Yayi steals show at 2017 Oronna festival

The Senator representing Lagos West in the National Assembly who is also gubernatorial hopeful in Ogun State, Senator Adeola Olamilekan popularly known as Yayi became cynosure of all eyes at this year celebration of 2017 Oronna festival which tagged as "Festival of Harmony" held on Saturday in Ilaro, Yewa South of Ogun State.

The grand finale of 7 day Oronna festival was colourful, as Ogun State delegation were ably led by the Secretary to the State government, Barr. Taiwo Adeoluwa. The Speaker of Ogun State House of Assembly, Hon. Suraju Adekunbi, Prince Gboyega Nosiru Isiaka, Ogun Central APC Chairman, Hon. Kunle Adesina, Hon. Fola Salami and a host of important personalities, included the  Yewa Chiefs, Sons and daughters were virtually Present at the occasion.

The Paramount ruler of Yewaland, HRH Oba Kehinde Olugbenle specially recognized Senator Adeola.

"I want to specially appreciate my own son, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola YAYI for his tremendous contributions to the growth and development of his town and Yewaland as a whole."  The Chairman of Ogun State traditional council said.

Supporters of Senator Adeola dominated the occasion where the Gospel juju musician, Abel Dosunmu Mega 99 was on stage to entertain people. 

PapaLanto: The history of a town!

PapaLanto: The history of a town!

By PIA

There was a woman, a popular food-seller, Olaito who married to a great hunter and farmer, Adeitan. Adeitan is an Owu man who relocated to a forest which is today called Papalanto.

Why is the town named Papalanto?

You will read it in my blog.

 Do you also know or remember this song?

Ogun melo re toju rẹ ja? Ogun Adubi soju mi ja.

Iya rẹ nke lọ bi ewurẹ
Baba rẹ nke lọ bi aparo
Iwọ na n bẹ lọ bi igala
Omi ireke l’ẹ n bu s'ebẹ
L’ẹ n bu S'e bẹ l’ẹtun fi n r’ọmọ.

Papalanto is paramount in the history of Egbas. Many of 30,000 Egba soldiers who fought European warlords during Adubi war could not have survived without the Sugarcane cultivation of PapaLanto. There was no water to drink but Egbas used extracted water from Sugarcane to cook and drink. 

The great hunter and farmer, Adeitan founded Papa in the 18th century. Ifa Oracle directed Adeitan to leave Owu community in Abeokuta, he followed and listened to the divine voice. He stayed at exactly in the place today called Papa ti Olaito.

Adeitan and his wife, Olaito, resettled in this bush for years without anybody or relatives. While Adeitan was hunting, his wife, Laito specialized in selling different dishes with the assorted bush meat from the animals killed by his husband. Laito's place suddenly became Mecca where the travellers and all kind of people used to have stop over to eat and relax.

Occasionally, they would meet the great hunter, Adeitan whom many of them wished and admired to meet. There were no animal that Adeitan could not kill. He was famous hunter.

Later, the man known as Famuyiwa Adegoyinbo joined them. Famuyiwa was adopted as their Son because both Adeitan and Laito could not give birth to any child. One day, Adeitan and Olaito disappeared to unknown destination, and nobody could trace or locate them till today.

Before their disappearance, people had started living with them.

Famuyiwa who inherited Adeitan's belongings, and  other people named the village as Papa Olaito. It was formerly called Oju oja.

PapaLanto is known for cultivation of Sugar cane. Ireke Papa. Sugar cane has been cultivated in this area since the days of Adeitan and his wife.

Dr. Orlando Owoh : 9 years remembrance today!

Dr. Orlando Owoh : 9 years remembrance today!

Wherever Orlando Owoh went for boxing competitions, King Sunny Ade was the manager of his boxing kits.

You guess right, the same Juju musician, Sunday Adeniyi. Orlando was also good boxer that everybody wished to associate with.

Though, Orlando Owoh could not go beyond Standard 6 education but he travelled round the World, he
received honorary degrees and awards from many higher institutions of learning which included the University of London and got offers from foreign labels.

Three of Orlando' sons, Orimipe, his first Son, Daisi and Kunle Orlando Owoh who inherited Kenneries band are also Musicians, they are all based in America. Kunle is always on ground to play in Nigeria.

Orlando was the only musician in Juju History who could enter music studio to record without rehearsal. What he would only need was to take his Igbo. He was the only musician whom late Fela Anikulapo-Kuti allowed to sing in his African Shrine in Lagos.

Orlando waxed his records for Hausas (Allah LA tuba...), he remembered the Nigerian famous footballer, Samuel Okparaji who died in Lagos during Nigeria qualifying match ("NFA, Nigeria Football Association, I sympathize for the death of Okparaji, You come from Europe to represent your father's land, destination can be changed but destiny can never be changed")

Dr. Stephen Oladipo Olaore OWOmoyela popularly known as Orlando Owoh was born in Osogbo, Osun State on 14th of February, 1932.

