leaving his organ.
He was elected the
Chairman of Ifaki Town Council in 1970 and was honoured with the chieftaincy
title of the Asiwaju of Ifaki-Ekiti in 1974 by His Royal Majesty, Oba Josiah
Adeoye Ojo, Akanle III. He was among the frontline laity in the Anglican
Communion that worked for the creation of Ekiti Anglican Diocese in 1966 and in
1978 he became the Baba-Ijo of St Michael’s Anglican Church, Ifaki-Ekiti. Chief
Adetunmbi joined the saints triumphant on March 21st 1990
Fela
Anikulapo-Kuti (15/8/38 – 2/8/97)
This was first written on March 6, 2012 in honor of Fela’s memory by Seye Adetunmbi
The legendary
afro beat king, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti was in a class of his own in all
departments. To say I admired his music, message, vision and mission would
amount to an understatement. In fact he made the list of the great men in this
part of the world who’s certain parts of their lives have inspired me a great
deal. He used what he had to fight a just cause at a great expense to him. He
is about the only one, among the classified distinguished people that I like in some areas that I've
not formally written about for publication. As the inspiration just came
overnight, I decided to put this down as preliminary input for use in the
MINDSET, my book that was presented to the public on July 21, 2012.
Baba 70, eleniyan, the Black President, abami eda, iwin, ebora, alujonu etc; those were some of his many nick names, awon inagije oruko. If you did not make it to the shrine where he performed periodically in his lifetime, it may be tough to get a full grasp of the legend's depth of wit, intelligence and wisdom. "Iroyin ko to afojuba", when Fela was in his elements. I thank God for the grace of being to his shrine a number of times. It was then I realized why some children from different backgrounds joined his band and were always at the shrine periodic shows became addictive to so many distinguished Nigerians, expatriates inclusive. No pretenses, no airs, down to the earth. Who are you and where are you coming from? What is your pedigree that the alujonu iberu himself did not have his own, standing out gidigba. The loyalty of his fans and people around him are legendary. Let me draw two instances from his life and time because one would need to write a book to capture Fela from a broad perspective.
SCENE I - Yabis Night
A typical
yabis night is an open house. He would yab government, bad policies, Bishops,
Imams and the his fans in the shrine. The fans would yab him back. This part I
find very intriguing. Let me recall one of such as much as possible.
Fela: Everybody say yeye!
Fans: Yeeyeeeeeee!
Fela: 'Na wah for you Nigerians o, you no fit fight for your right self'!
Fans: Go sit down!
You no fit yab government.You dey fear.
Fela: See them o, opposite people. Me, fear who? You no know anything
Fans: Fela we
go yab you o
Fela: Yab me if you like; you be mumu, suffering & smiling
Fans: You don shak,
husband of 26 wives
Fela: This is my shrine, I fit shak anything. Na you wey no get sense
Fans: Okay, you be
alaigboran, o ti ya wo, ogostine, omo iya aje, olorikunkun omo alufa, stupid
man etc
Fela: Waitee, spoilt children! See me see trouble o. Who be stupid man? Me or you? Okay me I dey shrine jeje; you, come from Victoria Island, Ikoyi, Surulere, put your hand for pocket, pay for the African shrine ticket to come watch my show here and yab me after you smoke igbo! Who be foolish person? Yeye people, second bass jare.
Fela: Waitee, spoilt children! See me see trouble o. Who be stupid man? Me or you? Okay me I dey shrine jeje; you, come from Victoria Island, Ikoyi, Surulere, put your hand for pocket, pay for the African shrine ticket to come watch my show here and yab me after you smoke igbo! Who be foolish person? Yeye people, second bass jare.
SCENE: II -
Philosophical Fela
A younger
musician once shared his concern with him on how his music was not appealing to
the audience sometimes. The young musician sought his advice. You see my
friend, play the music you enjoy with passion and do it excellently. Those who
like it will come and stay with you. There is no way a kind of music will
appeal to everybody. This is why you must enjoy what you do and put in your
best.
That's the legend who refused to die for you. When he said that he can't die, not many people understood him. Now they may know better. Yes, his works while on earth have immortalized him.
This also brings to perspective principled persons, structured clubs and organisations that are driven by an original vision with goals and objectives which had been clearly defined upfront. For anyone to come midway to change the course of things, may be tantamount to a very tall order. If you don't dream it, you can't drive the vision and if you don't share the dream you will neither fit-in nor understand.
The strange character, Fela, like any other mortal was not perfect, yet he left his mark in the sand of times. Everybody has his good and other sides. I joined the long queue at Tafawa Balewa Square to take a bow at his lying-in-state when Lagos stood still for him.
Perfect situation involving human beings or faultless mortal is an illusion. However, what would you wish to be remembered for? Are you going to be on the side of history or join the "opposite people"? It is a personal choice.
LAGBAJA
By
Seye Adetunmbi, first written on 30-12-10
When I heard the radio jingle of Lagbaja just before Christmas, I said eegun was up to something again on the note of a ground-breaking. Eegun is the name a mutual friend and I call the producer of Lagbaja, Bisade Ologunde when in our elements with him as a friend. Eegun is the Yoruba name for a masked man, masquerade, it is pronounced and written as egigun in Ekiti dialect. Naturally I knew I was not going to miss the show all other things being equal because apart from me, Lagbaja has my boy Madiba as his fan right from around age two when he had been able to recognize the music of one of the most ingenious musicians in Africa who also stands out among the best artists and innovative performers in the contemporary world. The special event which I classified as “family Christmas jam” held as scheduled at Motherlan’ on the eve of Christmas, 24th December 2010. The show was still in the mold of Lagbaja’s regular jam sessions with comedians and upcoming artists and performers providing interludes. The only difference was the special attention given to children during the show which was structured to start at 6 pm and it ended before midnight, a departure from the routine monthly till-dawn Motherlan jams.
