I was already a talented musician before I met Fatai Rolling Dollar —Ebenezer Obey

It is always a delight to engage the music legend, Evangelist Ebenezer Obey-Fabiyi as events and details of old times remain fresh in his memory. The Chief Commander as he is fondly called clocks 79 today. In this interview by SEYI SOKOYA, the evergreen musician revealed the source of his talent discovery and life. Excerps:

Going by your song, ‘Baba lo ran mi wa ke mi wa lo igba temi abinu eni ejelo da ke jeje…’ would you say that you have indeed fulfilled the assignment God sent you to the world to do?

It is a rare privileged for me to have been doing what God has sent me to the world to do. I am fulfilled and grateful to God for the special grace. I am not taking how God has brought me this far for granted and I thank everyone, especially my fans that have been part of my success story. I am so happy to be a successful and celebrated musician even at 79. I thank God for the gift of life and I am filled with the joy of the Lord, which occupies my whole being and my career. Whatever I have become in life is to the glory of God. I became a professional musician and formed my first band in the year 1957 and I am still recognised as a music legend till today, it can only be God.

Your growing up was interesting, would you say Idogo town has any connection with your music career?

I was actually born in Lagos, but I have a way of describing my birth; my mother and father slept and my mother became pregnant in Idogo. This is why I usually claim that I was made in Idogo, born in Island Maternity Hospital in Lagos and brought back to Idogo. My parents were from Abeokuta. My father was an Egba man, Omo Lakesi, while my mother is an indigene of  Owu. My growing up in Idogo was so interesting; it was a very good experience for me. I can say that my music career divinely started from the town. According to my mother, she started taking me to church immediately I was born and I was told that I used to crawl all over the church and even to disturb the choir, especially the instrumentalists, and that the pastor would carry me.

I remember that my mother told me that the pastor prophesied ‘this boy’ will become a music legend. So, everything about me started from Idogo and specifically from the church. I was influenced by music from the church. Then I was in the school band and later became the band leader and one thing led to the other and I found myself in the band that some seniors were members. It was Ifelodun Mambo Orchestra, which was formed around 1954 and I happened to be the star of the band, though I was the youngest. This gave me the opportunity to form my first band when I was a 15-year-old boy.

You said you formed your first band at age 15, so when did you have your tutelage under the late Fatai Rolling Dollar who many know as your boss, and what did you gain most from him?

I will like to reveal the truth of the matter. God actually used me to discover my boss. You know God has His own way of doing things. Fatai Rolling Dollar happened to be someone who was playing with J. O. Araba and His Afro Skillful Band. God had given me the talent of composition; compose any kind of music. I also composed for J. O. Araba, but my mentor at that time was Adeolu Akinsanya. Then, my mentor was not playing high-life, he was playing what we called Agidigbo Mambo Orchestra and the name of the band was Adeolu Akinsanya Reo Lindo Mambo Orchestra. You know, not many artistes had the opportunity of recording and releasing music in those days. But Adeolu Akinsanya was opportuned, so I knew all his songs and I used to compose the same way he did, and as my mentor, I always took my songs to him and he always encouraged me.

He even took permission from to record one of my songs… ‘Outside Kingsway mori sisi kan…’ I was glad and felt honoured. So, Fatai Rolling Dollar was playing with J. O. Araba, and I passed through the tutelage of Akinbomi Savage and Bamgbose Abengo Mayana. They were two old people. One day, I was sitting in front of my father’s house in Mushin, I saw them pass and I followed them, but they didn’t know I followed them. They stopped when they got to Olumorogun street and I heard them saying they needed an amplifier tomorrow. I then told them that I would take them to where they could get it and they turned and were amazed that I was behind them. They asked me, ‘you this boy are you an angel?’ and I replied that I had been following them since they passed by my father’s house. I told them that I am also a musician and I took them to where they rented the instrument.

They later asked me the musical instrument I could play and I responded that I could play all instruments. They asked further if I could play Agidigbo and I said yes, so, I followed them to the engagement. At that time, my salary was 3 pounds monthly, but I was paid 1 pounds 17 Shillings; that was close to my salary in one day, yet they told me that I had not seen anything yet. That I would join them and be paid every day, so, that was what happened. It was during the course that I wanted to know the person that played the Agidigbo in the record of J. O Araba. I was so determined to meet with the person because the instrument was tasking. I asked one of my mentors and he said it was Rolling Dollars and I eventually met him and I told him that Agidigbo was too difficult for me to score well.

He then asked me how many fingers I used and I said two; he replied that he played with five fingers; I was amazed because I had never seen anyone who played the instrument with five fingers. I told him that I would like to know his place. On that day, he hung a box guitar on his neck and I followed him to Paul Oguntola where he was living. Before we got to his house I composed five songs to the guitar he was playing, the first song I composed for him was: ‘Ode to dori kodo to n so Eledumare ori egun lo ma ku si (2ce) Eba da pan pa, ke tun fa ko yo, eyi to Oluwa o se fo fi yen da, eda lalaropin ye o, kadara koni ta se’ Rolling Dollar was so amazed and he said I should sing it one more time. He also escorted me back home while singing and I told him my address; 7, Abolade Street, Mushin, Lagos, and that was how we became friends. I was already a professional and talented musician before we met. I was never an apprentice under him.

Did you ever dream you would become a star after the experience of your first album?

