The evergreen years: Down memory lane

T HE evergreen years in Nigeria’s socio-political life are all about music. I write today of the beautiful years of highlife music in West Africa. I can never forget the era in my life. I was active in it and I participated very actively in it.

I gave a hint about this, three weeks ago when I was eulogizing the Mimiko era as governor of Ondo State. It was the musical recordings that former Governor ‘Segun Mimiko gave to Olabode Ibiyinka George that inspired the writings of this special article on the evergreen years. The recordings contain highlife music of yesteryears of highlife bands in West Africa (Ghana and Nigeria in particular). They were musical records that cannot be forgotten by people who are about 68 and above now who were alive at that time to appreciate the significance of the highlife creations of the time. You cannot listen to the records again without being moved even near to tears. Femi Esho has an Evergreen Musical Company in Ogunlana Drive Surulere that produces such records. It was Femi Esho that produced the recordings for Governor Mimiko’s Ondo State. It is sad that we cannot get many more states in Nigeria to commission the production of such recordings and keep them for posterity.

I love highlife music and I equally played it (though as an amateur), I wrote three weeks ago that I played music at the Cool Cats Inn, Abule-Nla Road, Ebute-Metta West in those days under the watchful eyes of International Guitarist, the late KobinaBiney. I remember “Johny Bogart” who was an expert in entertaining guests at the hotel with acrobatic performances anytime the band went on recess. Egbon Jony Bogart was from Ibokun (an Ijesha). He later retired and died at Ibokun in Obokun Local Government of Osun State.

I remember today my friends the late Major Ademola Adeyemi aka “Basilica Barbosa”, Ajibade, Christopher aka “Kris” who roamed musical centres of those years in Lagos State with me in search of authentic highlife music.

Our “girl friends” were always by our sides. Those were days when we enjoyed the company of beautiful women without having the ugly and mad intentions of messing them up. No lady worthy of her name at that time will just give herself to any person simply for sexual pleasures. I remember Dupe Ben, Mary Osunde, beautiful Morenike Coker (who later became Miss Nigeria in Great Britain after she had gone for higher studies in England),Tinu Afuwape, etc , etc. Where are they now? They must also have aged gracefully and they were all honourable women. We, the then young boys are now in our 70s waiting to receive the supreme call. Demola Adeyemi, a prince of Ijesaland who attended Ilesa Grammar School died about ten years ago.

I remember today Egbon Victor Abimbola Olaiya who first played music at the Cool Cat’s Inn moving to Chez Peters. He is still alive and continues to play music at over 80. He played with the likes ofTexas Oluwa and Cipher Lawson. I remember Bobby Benson, Stephen Osita Osadebay, John Akintola aka “Roy Chicago”, Eddy Okonta (the Obi of Trumpet), Inyang Henshaw. Tex Ubong Henry, Celestine Uku, Henry Ouigha, Prince Ersmus Jenewari, Victor Uwaifo, Cardinal Rex Jim Lawson, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Burstic Kingsley Bassey of the Anasa Professional Band, Godwin Omobuwa, Orlando Julius, the Sahara All Stars Band, Charles Iwegbue and all  His Archibogs, Nat Buckle, the late Tunde Osofisan, the late Mike Enahoro, Tunde Osunrinde, the late Chief Billy Friday and his Ambassador Down Bears, King Kenneth Otone aka “King Kerry Tone” etc. They were all from Nigeria who never allowed their colleagues from Ghana to outshine them.

The Ghanaian highlife stars at that time include E.T. Mensah and his tempos Band, the Black Beats Band, the Broadway Dance Band, the Ghana messengers Dance Band, Ted Osei and the Comets. The Uhuru Dance led by Star Plange, the Stargazers Dance Band of Kumasi, Charlotte Dada (the female musical sensation from Ghana who was for a longtime girlfriend to a famous Nigerian journalist), Charlotte Dada died about eight years ago, the Onyina Guitar Band, the Kakainku Guitar Band,  All the above musical stars of West Africa (who have nearly died now) operated during the progressive era of Kwame Nkrumah, the Osagyefo and Kankamanto of Ghana, Papa Obafemi Awolowo and Papa Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe of Nigeria. These were great leaders whose exemplary political leadership of their countries inspired the musicians.

For example in Nigeria of those years, the Western Nigeria Broadcasting Service (WNBS) popularized highlife music in West Africa by playing records from these stars for two hours everyday. Those were days Uncle ‘Kunle Olasope (who was a radio journalist of the era and ‘Segun Sofowote, a WNBS star newscaster can bear witness to what I have written above.

My friend, Sina Adedipe, a journalist who writes a column every week in the Sun newspapers is equally an authority on the musical contributions of the above stars to the social life of West Africans of that era.

It will be the joy and delight of this writer if Nigeria and Ghana governments can give support to the efforts of Femi Esho never to allow the highlife era to die. I will be very happy if state governments can emulate the examples of Mimiko in Ondo State and Amosun in Ogun State not to die. They must all rise up to ensure that Femi Esho remains in business. Ebenezer Obey (Fabiyi), Sunny Ade (Adegeye), Sina Peters are all waiting for the immortalization of their music. Late Crossdale Juba, Theophilus Iwalokun, I.K. Dairo, Ojoge Daniel, Tunde Nightingale, etc, etc must never be wasted. It will be a great contribution to our socio cultural life if we are able to produce the music of these stars and their predecessors.

The evergreen years represent a beautiful era for Africa.

The struggle definitely continues!

EBINO TOPSY – 0805-500-1735 (SMS ONLY PLEASE)

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