‘‘I IGNORE CHIEFTANCY TITLE BECAUSE OF MUSIC’’
What prompted you into highlife music?
You see if one do something in this life you will start from struggle, I struggle after my school hours to know where I am going because I have had the fore sight that Nigeria will turn to another thing in future, that is why I struggle to be a musician and by following people who understands music who reads music and I work on them and from there I got my inspiration of music.
§ How long have you ventured into highlife music?
Since 1945, I finished in 1944 at st patrick school Lagos and after that I lost my father in the same month December 1944 ,my father was the first driver to driver from Lagos to gold coast(now Ghana) in 1919,I meet them in that job and the no. of the vehicle is A 1919.
§ What are other things you ventured into before music?
You know in Lagos you can change your position any time in our time you can live this house and go there you will see house to let, room to let, all over Lagos state how much are they renting a room is five shillings , and from there I let Lagos to Mushin in 1962, I learnt a lot of work before I became a musician, I was painting and sign writer, mc. Engineer, and a tailor, but all these work I learnt was not my way because music is in my blood, my blood is music that is why I am still in music till today. And so many encounter in music.
§ Which group did you meet Ebenezer obey?
I have I group before Ebenezer obey up eye to play music, I was playing ‘Agidigbo’ ,I start from ‘kokoma’ in 1945,the music which bene people brought to Lagos around 1945 I was among them, you every thing between this world is time and there is time for every thing in life, when there own time finished they went away and we start back to ‘Agidigbo’ which is our fore fathers music we call it ‘mambo’, after mambo I join highlife group which I was under somebody else like Ishola Willy paye and Jubril Isa he his an Hausa man and an ex-service man I was trained In music way and from there I learn my experience from them an join it with my and make it one.
You know Ebenezer obey when Ambrose Campbell came to Nigeria always taking them all over Lagos .one day I was just playing my gitter along the way he caught me on he road and he call me are you fatai rolling dollar and I said yes I mark my recording with one man called J.o Araba, and we collaborate together and we are four in numbers; I fatai rolling dollar, Olashela Tejuosho, J.o Arabamise Edward fashaye, and the British government like us because in our own time there is no recording in {Nigeria broadcasting commission} NBC now radio Nigeria was NBC by that time, so no recording and you go to the air straight and when you late and they have some thing they call standby band which I was among when you late to come you late or fail to come we will go to the studio and do your section.
Who Is Your Roll Model
Now!!
§ No, Before You Venture Into Music Who Was Your Roll Model
I have many roll model some are dead and some are alive, only few are alive most of them are dead.
§ Mention Some Of There Names
I have J.O Araba, Tunji lucky face, Tunde Makind. I meet a band called ‘atariaganoku’ they are the first juju band in Lagos state and Akanbi eje they are all dead.
§ They Are Your Source Of Inspiration
Yes! I am just a sample to the world entirely.
§ Your father being a former king of Ede, osun state, why didn’t you succeeded him has a king?
You know God knows what I want to be that is why even though they call me to come and have chieftaincy in which I ignore my chieftaincy come from God and my chieftaincy is popular that is why I am a prince when I went to my town now people rally around me, has a prince and you see music is in my blood.
How did you meet your German wife?
Its fortunate I went to European tour and you know how the weather Is there ,am just fortunate I stay for 3years,I talk to her and she took me to her father and her father accept and we do what God said we should do. I have an issue there a baby daughter there she’s now 2 and half years of age and she will be back to Nigeria when she reach 18years as the law of the country.
§ How can you access the music industry in Nigeria for the past 50yrs?
There is nothing such you can not mention the music industry now to the olden days is different entirely now you will see a room made by somebody and call a studio we cannot get quality, if you want to build a studio build studio and if you wants to build a room build a room studio is different like this size as a studio not a room you can caught it into two put engine here ,but today every thing has change like I have told you earlier on every thing as time, this is time of a young girl who cannot work hard, who are lazy some of them doesn’t know what there call music, maybe they now how to sing and go to the studio an bal ! bal! bal and what they are singing has no message and if God like them they can be a star within 6 month and before 1 year it as sell away, but not has I clock the stand since 2001 today the record I did is moving people ask for it and ask for more.
§ Do you have any of your children in which would succeed you in your highlife music career?
I have them, but I can’t tell my child to go and learn music, no body tell me to go and learn music, if he likes I will put him through ‘this the way’ ‘this the way’, my own is to have good education and if he as his good education any thing he now want is am okay about music I will let him know about music will let him know the root not half of it.
§ @ 85 you are till smart; what his your secret?
There is no secret only God loves me just like me its power of God and nothing more than that and when we are youth our father and our mother take care of us much.
§ What was your tragedic moment in life?
I cannot forget the day I lost my wife, without sickness, nothing or so ever we sleep together, between 1 mid-night and she has pass on and we eat together In the night before we go to bed together that was a wonderful death since I was born I have never seen such no sickness nothing or so ever that is the day I feel sad, because she left about two children for me before she went away.
§ What was you remarkable day in your life?
my remarkable day was the day I got this house because this house is music house I worked for it and God said yes! and I got it, and I have not seen any musician which the federal government or state government give a type of award, I call it award.
§ Which Administration Did This
It is my good man, merciful man, honesty man, gentle man, chief bola Ahmed Tinubu his the one whom God sent to me and I got the message.
· My advise for the youth
Advise I have for the youth is that they should be patience, tolerance, obedience, and pray and if you wants to do a job one thing that you most do is to love the job if you don’t love the job you cant move forward, so love their job because it got them some changes, but before you do any job you just love it first and you know where you are going to.
great
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