His Father, Jeremiah hailed from Ifon in Ose, while his mother, Morenike was from Owo in Ondo State.

Orlando joined the carpentry and Construction business of his father after his Standard 6 Education. But his mind was not on the job, he had to relocate to Ilesha and Ibadan from Oshogbo. He was hired by Kola Ogunmola Theatre Group in 1958 to play drums and sing because of special music talents.

Two years later, Dr. Orlando Owoh formed his Omimah Band, later turned it into 'Young Kenneries' and 'the African Kenneries International'. Dr. Orlando Owoh was popular Juju musician, band leader in Nigeria.

He had over 45 albums to his credit which were mostly produced by Decca Records (Afrodisia records), Electromat records and Shanu-Olu records. Among them were ; Ajanaku Daraba, Apartheid, Asotito Aye, Awa de, Ayo mi sese bere, Cain ati Abel, Easter special, E ku iroju, Emi wa wa lowo re, Experience, Ganja I, Ganja II, Ibaje eniyan, Igba aye Noah, Ire loni, I say No, Iwa l'Oluwa nwo, Iyawo Olele, Jeka sise, Kangaroo, Kennery de ijo ya, Kose mani, Late Dele Giwa, Logba Logba, Ma wo mi roro, Message, Mo juba agba, Money 4 hand back 4 ground, Oriki Ojo, Orin titun, Thanksgiving, Which is which. E get as e be.

His wives included; Muyibat, Folashade and Funke.

Dr. Orlando Owoh died on the 4th of November, 2008 at Ikeja General Hospital, Lagos and was laid to rest at his Agege residence in Lagos against his wish. As his manager, Samuel Olayiwola a.k.a Musese (E ba mi ki Musese, Owoh Nile Oni Musese...in Orlando record) said Orlando wanted the family to bury him in his Ifon residence but his wives rejected the idea.

Sons, Daughters, Others gather to celebrate Obalaju Day in Yewaland

Sons, Daughters, Others gather to celebrate Obalaju Day in Yewaland

It was joyful mood as the Sons, daughters, the well-wishers and the invited guests gathered on Saturday at Joga-Orile in Yewa North Local government to celebrate 2017 Obalaju Day celebration.

Top of the programmes was the N50m endowment and appeal fund raising towards the building of the Ultra-modern Palace of Abepa of joga-land.

The Senator representing Lagos West, Senator Olamilekan Adeola who was the Chairman  of the occasion was ably represented by the delegations led by Ogun central All Progressives Congress Chairman, Hon. Adekunle Adeshina,  Former ogun commissioner for local government and chieftaincy  affairs, Aare Tunde Alabi, Hon Fola Salami, Hon. Abiola, Hon Tairu Jimoh, Hon Adebowale Sunday. Hon. Biola Akinsunbo, Chief SMA Akinyemi and others.

Senator Adeola and others donated cash for the fund raising of the ongoing construction of ultra modern Palace.

There was exhibition of cultural display by Joga people.

His Royal Highness, Abepa of Joga-Orile, Oba (Dr.) Adeyemi Olanrewaju Adekeye, JP,  Chairman, Obalaju day planing committee who is also Jagunmolu of Joga-Orile, Chief Akande Omoniyi, Chief Olu Agemo and the Secretary of the planning committee,  Aare Taiwo Ayokanmbi thanked all the donors of the occasion.

Omo obalaju o r'ogunja, o ja 'gboro logun. Aseyi samodun o.

Abẹokuta: The real home of Adirẹ tie-dyed clothes

Abẹokuta: The real home of Adirẹ tie-dyed clothes

The technological scenario in which the China based clothes manufacturers had partly succeeded in taking over the mass production of Egba traditional way of clothing people has necessitated for the proper documentation of the history and genesis of Abẹokuta's Adire/Kampala clothes.

The Editor of Encyclopedia of Clothing and fashion who is also the Director of Fashion institute of Technology (FIT), State University of New York museum, in United States, Dr. Valerie Steele and Fashion and clothing expert, Angela Sancartier, traced the origin of Adire tied and dyed clothes to Abẹokuta, the State capital of Ogun State, South-west of Nigeria.

Angela ascertained that “As a distinctive textile type, adire first appeared in the city of Abẹokuta, a centre for cotton production, weaving, and indigo-dyeing in the nineteenth century. The prototype was tie-dyed kijipa, a handwoven cloth dyed with indigo for use as wrappers and covering cloths. Female specialists dyed yarns and cloth and also recycled faded clothing by re-dyeing the cloth with tie-dyed patterns.”

Adirẹ is being made by tying and stitching with raffia, Aako or cotton thread, Owu or by using fowl feathers to dab painted cassava paste on the cloth. 

