<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022Oloye LEKAN ALABITells City People<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Saturday 15th December,\n2018, will make it exactly 40 years that the Sakara music legend, Yusuf\nOlatunji aka Baba l’egba passed on. And to celebrate this remembrance, as it is\nusually been done every year since 2001, lots of activities have been mapped\nout. There is going to be Fidau Prayers, Lecture and Luncheon. The remembrance\nanniversary is going to hold in Ibadan, the capital city of Oyo State. This\nevent, according to a key member of the planning committee and the initiator of\nthe remembrance anniversary, Oloye Lekan Alabi, the Aare Alaasa of Ibadan land,\nis not just for the sake of having an ‘owanbe’ party or to gather financial\nresources but to recognise and honour the excellence, creativity in Babalegba\nand the likes, in order to keep their memories alive. Babalegba, in his\nlifetime, was a music icon who dominated his genre of music ‘Sakara’ with\nphilosophical lyrics, well articulated recordings and live plays. He was indeed\na legend. The Abeokuta, in Ogun State, born Yusuf Olatunji died on December 15,\n1978, at the of 69. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Below are excerpts of\nOloye Lekan Alabi’s discussion with City People’s Correspondent, Dare Adeniran,\nabout the remembrance anniversary program. During the intention the Ibadan high\nchief spoke extensively on his strong bond with the late Sakara king and his\ncollaboration with Baba L’egba’s family in keeping alive the late icon’s memory\nand in making sure that Sakara music doesn\u2019t go into oblivion. Enjoy it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a couple of days, as\na member of the planning committee, you will be celebrating the 40th\nremembrance of the late Sakara legend, Yusuf Olatunji aka ‘Baba L\u2019egba’. Tell\nus what people should expect at the program and what is your connection with\nthe music icon?<\/p>\n\n\n\n He was Yusuf Olatunji\nalias ‘Baba L’egba’ and exactly, God willing, on Saturday 15th December, 2018,\nwe shall be holding the 40th remembrance anniversary, fidau prayers, lecture\nand luncheon in his memory. He died on 15 December, 1978, in his home town,\nAbeokuta, Ogun State, at the age of 69.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The late Yusuf Olatunji\n\u2018Baba l\u2019egba\u2019 was an old friend of my father, the late Pa Abdulraheem Oladosu Alabi alias ‘right time\u2019. That is why\nYusuf Olatunji and his Sakara group, as they were known, played at my naming\nceremony in our beloved hometown Ibadan, capital of the then western region but\ncapital of Oyo State today. He played at my naming ceremony on Friday November\n3rd 1950. So I grew up hearing the philosophical music of Baba l\u2019egba and other\nartists, including the late S. Aka, who was my father\u2019s direct friend in the\nsense that, Baba l\u2019egba was more or less an uncle of my father’s closest\nfriend, the late Pa Mustapha Oladipupo alias ‘Olowotoro’ of Akoka compound sw1,\nIbadan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was baba Ladipo who\nwas closer to Baba l\u2019egba. In fact baba Ladipo married a niece of Baba l’egba\nbut my father’s other musician friend was S. Aka. So while Babalegba played at my own naming ceremony, S. Aka played at\nmy younger sister\u2019s naming ceremony as some sort of balancing. My father died\nMarch 18 1994. My mum is still alive, well as we are conducting this interview,\nmay she live long. She is 93 years old, with\nall her faculties functioning 100%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was she who would\nprepare the lunch or dinner or breakfast as it applied for Baba l’egba when he\ncame visiting and also get Baba l\u2019egba his favourite \u2018Ori Eran’.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course paid for by\nmy dad because Baba l\u2019egba will send his firstborn, who today is 83 years old,\nBaale of Lafenwa in Abeokuta, Chief Tajudeen Alabi Yusuf Olatunji, he also can\ncorroborate this statement. I was with him 3 days ago, I travelled to Abeokuta\nas part of the learning of this program, we are talking about. So that was the\nrelationship; I grew up to know that Baba l\u2019egba was my father’s older friend\nand he played at my naming ceremony, at\nwhich the late Chief Lekan Salami and the late Alhaji Alimi Adesina were the\nmasters of ceremony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But remove the\nprimordial relationship, look at Baba l\u2019egba on a platform of philosophy, rich\nlyrics, good beats including the idioms from his lead drummer, Kasumu Sanni and\nthe group, the talented group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If he died 40 years\nago, his records will be older than 40 yet they are as relevant as they were\nand will continue to be relevant because in their own time they rehearsed,\ncomposed and recorded sensible music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 40 years after Baba\nl’egba’s death and since this remembrance anniversary has been on, would you\nsay that the purpose of bringing up the idea is been fulfilled?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes, thank you very\nmuch. I was asked this at the press conference we held in Abeokuta on Tuesday.\nWhen he died December 15, 1978, the following year 1979 I started the\nsponsoring the anniversary, since 1979, 39 years ago. And the main objective\nremains for us to keep the perpetual memory, the name and works of Baba l’egba.