It was a day of fun and enjoyment for visitors to the palatial home of Fuji music star, Alhaji (Dr.) Sefiu Alao Adekunle, Baba Oko, Agbara Orin, in Abeokuta, Ogun State, on Wednesday, 24th March, 2021, as some Yoruba movie stars, family and friends came together to stage what can be called a surprise birthday celebration for him.
For those who know Sefiu Alao very well, they would attest to the fact that he does not celebrate his birthday at all. You would not even catch him unaware for a surprise celebration as he would always find a way to sneak out, a night before, to somewhere only one or two of his close confidants would know about and would have vowed not to tell anyone.
But his 2021 birthday was not allowed to be so. Though he reportedly sneaked out of the house late on the eve of his birthday after a birthday prayer had been held for him by Islamic Clerics, and he had played with his close family members making them think he would sleep in the house. But before anyone would realise what was happening, he had sneaked out to a hotel in town.
Notwithstanding, early in the morning of his birthday, it was Nollywood Yoruba actors of Egba extraction including Owolabi Ajasa, Kayode Akindina (Emir), Segun Ogungbe (The Man), Lookman Olu Olowogemo (Harejan), Femi Solaja, Bose Aregbesola, Tunde Sobayo, Olanrewaju Moses (Ayikandu), Akeem Alamutu (Eba), Akeem Adaoran, Lookman Jimoh (Radical), Gbenga Dina, Lateef Oladeinde, Emeka and a host of others that started looking for him with their special birthday package.
They reportedly gathered at the Journalists’ rendezvous in Abeokuta known as “Iwe Iroyin” and started making calls to the guys expected to be around Sefiu Alao or know about his whereabouts. At first, they were directed to a particular popular hotel in town which turned out to be a wrong place. But they did not give up, and their persistence later paid off, as they finally discovered the actual hotel where the birth boy was “hiding”.
And since they were already within the premises of the hotel, and they were there to honour him, Sefiu Alao did not have any other choice than to come out to them. As he made his way out to where the actors stationed themselves, Sefiu Alao was greeted with drummers and saxophonists churning out birthday tunes amidst the actors carrying a banner aloft with the inscription of: “Egba Artistes (Filmmakers)”. And he danced and danced to the tunes being played while the merriment lasted.
He was later presented with a beautiful birthday cake which was cut in the restaurant of the hotel, after moments of testimonies of the good deeds Sefiu Alao had done to almost all the actors in the past, were shared by those concerned. And the actors also had a photo session with him to bring their surprise package for him, to a memorable end. It, however, did not end until after Sefiu Alao had expressed his heartfelt gratitude to their kind gesture.
A while after, 3 of the guys who took part in a special birthday album waxed by Ogun State All-Stars for Sefiu Alao for his birthday, came in to present copies of the albums to the birthday boy. With popular drummer, Ganiu Olanrewaju better known as Kanamo, who initiated the idea of the album, the studio engineer of Blitz Entertainment (Studio) where the album was recorded, Mesioye Taiwo, and one other guy, the album titled: “Glorification” was presented to Sefiu Alao who appreciated the effort of the guys profusely.
And a while after, calls started flooding the phone of Sefiu Alao from his household telling him to come home that the birthday special prayer organised for him was about to end and people were already waiting in the house to celebrate with him. Of course, food and drinks were already made available for the guests who were not only made up of well-wishers but also, the full complement of Sefiu Alao’s Fuji Candozo Band members. But unknown to the people at home, another exclusive party had been put together for Sefiu Alao by some of his big fans at the swimming pool side of the hotel he was.
So, inadvertently, two birthday celebrations went on simultaneously for Sefiu Alao, one home, one away. And both were worthwhile as some of the best wines money can buy flowed like water at both ends with choice foods too, not in short supply. And by the time the day would wind up for Sefiu Alao at the hotel celebration where he was all through at around 12 A.M., it was already a birthday celebration for him to remember.
And he ended the day, fully, by recording an appreciation video which was posted online, to appreciate all those who took their time to come down and celebrate with him, and of course, too, those who celebrated him on the social media by posting his pictures with birthday messages all over the place, an exercise which made him one of the trendiest personalities on the social media throughout the day.
-Saheed Ojubanire
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