It would be remiss of me not to mention (indeed emphasise) that Sakara music provides an oral chronicle of the epochal events in our history – wars; political turmoil; treachery and betrayals; injustice; landmark court cases, marriages, and deaths, etc.
What I have written about in my book “The Godfather Never Sleeps” bears repetition. Right there in the presence of my Dad, the Sakara ace musician AyindeBakare “shafted” him.
“Esin Baba Bandele je lodan, won gbe fun.Awon J.K. Randle, won pa kadarada.Oro ponibe.”
What had happened was that at the Race Course (horse racing), a horse belonging to a non-Lagosian had tied with a horse belonging to Sir Adeyemo Alakija (a Lagosian). It was actually a photo-finish. The judges could not determine the winner until my father stepped in and with his casting vote. Sir Adeyemo Alakija’s horse was declared the winner. It caused considerable uproar and resentment especially amongst those who had backed the other horse. What was truly amazing was that my Dad actually took it all on the chin. He laughed uproariously and handed over a huge sum of money to the musicians as a parting gift. It did not in any way disrupt the fantastic relationship that had been firmly established between him and the Sakara maestro.
My only disagreement with the Sakara musicians revolves around the song:
“Ibitialagbara tin sise, Ole asi ma rise” which translates as: “While the hardworking man is striving to succeed, the chronically indolent will somehow prosper.”
Absolute rubbish. Disgusting. That is how Lagos and Lagosians became totally brainwashed (and thoroughly messed up).
Regardless, I am on their side in their consistent denunciation of those who are in office but not in power and vice versa. The same goes for their repugnance of the arrogance of power by the pompous and the obnoxious. It is most gratifying that they remain eternally grateful to late Chief Obafemi Awolowo for his free education programme which was launched in 1955 in the Western Region and subsequently spilled over to parts of Lagos – Badagry; Epe; Ikorodu and Ikeja.
I never cease to be amazed by the dexterity of Sakara musicians in recalling flawlessly the royal lineage and tenure of the Kings (Obas) of Lagos from the first Oba Ado to the current Kabiyesi, His Majesty Oba Rilwanu Babatunde Aremu Akiolu II, CON, The Oba of Lagos.
As for the military and civilian governors of Lagos State from 1967 to date, the Sakara musicians have done their research into their antecedents and pedigree with uncommon diligence – regardless of whether their original roots were in the North; South; East, or West. They would not ever allow anyone to pull the wool over their eyes. They remain a veritable encyclopaedia – going back several generations.
Where the musicians truly excel is when they pay fulsome and well-deserved homage to the Abibu Oki; Coker; Shitta-Bey; Ajose-Adeogun; Gbajumo; Dabiri; Durosimi-Etti; Okunnu; Jubril Martins; Smith; Mabinuori; Doherty; Emanuel; Ogunbiyi; Augusto; Olanrewaju; Oshodi-Glover; Oyekan; Leigh; Euba; Daranijo; Lawson; Abisogun; Pedro; Cardoso and Sho-Silva, and Williams families. They have mastered the “oriki” (cognomen) of each family and committed it to memory. Absolutely phenomenal.
When it comes to paying tribute to a royalty of various categories (especially those who own large tracts of land), you cannot beat the Sakara musicians who never fail to remind the present Obas and princes of the exploits of their ancestors in terms of business acumen, piety, and humility as well as their doggedness in protecting their property from invaders, including the British Colonial Government.
We owe the Sakara musicians a huge debt of gratitude for the vigour with which they have captured, through oral history, the amazing courage of the “Agbekoya” (farmers) in fighting oppression and high-handedness by government officials to a standstill. In a similar vein, the musicians slagged off the masters of corruption and the puppeteers behind rigged elections as well as the beneficiaries of abandoned projects.
What is most remarkable is that in the performance of these monumental feats, Sakara musicians rely on their voices accompanied by rustic musical instruments such as “Molo” (also known as “Agidigbo”) and native violin.
Incidentally, Bashorun M.K.O. Abiola who was a Chartered Accountant and winner of the 1993 Presidential election started off playing in a Sakara band in his youth.
Read also: Sakara music for my birthday
Perhaps I should add that Sakara musicians came to the rescue when two Lagos families were hit by disaster. The first was the Akerele family. About eighty years ago, one of the Akerele twins drowned in the Lagos lagoon. About a decade later the family of Chief H.O. Davies (an old boy of King’s College, Lagos) suffered a similar fate. A son drowned at the Bar Beach. It was the musicians who went to town with the warning to all children: “Ma lo we l’okun mo”. “Do not go swimming at the Bar Beach.”
It is most surprising that the government has not thought it fit to engage the services of Sakara musicians in the COVID-19 campaign to persuade Lagosians to wear masks and surrender themselves for vaccination.
Sakara music has earned its place as a “Hidden Treasure” by regaling us with tales of long-forgotten epic battles for power and kingship between Oba Adeniji Adele and his rival (and successor) Oba Adeyinka Oyekan. Where the music gets even more exotic is when it delves into religious themes: “Alhaji to re Mecca, barika e.”
“The Alhaji who has just returned from a pilgrimage to Mecca, you are most welcome.”
This would almost invariably be followed by an appeal for gifts: “EfiAlasalatu ran se” – to encourage the musicians to confine themselves to religious music.
However, on one occasion a pilgrim who was alleged to have committed an offence in Mecca and had consequently been punished by amputation of his right hand became the target of the musicians when he returned.
The music promptly changed to:
“Alhaji to re Mecca, gbeowo e sokekiaiye le ri” which translates as: “The pilgrim that has just returned from Mecca, please raise your two hands so that we can verify the allegation regarding amputation.”