The British manufacturing firms introduced cheap, durable and imported clothes, and stormed the market with colorful, flamboyant and inexpensive printed textiles, the adire producers emerged to meet the modern challenge. 

The local women realised that the imported white cotton materials already manufactured with sophisticated technology was cheaper than handwoven cloth and could be decorated and dyed to meet local tastes, needs and demands. This virtually replaced the rough edged, woolen and old Kijipa cloth.

In 1920, Senegalese and Gambians merchants used to come to Abẹokuta to buy as many as 2,000 wrappers in one day from the female traders at Itoku Kemta (According to Byfield 2002, Page. 114).

A female expatriate, Betty Okuboyejo who once lived in Abẹokuta, is credited with introducing high-quality adire-inspired cloth using a full range of commercial color-fast dyes to expatriates and Nigerian elites (Eicher 1976,  Page. 76).

Betty Okuboyejo devoted most of her life time on development of Tie-dyed clothes in Egbaland. 

Infact, She sadly posted on facebook timelune Okuboyejo that most of the Old Adirẹ clothes were no more produced again in Abeokuta.

           Picture of Old tie-dyed clothes from Betty Okuboyejo.

From old and local methods of using house painting dye, raffia, to maize or cassava powder, and fowl feathers to the replacement with special candles, multi-coloured dyes, starch and quality textile materials had made the production of Adire very easy. Yet, the production still not much large, but remained locally produced in Abeokuta. Some traders from towns like Ibadan, Oshogbo and others are also produced Adire. 

Adirẹ is the main job of Kemta, Sodẹkẹ and Itoku people in Abeokuta. It could be Adire Eleko, Adire Oniko, Adire batik and others.

Adirẹ oniko is wrapped or tied with raffia, Ako to resist the dye from reaching some parts of the clothes used.  Adirẹ ẹlẹkọ has starchy maize or cassava watery paste painted onto the surface of the cloth as the resisting agent. Adirẹ Alabẹrẹ is the method of stitching the cloth with thread before dying it.  Adirẹ onibatani is made with the aid of zinc stencils to control the application of the resisting starch.

As Alake of Egbaland celebrates 74 years tomorrow

As Alake of Egbaland celebrates 74 years tomorrow

After the demise of His Royal Highness, Ọba Samuel Oyebade Adeluọla Ishọla Mofọlọrunshọ Lipẹde, Ọmọ Erinjogunọla, Ara Erunwọn, Ọkọ Alhaja Wosilat on the 3rd of February, 2005 - after he spent 33 years on the throne at the age of 90 years - Ọba Micheal Adedọtun Arẹmu Gbadebọ from Laarun Ruling House emerged six month later as the 10th Alake of Egbaland as he scored 15 out of 23 votes in a transparent election conducted by the Afọbajẹs, the King-makers. He defeated 10 contenders who had applied for the Obaship with the Application letters and Curriculum vitaé included his younger brother, Adeleke Gbadebọ.

The then Ogun State governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel wrote a letter after 21 days to confirm Ọba Micheal Adedọtun Arẹmu Gbadebọ as Alake of Egbaland.

Unlike his grandfather, the 6th Alake who married 24 wives and his father who married 3 wives, Alake Ẹgba, Ọba Adedọtun Arẹmu Gbadebọ married only Dr. Tokunbo Gbadebọ, the daughter of the famous publisher and Yoruba author, Joseph Fọlọrunshọ Ọdunjọ, J.F. Odunjọ popularly known as Alawiye.

Ọba Adedọtun Gbadebọ was born on the 14th of September, 1943. He attended St. Augustine’s Roman Catholic Mission (RCM) School, Itẹsi, Abeokuta in 1949. He also attended  Baptist Boys’ High School (BBHS), Oke-Ekunya, Abeokuta in 1957. He did his Higher School Certificate course at the Ibadan Grammar School, Ibadan, Oyo state, and proceeded to University of Ibadan in 1965 to obtain Bachelor of Arts degree in 1969.

He joined the Nigerian army in 1969, and attended the Command and Staff College, Jaji in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State,
from September, 1978 to August 1979.

Ọkọ Tokunbọ, Tokunbo's husband became a Principal Staff Officer to the Chief of Staff,
Major-General Abdul-Baki Tunde Idiagbon at the Supreme Military Headquarters, Dodan Barracks, Lagos State from January 1984 to September 1985. He retired from the Nigerian army as a Colonel together with General Muhammadu Buhari and Tunde Idiagbon. Muhammadu Buhari was number one on the list of those Soldiers retired then by the military government, Tunde Idiagbon was number two, Magoro, number three while Ọba Adedọtun Gbadebọ was number 14 on that retirement list.

Ọba Adedọtun Gbadebọ has been on the throne as the 30th but 10th Alake of Egbaland that reigned since August 2nd, 2005.