The fight between Yoruba Musicians: Is it real or for commercial purposes?:
“Ija Emi Pelu Sunny Ade o, oti Pari, Ko S’ogun mo ko s’ote mo, Ija Ma ti tan”. ( The fight between me and Sunny Ade is settled; there is no more war and no more animosity, the fight is settled). The song was released by Commander Ebenezer Obey ( Ebenezer Remilekun Oladupo Fabiyi) in the 70s when the elderly musicians of the time, like Late I K Dairo and Adeolu Akinsanya (Baba Eto) intervened to settle the rift between Obey and King Sunny Ade. ( Sunday Adeniyi Adegeye). The two musicians had traded banters and war songs that divided the music industries and fans into two at that time. You were either for Sunny or Obey.
The rivalry was fuelled by their ambition to be Number 1. It was a fight for supremacy and competing for fans. In the 70s, the duo of them were the two prominent figures in Nigeria Music industries when juju music was number 1 in Nigeria. The rivalry brought out many innovations and pushed the boundaries of juju music to a higher level. They became sources of inspiration to other young artists. Their rivalries raised the bar and highlighted the competitive spirit in music industries.
Traditionally, Yoruba songs are full of proverbs that may appear as if a particular song is directed against another person. Our talking drum can be interpreted in various ways. Though it is a means of communication and can be used to pass messages even over a long distance. It mimics human speech in a way, and it can also be used to rain abuses or praises on perceived enemies or friends. It may be a veil or direct insults to their enemy. Yoruba is the only nation in the world that can use their drum to communicate. Recently, I was at Prince Tunde Odunlade Art Gallery where we hosted the head of USA Consular, and a young Yoruba lady used her talking drum to sing the USA national anthem to the admiration of everybody. The head of the Consular was gobsmacked when she picked the tune and sang along. She, infact, requested to take a picture with the female drummer. Our traditional talking drum is a great and powerful means of communication. It can also be used to alert people to danger around without speaking out.
Under these premises, the stage is set to use music to trade banter amongst musicians and to make money from it. Our musicians keyed into it and deploy it very well.
The war of songs between these two musicians actually brought them promotion and more fans. Anytime they waxed music, the people were expecting responses to the other who had released earlier.
In the days of Ayinla Omowura ( Waidi Ayinla Omowura Gbogbolowo) and Fatai Olowonyo, around 1974/1975, there was a serious fight between them. Olowonyo sang melodious, explosive and abusive songs against Omowura that I reproduced below:
E l’ewure wole o, E l’agutan wole, E l’adiye okokoro wole, alakori n’gun Toyota, Ewure l’o finko, ase oti njale tele ko to ra Toyo, Iya o ni b’orun meji omo ngun toyo. O wa nkigbe Muhammadu l’ori yeye awa onile dobale fo niwaju saun.” Here, Fatai Olowonyo was calling Ayinla Omowura a thief that was fond of stealing goats, Sheep and local chickens, a vain person riding Toyota to steal goats, he had been a thief before buying Toyota, his mother did not possess 2 scarf and his son was riding Toyota car, and he was chanting Mohammed’s name in vain, he (Olowonyo) will not prostrate for a man with a crooked forehead). Ayinla Omowura did not waste time in responding to what appeared to be a false allegation that can damage his reputation. They were both influential musicians of their time in Apala and Fuji genres.
They went as far as insulting their parents, there were barrage of musical attacks on their personal life. Kollington Ayinla joined forces with Ayinla Omowura to abuse Olowonyo.
Late Sikiru Ayinde Barrister (Sikiru Ololade Ayinde Balogun) was also involved in rivalry against Ayinla Omowura. It appeared that Sikiru Ayinde Barrister had accused him of plagiarism. Anigilaje Ayinla responded with a powerful song and above the norm. He actually mentioned Barrister’s name contrary to the unwritten constitution of Yoruba Musicians. No matter the level of the animosity, they will not mention their names when trading banters and will always leave their fans to guess work. Ayinla sang ” Ayinde ma je n gbo pe won ji e l’orin lo, iyen di isoro apara” ( Ayinde do not let me hear that I plagiarised you, you must be joking). So confident was Ayinla Omowura about himself, that he challenged him openly and directly. Ayinla Omowura was a fearless musician and very powerful in Yoruba juju medicine.
Ayinla Omowura was later killed in a scuffle in a bar room at Abeokuta Ogun State on 6 May 1980. Ayinla was hit by a Jug in a brawl and died from his injury. Despite the fact of what happened to Ayinla Omowura in public, some people in some quarters still accused Sikru Ayinde Barrister ( as he was known then) as the brain behind it. The allegations gained ground because they had not settled their disputes when death came calling for Ayinla Omowura. Barrister had to come out and waxed a record where he rained curses upon anyone who masterminded the killing of Ayinla Omowura, also known as Egunmogaji.
Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey had personal issues with Dr. Orlando Owoh (Stephen Oladipupo Olaore Owomoyela), both were great musicians and they were friends until a woman dated both of them and eventually ended with Dr. Orlando Owoh. Orlando did not forgive Chief Ebenezer Obey throughout his lifetime. They were both young and single then, perhaps Obey knew that Orlando was dating the girl and still went on to date her. As Obey stated in his interview, whenever they met afterwards. Orlando would say ‘ this man you are not my friend”. Though they never traded direct abuses or insults in their songs and they never mentioned each other but Orlando released a song ‘Odale Ore'( A traitor), perhaps the song was directed against Ebenezer Obey as they never resumed their friendship throughout Orlando’s lifetime. Orlando Owoh died on 4 November 2008. He was certainly a great musician.
Dr Orlando Owoh and Sikiru Ayinde Barrister engaged in a music fight, though their type of musc was different. Orlando was into Juju ( Highlife) whereas Sikiru Ayinde Barrister was into Fuji music and in fact, he was a creator of Fuji Music. Dr Orlando fired the first salvo: ko to bumi, ma bura mi fun e o jare, o ba bu mi ko ni mo leyin to jona, se bi eyin ti mo fi n mu ganja ni. Mo ni ifo lara, mo ni saka lara, ko si enquiry ole lara wa. Oti pe ti a ti nse kini oun, ko so eni to jale, lomo egbe mi, awa o je gbese ara ko fu wa, se bi eni to je gbese lara nfu. O yo maya, Alhaji to de meccawear, to tun fi n memu oyo maya. This was directed against Sikiru Ayinde Barrister, Orlando first exposed himself by telling about his rotten teeth due to his smoking weeds and the eczema in his body but no one has investigated him for stealing and his band members had never been accused of theft. He owed no body, and it was the one who took a loan and in debt that is conscious of the debt. At that time, a member of Barrister’s band had been accused of theft, and there were rumours that Bartister had taken a loan, which he was unable to pay back. He accused him of excessive drinking that does not befit a man who had been on pilgrimage to mecca . Barrister responded proverbially and the matter was not settled until Orlando died. Barrister was also very close to Ebenezer Obey and so it could be part of the ongoing feud. Sikiru Ayinde Barrister died on 26 December 2010. In accordance with Yoruba mythology, they must have met on the other side by now and should have settled their rift, or they continues if rift are allowed on the other side. It depends on where they were anyway.
Yusuf Olatunji and his rivalry with S. Aka was another notable musical rift in Sakara music genre
In all these fights , the musicians were making cool money and they were smiling……
To be continued
ANALYSING THE QUARREL BETWEEN MUSICIANS BY NIYI ABORISADE