My first album was in 1954, and it was not easy then like the technology we have today. Then it was so difficult. I trekked from Musin Alakija, Idioro, Yaba, Alapere, Oyingbo, Ido, Carter Bridge to Decca West Africa, a British company. The gateman denied me entry, but I was courageous to tell him that ‘I am a star and I want to record for the company and the record would sell’ and the Igbo man allowed me in and directed me to the secretary, who was typing. I introduced myself and I said to her also that I am a future star, who has come to record for the company. She just looked at me once and continued typing. She said: ‘sorry the Managing Director is here, but you cannot see him; you need to see the Artiste Manager, but he is on leave’. I stood still and using my cloth to clean my sweating body, luckily for me the Managing Director, C.K. Cress called her through the intercom and the MD heard our conversation and asked her what was the noise about.  She explained and the MD responded a future star and asked her to let me in.

The moment I got to the white man’s office I reintroduced myself and said I am a future star. I told him to help me and pay me until when my record began to sell. He didn’t say anything; he just pressed the intercom and called Mr Ogunbayo. Immediately the Baba came in I prostrated and spoke with him in Yoruba and assured him that my record would sell if they help me. Before Baba Ogunbayo would say a word, the white man said let’s give this young man a chance because he is speaking with confidence. I told them that I trekked from Mushin and they promised that I won’t trek back. I was given 10 shillings and that was how I was given an audition at Decca which I now own today. The title of my first work is “Ewa Wo ohun Oju miri”. It was the story of a thief that was electrocuted while carrying out his evil deed in Mushin.

How did you push your career forward after the experience of the first album?

I was resilient and the wisdom on how to go about composing songs and matching them together kept dropping in me. The lyrics that can touch people as well as make them reflect and connect to the messages kept following.

As Ebenezer Obey himself, how many records have you waxed, and which was your favourite?

I have over a hundred albums and many singles; in fact, I am the only artiste that has 4 Platinums and 22 Gold Discs awards.  ‘Board Members’, ‘Ketekete’, ‘Awa Lomo Abeokuta’, which was the first album I recorded in London in 1969 and ‘Motun gboro agba de’ all gave me Platinum Awards. God has been so good to me and I have many reasons to be grateful. All of my songs are my favourite. From my composition, supplication, and appealing to God. The melodies of my songs are from deep thoughts and communication with God.

You also encountered several controversies, mostly the Lukudi controversy; do you still feel bad about the experience?

That was in 1976, I was strong and I was at the peak of my career and I performed almost every day. My blood pressure was high and I became diabetic in the year 1974.  That led me to 1976; I was in London to take care of myself. The rumour started flying around that I was like twice my size then and that when I was operated in my tummy a bird flew out of it. They claimed I drank Lukudi, I don’t know where they heard that from, and so, I had to do that record to set the record straight.

You had rivals and competitions, but it was always you and Sunny Ade, was there any altercation?

Never, there was nothing like that. There is no iota of truth in that. The fans always misunderstood the reason behind my lyrics. Most of my songs are always in proverbs so people read different meanings to it. There was nothing between me and Sunny Ade. I was in the industry before him and he came after and occupy his own space; we are doing the same thing but in different ways. Baba I. K Dairo and Baba Adeolu Akinsanya, who were our elder then called Sunny Ade and I when the insinuation was so much and we both cleared the air that there was nothing like that. He would come to my house and so did I; we are good friends, no altercation at all. That was why we did a collaboration together to clear the air.

The first time I met him, he used to come to the hotel where I used to play. He was first having his band under Tunde Amuwo and they would come to the hotel when they closed. I had known him to be one of the boys of Moses Olaiya (Baba Sala). We have had a good relationship since our paths crossed and we have both contributed our quota to the development of the industry.

Can you recall when you bought your first car, what type, and how much? How did you feel having it?

I was so happy the day I bought a bus for my band. All I was thinking was not for myself; it was for my band. It was a great projection for me and I felt on top of the world that I was able to acquire the bus then and God used the Managing Director of Decca then for me.

What does it mean to be popular and be evergreen as you have been sir?

It is a combination of hard work, discipline, and production of music that would last, and I have contributed to the progress of the nation and daily life.

From your songs, we could see how much you were fond of Chief Obafemi Awolowo and his wife, HID Awolowo, why?

Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Mama HID displayed and provided serious leadership that touched the generality of the masses.  He was always thinking ahead about what would benefit the masses and doing them in time. Such leaders like Chief Obafemi Awolowo family cannot be forgotten. I am a beneficiary of his free education initiative. I felt happy and satisfied with the privilege. The Awolowo family is a wonderful family and I am delighted to identify with them even as the family’s musician. I also appreciate the children and the dynasty for keeping the legacy alive.

Some of your fans are of the opinion that most of your songs support men than women. Why?

I support both genders. I talk about good mothers, characters; I advise people, speak in proverbs and about different ways of life, and especially how people can live good and responsible lives. My songs are philosophical. Don’t forget, women played a major role in the success of my career, starting from my mother, wife, and every female fan.

What is your view of the state of the nation, especially the insecurity problem everywhere? What advice do you have for the government on this?

The best thing is to take the matter of security so seriously. If the government can take care of the security challenges, there won’t be problems. Security is very important. People will not be happy with the government once they are not doing what is expected of them, especially to secure lives and properties. Serious action must be taken to ensure lives and properties are safe in Nigeria.

What is your advice for young artistes?

There are lots of young artistes that are really doing well, even the females. I am happy with the development of the industry. I want to advise them to keep up the good work and be resilient in their delivery, and also focus more on what will make them stand the test of time.

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