Ogundipe, Esq.@The_Ogundipe
The knowledge I acquired from the songs of Chief Ebenezer Obey, King Sunny Ade, Ayinla Omowura, Barrister, and Fela is quite substantial.
Ayinla Ọmọwura, generally adjudged as an illiterate, through his music schooled me on what transpired during the 1973 census, Naira change, past regimes, assassination of Murtala Muhammed with ease. His narration was so vivid on Murtala's assassination and the aftermath that I felt present.
"O dori oye ninu ọdun sẹminti faifu ('75) to kọja lọ, ni Julai tuẹnti nain (July 29) nlo gbọpa asẹ ki Dimika o to da loro... Tatin (13) Fẹbuari ni wọn pa Muritala Ramọọti, Muhammad o di gbere. Sẹminti siisi ('76) yi ga, afi k'Okuwa o yọ wa"
Most of the significant dates I know about Nigeria were picked from those songs. When you study the life and songs of Ayinla Ọmọwura, your notion of what constitutes intelligence should undergo deconstruction and reconstruction.
Never read anything about Madam Bisoye Tẹjuoṣo in any book, but the moment I saw her name now, the song that came to mind is Chief Obey's:
L'atọjọ ta ti tẹlu Ẹgba do,
Iyalode Ẹgba ṣẹṣẹ di mẹta ni,
Agba lo toro'lọ iyẹn ni t'Iyalode Ẹgba
Madam Tinubu, ni Iyalode akọkọ
Madam Tojolọla ni Iyalode ẹkeji
Bisoye Tẹjuoṣo, Simbiatu Abiọla
Alhaja Simbiatu Atinukẹ Abiọla, Ọtun Iyalode.
From the song, I realised that she was the third Iyalode of Ẹgba, while late Alhaja Simbiatu Abiọla was her deputy.
Now, we are left with songs with lyrics like: "Your bombom bigger than Bombay".
