Date: 2009-05-27

I must confess I am not an authority in music, but there is at least some agreement on what constitutes a good music. In view of the kind of music that is produced today, one cannot but have nostalgic feelings of the music of yester years. It appears that there is no music produced in the 60s and 70s that is not interesting and sweet to the ears. These cover Juju, Apala, Highlife, Waka, Sakara, Apiri (in Ijesa and Ekiti). The roll call of Juju stars of those days includes Late Araba, Fatai Rolling Dollars, I.K Dairo, Oladunni Decency, Tunde Nightingale and Kayode Fashola. The next generation of Juju stars include Sunny Ade, Ebenezer Obey, Remi Olabanji, Dele Abiodun a.k.a Adawa Super, Emperor Pick Peters, Ahuja Bello, Sir Idowu Animashaun-Apola King, Sir Shina Peters, Professor Y.K Ajao, Suberu Oni, Comfort Omoge, Sir Francis Akintade, Col Juba, Sunny Pedido, Segun Adewale, Micho Ade, etc. The first generation of Apala musicians were Haruna Ishola, Ayinla Omowura a.ka Egunmogaji, Fatai Olowoyo, Yusuf Olatunji a.k.a Baba Legba, Odolaye Aremu, Mukaili Mugaiba. Waka include Batile Alake and Salawa Abeni. Fuji stars of those days are Ayinde Barrister, Ayinla Kollington, Iyanda Sawaba. The next generation of Fuji musicians are Wasiu Ayinde a.k.a Kwam 1, Abass Akande a.ka. Orobokibo omorapala, Wasiu Alabi Pasuma, Sule Alao Malaika, Osupa Saheed a.ka. Saridon, etc.

Highlife music was the most popular in those days and the leading stars of this brand of music included Sir Victor Olaiya, Roy Chicago, Sir Adeolu Akinsanya a.k.a Baba Eto, Cardinal Jim Rex Lawson, Fela Anikulapo Kuti a.k.a Abami eda (the strange one), Dr. Orlando Owoh, Ade Wesco, Oriental Brothers, Oliver De Coque, Pop musicians of those days were, Chris Okotie with evergreen tunes like Caroline and Good bye teacher, Jide Obi with a tune like kill me with love, Felix Liberty with a tune like Lover Boy and Ifeoma. Later there was Tera Kota with the hit tune of 'Lamentation of Sodom'. One spectacular Highlife musician of that time was Sir Victor Olaiya who together with Sir I.k Dairo entertained the Queen of England during Nigeria's independence anniversary. Their tracks remain evergreen till date.