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2, to encourage that, that genre of music,\nSakara does not go into oblivion because we established the Yusuf Olatunji\nFoundation in the year 2001, which was my concept from God and I formally wrote\nthe then governor of Ogun State our senior in the media profession, Aremo\nOlusegun Osoba, whose government bought into my idea hence we held a three day\nYusuf Olatunji Cultural festival in 2001 in Abeokuta, August 6 – August 9 2001,\nat the June 12 Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In one of the nights, I\nthink the grand finale night, the Chairman was the late Ambassador Segun\nOlusoji. It involved the late Alake, the late Olubadan Arapasowu, the late Ooni\nSijuade and many others. 3-day festival, including exhibition of late Baba\nl’egb’s apparatus, his instruments on display and many of his compositions\nbooks. I have copies of the books, I gave some to Oodua Investment’s Heritage\nMuseum on Cocoa House, Dugbe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And you will see that\nthese great artists not only rehearsed, but recorded the music. They wrote it\ndown and in Baba l’egba’s case, his compositions were written in cursive\nhandwriting; talented artist. So one is happy that the foundation came about\nwith the support of Ogun State government, under Aremo Olusegun Osoba and there\nwas a lecture by Professor Oduba. And since then we have kept it alive. So one\nis happy that the objectives are blessed by God and still aglow. So come\nSaturday December 15 this year, God willing, exact day when it will be 40 years\nthat Baba l’egba passed on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Also, his memorial\nband, being led by his grandson Abideen Ajasa, will entertain our guests here.\nThe Imams and other clerics will say prayers for him. There will be a lecture,\nas usual, on Saturday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You’ve talked\nexcellently well about Baba l’egba’s musical prowess and his achievements while\nhe was alive. Apart from luncheon and\nremembrance anniversary, what are the other things we are looking at in keeping\nhis memory?<\/p>\n\n\n\n As an individual,\nwithout being immodesty, people would say that no, you have tried your best.\nBut the scope which I imagine you want us to take it to and which we shall by the grace of God can only\nhappen with the support of government, corporate bodies, his fans or their\nfamilies and networth individuals who may buy into this idea and recoup their\nmoney, if not profit but that is not my own main objective but to take it to\nthe scope you are talking about now is beyond Oloye Lekan Alabi, it is beyond\nan individual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But I’m happy and proud\nof the little achievement we have made not only have we done and praticalised\nthe objective, his music and others that in the past nobody will want to listen\nto, they now feature on radio stations, DJ shows because of the deep philosophy\ncontained in their records.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We are also aware of\nthe your position as Chairman, Yusuf Olatunji Foundation since 200, what are\nyour roles as chairman of the foundation and how have you been able to position\nyourself by chairing most these foundations and all other monumental projects\nyou are involved in?<\/p>\n\n\n\n First of all let me say\nit is destiny because that’s my belief in life. We are all here in this life\nwith our destinies. Two, I am happy to be doing something I have passion for;\nexcellence, giving due recognition to our heroes and heroines whether dead or\nalive. One, so as to make them role models for others because life is not all\nabout money. Of course money is very good, it is essential part of good living\nbut we must always recognise excellence, creativity. As you have said yes, I am\nthe Chairman, Adegoke Adelabu Foundation; I have been the founding honorary\nSecretary of Adekunle Fajuyi Foundation; I am a trustee of D.O Fagunwa\nFoundation; I am a trustee of Duro\nLadipo Foundation among others. And you will see that all these heroes, they\nmade good marks in the various professions and aspects of human life not only\nYoruba land, not only Nigeria, not only Africa, but universally. Duro Ladipo,\nD.O Fagunwa, Adekunle Fajuyi; Adekunle Fajuyi is a symbol of loyalty and\nintegrity, courage because he surrendered to die with his host, General\nAguiyi-Ironsi. Some people would have sold the man out, Fajuyi the man of\nvalour. Adegoke Adelabu, the best student of his time. In his life from\nkindergarten to higher college, Yaba, which was the Nigeria’s highest\ninstitution before the University of Ibadan was founded in 1948, Adelabu never\ncame second and he had double promotions in elementary school, triple\npromotions in secondary. So you see they are the role models we should emulate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These are the people\ngovernments, institutions should symbolise for not only Nigerians but for\neverybody to emulate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is not all about\nmoney, money and lately Nigeria\u2019s, sorry, addiction to politics which is\ncommercial politics in essence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My roles, like the role\nof any chairman of a foundation, are primary with what we have been doing as I\nstated. Secondly, to keep alive the memory of my father’s older friend and who\nplayed at my naming ceremony. To ensure that we gather not only financial\nresources but social, which is part of it now your magazine is granting this\ninterview pro bono and you chairman said he would want me to tell him what\nfurther participation is City People would hold, which is very kind of you.