When early on Monday
January 13 we arrived in the ancient Oyo town in company of thousands of well-wishers
of the popular musician Wasiu Ayinde to celebrate with him, Oba Adeyemi asked
that three of us – the Minister of Interior Rauf Aregbesola, Minister of
Information and Culture Alhaji Lai Muhammed and I to be brought to meet with
him in his inner recess. I was in Oyo to represent the Vice President of
Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osinbajo at the event while the two Ministers were
there to represent the President, Muhammadu Buhari.
Oba Lamidi Adeyemi l, the
Alaafin of Oyo is not your regular traditional ruler. He is a very reflective
monarch who is deep in the ways of his ancestors. Highly perceptive, Kabiyesi
is a trove of information on the history and mores of Yoruba race. Sitting with
him and listening to him talk is like entering into an ancient library and
communing with the past of a race.
His recall of incidents,
occurrences and dates is as legendary as his reflections on the past, present
and the future of the Yoruba race.
Talking about the court
room accomplishment of Sapara Williams, the first Yoruba lawyer you will think
he was there present. His narrative was so graphic that a script writer will
have enough for a movie.
That was Kabiyesi who early
in his years was known simply as Lamidi Elese, Lamidi the boxer as result of
his love for boxing.
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Sitting down with Kabiyesi,
he said: “gentlemen before this event commences I owe you an explanation of why
I am giving out this title.“
“Unlike some others I do
not give title for money. How much will Wasiu bring to this palace?”, he said.
Kabiyesi said he had over a
long time reflected on the Yoruba entertainers and their contributions to the
development of the culture.
“They promote our culture,
promote harmony and happiness and yet people consider them as beggars. I want
to change all of that”, he said emphatically.
Wasiu, he said , has taken
Yoruba music and culture to the rest of the world and therefore deserves to be
recognized. Kabiyesi regaled us with the contribution of the Alarinjos who
pioneered the Yoruba theatre, handed it over to the traveling theatre and from
there to today’s movie actors and actresses.
These cultural workers from
Ogunde, Dura Ladipo, Lere Paimo, Oyin Adejobi and their likes remained
unhonored despite their contribution. This , he said , motivated him when ten
years ago he first mulled the idea of making Wasiu Mayegun but had to change
his mind at the last minutes because he wanted
to observe him a bit more.
“Today I am fully convinced
of his contributions and his character hence my bringing him here for this honour
for his contributor to our ancestry “., Kabiyesi said.
It was a colourful day with
many Kings from across Yorubaland coming to honour both the Kabiyesi and the
honouree. The Fuji musicians were present in large numbers and so were the
Yoruba actors and those who are referred to as socialites for making party
rounds.
It also witnessed a beautiful
display of Yoruba culture. The high point was when the Kabiyesi got up from his
throne and went to where the wives sat and engage them in banters. After
carrying out a ritual of drumming with them, he splashed them with some naira
notes.
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