In the 60s

A few years ago I expressed (in this post) my preference for the more 'profane' work of Nigerian juju star Ebenezer Obey. "Profane" in the original sense that is, i.e. "not belonging to a church or religion".

On closer inspection, I have to take back what I wrote.

In fact there are, in my opinion, no better songs in Obey's extensive repertoire than the godfearing tracks collected on this album "Ebenezer Obey in the 60's".
This has been one of favourite juju albums (if not THE favourite) for over 25 years. And in all this time its shine has not diminished. On the contrary, the lp has only grown in stature, as a monument to the early work of the now chief commander.

Unlike the majority of juju music albums this lp does not contain two medleys, but a total of twelve short tracks. Among these there are several that, as far as I am concerned, can compete with the best tracks from the sixties by pan-african superstars like Franco and Kabasellé.
To me the very best of these is the concise but heavenly "Ori Bayemi". I get tears in my eyes every time I listen to this stupefyingly beautiful song. Obey manages to cram all of the good bits of juju music into less than three minutes, including - in order of appearance - some eternal guitar chords, very casual sounding but for exactly this reason brilliant lead and chorus interplay and a 'get down & shake it' drums bit.

The whole of the A-side is in fact of a surreal wonderfulness. "Ope Fun Oluwa" and "Gbe Bemi Oluwa", both songs filled to the brim with Jesus and Our Lord (Oluwa), offer stiff competition to "Ori Bayemi", with the rootsy (okay, you can shoot me now) "Ope Fun Oluwa" very close, if only for the great rhythm.

The only hint of profanity is in "Pauline", a song with sensual guitar balanced against manly vocals and chest-beating drums.

On the B-side there are some surprising jewels. Like "Edumare Lon Pese". After the opening notes I almost expect Tunde Nightingale to squeak in. I love the guitar in this song.

This lp is the first volume in a series of two. But if you ask me, the second volume does not get close to this (mono!!) evergreen of Nigerian - and African - music.

Decca WAP 432 or Decca WAP 432

Board Members

I was digging through what I call "my archives" (and what my wife calls "that junk in the attic") when I came upon a pile of magazines from way past. If I'm not mistaken I picked them up sometime during the mid-eighties from Stern's, when they were still a little cornershop in Whitfield Street.

One of the magazines, the September/October 1981 issue of Africa Music, contained an interview with juju master Ebenezer Obey, "popularly called "Chief Commander" by his closest fans as well as adversaries". The interview (pdf copy here) is full of references to his religious ardour ("I see myself as a musician, gospeller, and businessman who will spend the rest of his life spreading the gospel").

Two quotes caught my eye: "We have also seen how cassettes are threatening to wipeout the music industry by its negative effects" and "Among those old hits, 'Board Members' remains the all time bestseller and my own favourite".

So I am posting the cassette version of this classic album from 1972, re-released on Obey's own Obey label.

Obey OC 38 (new link Nov.10, 2012)

Juju organ

In order to stay ahead of the competition the stars of juju music have always tried to introduce 'novelties' into their music. I don't mean I.K. Dairo's accordion, because the accordion was his original instrument. I am referring to the steel or hawaiian guitar which, started as a novelty, at one point even threatened to dominate the music style.

A more innocuous form of novelty can be found on this album from 1978 by Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey and his Inter-Reformers Band. Luckily the organ is limited to the A-side of the lp. Don't get me wrong: it's great, but two sides would be too much of a good thing...

The album cover seems to portray Obey as the reformed religious man he would like to be. A shepherd and his flock.

WAPS 418

Inter-Reformers

There are times when I am not too unhappy about my lack of knowledge of languages like Lingala, Swahili, Twi or Yoruba. Even with the very few African languages that I do understand a tiny bit I get irritated by the over-the-top religiousness of some lyrics.

I have a feeling this might be the case as well with the lyrics of Ebenezer Obey.

I have read somewhere that he used to be a sinner. Drinking, loose morals and a dose of debauchery, I suppose.

Until religion came into his life.

Maybe it's those traces of a life of vice that attract me to his earlier work. Here's a wonderful cassette from 1975 by Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey and his Inter-Reformers* Band.

It comes with a warning: do not play it while driving a car on a motorway with a speed limit!!

*known before (in those drinking days) as the International Brothers Band