🎵Ado lo koko j’Oba Eko….. Oba ni
Oba ni Gabaro…Oba ni
Akinsemoyin…Oba ni
Ologun Kutere…Oba ni
Adele Ajosun…Oba ni
Eshinlokun…Oba ni
Idewu Ojulari…Oba ni
Oba l’Oluwole…Oba ni
Oba l’Akintoye…Oba ni
Kosoko Morounfolu…Oba ni
Oba Dosunmu…Oba ni
Oba l’Oyekan (I)…Oba ni
Oba l’Esugbayi…Oba ni
Oba Falolu…Oba ni
Adele Musediku…Oba ni
Adeyimika Oyekan (II)…Oba ni
Sule Adisa…..Oba ni
Sule Adisa… Omo Oba ni
B’Oba ba kan e
A o s’Eyo lorisirisi araiye a gbo
Omo Oba nii
Adisa Sulemoona, Omo Oba ni
Arole Odunsi mi, Adisa Sulemona omo Oba ni
Omo Eshinlokun Eshinlokun omo Oba ni
A seyin loni Ilu Eko…
Yusufu Olatunji vol 17 titled Yegede a 1973 release is arguably the most popular Sakara album of all time. There is a good chance this song would be in the music collection of 80% of Yoruba speakers throughout the world. Despite its popularity, there is an error and two controversial matters in the album.
In the intro of this album, Baba Legba mentioned all the past Obas of Lagos and his backup singers chorused “Oba ni” When Prince Sule Adisa’s name was mentioned after Oba Adeyinka Oyekan, the band boys erroneously chorused ‘Oba ni’ the slip was immediately rectified by Baba Legba when he said “Omoba ni” that was the first error.
The omission of two Obas when recording the list of Obas namely Oba Ibikunle Akitoye and Oba Sanusi Olusi who reigned in Lagos between 1925-1928 and between 1928- 1931 respectively when Oba Esugbayi Eleko was in exile in Oyo. These two Obas were substantive Obas, it was an omission that historians frowned upon which made some consider it an incomplete history of Lagos. Though Olatunji cannot be reprimanded for this mistake because the omission was either deliberate by Prince Sule Adisa or Prince S Abeni Omo Shonibare a friend of Yusufu Olatunji and a composer who might have given the list of the past Obas to Olatunji.
The third flaw in the album was when Baba Legba said the Eyo play would be staged when Sule Adisa eventually succeeds the throne, Eyo play is always performed for the funeral of eminent people in Lagos not to usher in a new Oba.
Prince Sule Adisa the man Olatunji described as ‘Arole Odunsi’ was a scion of Oba Eshinlokun. Odunsi was the son of Oba Kosoko. Sule Adisa was rumored to have disappeared without a trace after the release of this record and Oba Oyekan outlived him.
Despite the above, Yegede became Olatunji’s most commercially successful album. Alhaja Chief Kabura Adebisi Cash Woman who was serenaded on the flip side of the album is still very much alive today. May God continue to bless her with a long and healthy life..
Credit: Social Media
