Our Reporter
Among them are veterans like juju legend, Chief Ebenezer Obey; fuji superstar, General Kollington Ayinla; and juju veterans Admiral Dele Abiodun as well as Uncle Toye Ajagun.
The Ariya Eko train energetically and strategically driven by Evergreen Music Managing Director, Bimbo Esho, alongside popular songbird Yinka Davis, has visited each of the icons and got their blessings for the event holding in Lagos on October 5.
A celebration of the best of Nigerian music, Ariya Eko is a response to the growing erasure of Lagos-rooted musical legends from public consciousness.
According to Esho, it is driven by the urgency to ensure that these icons are neither forgotten nor relegated to mere footnotes in history. The festival honours those who once shaped our culture with their sound. Through Ariya Eko, these musicians find new life—not just in remembrance, but in active re-engagement with today’s audiences.
She said: “Ariya Eko serves as both a tribute to the icons of yesteryears and a tool fostering deeper cultural ties, encouraging cross generational dialogue, and opening pathways for international cultural diplomacy.
This year’s Independence edition reinforces the value of indigenous contributions to the national story, amplifying voices that represent strength, pride and resilience.”
At its heart, Ariya Eko is a bridge—between the young and the old, between the local and the global, between memory and innovation. It is a celebration of Lagos, of Nigeria, and of the unyielding power of music to inspire, connect, and transform. As each edition unfolds, it adds a new verse to the enduring song of a people whose story must always be told in rhythm.