\nWhich corroborated what I said that it is not all about money, keeping it\nalive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On keeping alive Yusuf\nOlatunji’s good memory and legacy, is there anyone taking after him in music\nand what are you doing to project or to help the person?<\/p>\n\n\n\n As part of the\nincentives for the luncheon of the foundation in 2001, Premier Music, one of\nthe recording companies of Babalegba, partnered with us and by the way let me\nsay that the planning committee for the foundation was headed by a late\nCommissioner for Information and Social Development of Ogun State; the Vice\nChairman was King Sunny Ade, who was the President of PMAN then and some staff of Ogun State Ministry of\nCulture: the eldest son of Babalegba, \nTajudeen was also part of it and my honourable self part of the planning\ncommittee but I was designated coordinator. Iyalode Alaba Lawson took, took a\ngreat part then<\/p>\n\n\n\n As I said since then we\nhave continue to do so and that is what we do. But I am happy that Premier\nMusic kept their word because we held ‘Sakara’ music competition for new stars\nand it was won by Erekedede and his group and they gave him a recording\ncontract for one year and he is now featuring in shows and recordings. Also, we\nhave encouraged about two Sakara bands in Ibadan, another part of Nigeria and\nas you know his grandson, Abideen leads his memorial band and he is going to\nplay, God willing, on Saturday December 15, 2018.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u2022Oloye LEKAN ALABITells City People Saturday 15th December, 2018, will make it exactly 40 years that the Sakara music legend, Yusuf Olatunji aka Baba l’egba passed on. And to celebrate…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":22082,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Lekan-Alabi-450x330.jpg?fit=450%2C330&ssl=1","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":115090,"url":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/oloye-lekan-alabi-remembers-late-dad-25-years-after-his-death\/","url_meta":{"origin":108574,"position":0},"title":"Oloye LEKAN ALABI Remembers Late Dad 25 Years After His Death","author":"Dare Adeniran","date":"March 25, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"On Sunday 17 March, 2019, the Agbaakin Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oloye Lekan Alabi held a 25th remembrance prayer for late father, Pa Abdul Raheem Oladosu Alabi aka \"Right Time''. The event, held at Yokelepekun Street, along Old Ife Road, Ibadan, residence of late Pa Raheem, had in attendance family, friends\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Celebrity Lifestyle"","block_context":{"text":"Celebrity Lifestyle","link":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/celebrity-lifestyle\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"LEKAN ALABI","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/LEKAN-ALABI-Set-For-40th-Wedding-Anniversary.jpg?fit=846%2C613&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/LEKAN-ALABI-Set-For-40th-Wedding-Anniversary.jpg?fit=846%2C613&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/LEKAN-ALABI-Set-For-40th-Wedding-Anniversary.jpg?fit=846%2C613&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/LEKAN-ALABI-Set-For-40th-Wedding-Anniversary.jpg?fit=846%2C613&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":26645,"url":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/chose-7717-date-honour-ife-oloye-lekan-alabi-new-appointment\/","url_meta":{"origin":108574,"position":1},"title":"Why I Chose 7\/7\/17 Date For My Honour In IFE, Oloye LEKAN ALABI On His New Appointment","author":"Dare Adeniran","date":"July 4, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"As National Museum Cultural Ambassador Come Friday July 7th, 2017, Agbaakin Olubadan of Ibadan land and the retired pioneer General Manager Corporate Affairs of O\u2019odua Group, Oloye Olalekan Rasheed Alabi, will be decorated and presented with the insignia of office, as new Cultural Ambassador of the National Museum, Ile-Ife. The\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Society"","block_context":{"text":"Society","link":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/society\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Lekan-Alabi-1.jpg?fit=250%2C257&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":16085,"url":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/city-people-set-celebrate-late-baba-legbas-grandson-sunday\/","url_meta":{"origin":108574,"position":2},"title":"City People Set To Celebrate Late Baba Legba\u2019s GrandSon This Sunday","author":"Daniji Emmanuel","date":"April 27, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 \u00a0 Come Sunday, 30th of April, 2017, City People Entertainment, an arm of the City People Media Techniques would host Abideen Olatunji who is the grandson of popular Nigerian Sakara drum player, the Late Yusif Olatunji. 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Sakara is a genre of African traditional music played by the Yoruba. 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