His arrival to the stage accompanied with trumpet and dance to the stage through the audience to express his traditional camaraderie to his ever excited fans must have thrilled to no bounds the children who were seeing Lagbaja live, for the first time. To say the children that couldn’t hide their excitement were in one of their happiest moments would amount to understating it. My little angel, four years old Semilore said she was going to hug him in admiration of the unique entertaining procession of Lagbaja to the stage. Lagbaja in his elements as a choirmaster conducted an impromptu children orchestra that sang few popular Christmas carols with the support of his female singers as lead vocalists. Eegun effectively made the cute kids from about the age of two to eleven plus to entertain parents and other aficionados of Motherlan’ jam sessions. It was creativity at its best and the innocence of the children was a beauty to behold seeing them sing as convenient for each child without rehearsals and yet to the delight of the excited mixed audience of Nigerians and foreigners.
The climax of the children segment of the show was a dancing competition. Seeing is believing when the batch of the very young ones had their dance sessions. Lagbaja identified some dancers among the older children stock to prune the competitors to five. The dancing competition finalists were tasked to sing a favorite song which they were used to in their respective homes and my 7 years old daughter, Dara took the first shot and sang "ope lo ye o, Baba olore…". and the band gave her solemn back-up with talking drums and other musical departments, the audience joined her in the rendition to the applause of all. The other competitors followed suit with one praise worship song or the other to the admiration of the surprised gathering that were expecting konko below or b'ori mi wu o, e la'gi mo etc! Who said Jesus has not conquered the world? He is the everlasting King.
Dancing competition for children at the first special family jam session at Motherlan’ on 24/12/10 was creative and entertaining. The prize was flat for the first three winners while the 4th and 5th went home with musical CD. Democratic "Father-Christmas Lagbaja" used audience to decide the first three best dancers in the manner of children party setting for those in support to say yes. Dara who had always wanted to have her own telephone line won one of the Nokia phones as one of the first three winners. Thanks to "Santa Claus Lagbaja" 2010 :); Lagbaja has got another title from me for having some instincts of Father Christmas in him.
Looking back to the pre-mask days of the producer of Lagbaja, discerning ones who knew him as an undergraduate instrumentalist and those of us who were keeping weekend dates with the entertainer in an open lounge days at Bread & Butter by Allen Avenue roundabout in the early 1990s may not be too surprised by the success he has recorded as a masked performing artist. Like eleniyan abami eda, the only one of its kind, Fela Anikulapo Kuti; his background as a son of a priest must have had early influence on his interest in music. Bisade’s distinctive Baptist background of devout parents must have exposed him to musical instruments and best of choral songs in his growing up days. As a son of a distinguished organist Dad, I can attest to the power of influence of such strong good music background in anyone’s deep seated interest in well harmonized music.
Some people wonder why he opted to continue his musical career with mask and took-up Lagbaja as the stage name. Though I have never engaged him on this issue, yet I would rather give it or attribute it to novelty inspired by the inherent characteristic modest nature of Bisade the great artist and talented musician. Thus, I’m of the view that here is a remarkable music producer who must have perceived stardom awaiting him and genuinely would wish to separate stage performance from the real person behind the mask. Unlike other stars, he can conveniently go wherever he wants to go like any other person without attracting undue attention to himself. Except you knew him at Government College, Ibadan, or at University of Ife and those who knew him in the pre-mask performing days, he would conveniently go about his affairs unnoticed. For some time in the late 1990s, he was part of us at the UNILAG Senior Staff Squash Club to keep fit and Bisade rode his bicycle back to Ikeja residence quietly. Of course golden fish has no hiding place, and perhaps when fans got to know and the identity became tough to conceal he must have quietly reviewed his schedule. There was a time he had a show at Motherlan that presented two Lagbajas which accentuated the originality of the producer. That's the vintage creative him for all to figure out.
The mask concept is damn too innovative. It is not like the traditional masquerade which some people may have issues with, because the real masquerade doesn’t speak like human beings. Novel Lagbaja in his ago (costume/mask) speaks like you and I, and sings his songs to the positive reception of his teaming devotees. As a matter of fact, the original man behind the ago can travel abroad while Lagbaja performs here in Nigeria or vice-versa. It is the same principle behind those traditional masquerades in Yoruba nation that are over 100 years old and new performers will wear the costume to perform as a going concern. Creativity indeed is the mother of invention and kudos to the grand producer and the inimitable performing artist, one and only Bisade Ologunde. This has earned Lagbaja the classification of an institution in the contemporary world of music and institutions don’t die. In our old age we can conveniently watch Lagbaja perform to entertain us with my friend eegun himself in the audience holding a walking stick and so shall it be for the generations unborn as a going concern, ceteris paribus.
FAREWELL TO THE PHENOMENON: MICHAEL JACKSON
(August 29, 1958 - June 25, 2009)
By
Seye Adetunmbi, 2009
No comments:
Post a Comment