I was at the Inaugural Press Conference of AYINLA OMOWURA LEGACY AND RESEARCH CENTRE (AOLERC) that took place at the. secretariat of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, Abeokuta. At the event, AYINLA was brought back to life and you cannot but admire what Ayinla Omowura stood for and what his music still stands for.
In my opinion, of all the past songsters in South West, Ayinla Omowura has the most conscious and structured fans club. AOLERC is a creation of ardent admirers and lovers of the music of Ayinla Omowura for the enhancement of his songs to the deepening of Yoruba tradition, culture, language arts, and values among other aims and objectives of the research center. Commendable.
“The dullish, usually stoned, beady eyeballs that seemingly sparked tiny embers of fire on focus. The unusually distended esophagus, and those smoky-colored full lips looking ready to take a rich, long drag on a joint, all look familiar. That unmistakable dominant "shhh" sound. An impediment that more or less gave the Anigilaje speech pattern and sound its authenticity. The Omowura body mechanics that are essentially razz, deliberately uncouth, streets and beautifully hoodlumish.” That is how my father, Odosky, has described the enigmatic Ayinla. And I completely agree with him. But beyond that, there is more to the man that made many go ecstatic everywhere he surfaced when he was alive.
In Ayinla was the point where music met with gripping dance steps. One can’t but agree that Ayinla’s music is the concatenation of diverse elements, such as his racy and rich rhythm, his deep immersion in Yoruba metaphysics and wisdom, all of which are resident in his ability to situate his songs in the happenings of his immediate society at that time, current affairs.
One of the beautiful aspects of Ayinla's music is the unique fast tempo mixed with the adeptness and unparalleled brilliance of his lead drummer, Adewole Oniluola who will always chaperone Ayinla— whenever he strayed off-key and sometimes lost his words— to the right keys, notes and sometimes would even remind him in a concise beat— teamwork.
Ayinla employed music, especially songs as a vehicle for the expression of feelings and condemnation of untoward acts.
Notably, some of the songs are most of the time reactionary, an example of his musical tirades of abuse with his arch-rival, Fatai Olownyo, another saucily brilliant musician. If you want to go sarcastic, if you wish to rebuke a recalcitrant wife or child, kindly chant Ayinla omowura's lyrics. They are not only apt for the aforementioned situations. They are also didactic and socioculturally relevant.
Well, sometimes, brilliance and confidence will appear like arrogance, that is the definitive example of Anigilage, “Presidenti Akorin, Puresidenti Akorin, Ayinla Omowura o so’tunde, Anigilage Omo itoko. Anigilaje Omo itoko, Presidenti Akorin. He continued towards the end: “Won ti mura tan, k’an wo moto lo de ku, Ota mi d’eru, o fe salo.” Elsewhere, he pontificated, “Otun gbe ogbon kan de o Ayinla Omowuramotu, oyinbo l’ofin korin, t’awon elegbe ntumo re, Adewole lulu asiko fun wa oo”.
Finally, I commend the efforts of those behind this initiative. And I, especially, congratulate Dr Kola Adesina, Alhaji Isiaka Olagoke, and Uncle Ayo Ojeniyi for their solid love for Ayinla
Inset: Mr Ayo Ojeniyi, Folorunso Fatai Adisa, Alh. Olaniyi Isiaka Olagoke(FCA) and Dr Kola Adesina (HOD, Mass Communication Crescent University, Abeokuta)
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