Hmmm! SAB vs Ayinla Omowura
It is an interesting story to hear. And the fact that no one has been able to feed the public what actually went wrong, not even the press, except to tell us hearsay. Olaribigbe and GIB continue to pressurize me and also the need to know almost everything about the SAB principle adopted by almost the entire members of SAB’s fans has made it more imperative to voice out all that had happened between both gladiators as a living witness to the pandemonium.
Up to the year 1974, SAB and Ayinla Omowura were best of pal, the relationship was so cordial and well cemented, to the extent that SAB had to join the Ayinla Omowura fans club under the leadership of Fela Shoderu, some of the executive members then were Wasiu Mejindade (Waslat Motors), Jelili Odo, Aremu Ola mother, and Fatai Obe to mention a few. Alhaji Inufele Bashiru was the patron. During one of the club elections, SAB was voted in as the Captain of the club, and subsequently, ariya continued to the extent that one of Ayinla Omowura’s wives had a baby and SAB was engaged to perform at the naming ceremony, that alone signal the very beginning of the end. At that time, all you need is to attend SAB’s show once hence, you are subdued musically. The afefeyeye continued till 1975 when almost all of them met in Mecca. That year, SAB had the opportunity to settle the rift between Ayinla Omowura, Fatai Olowonyo, Kollington Ayinla, Fatai Adio, etc. That year SAB admonished Kollington in his album (Vol. ? thus,
?Mose b’eshin iwaju loye ki teyin lewo koto di pe teyin le sare, aborin ebu ni mo nko ni tolorun fi gbade iyi lemi lori o?
At that time, nobody contested his leadership claim and that includes Kollington Ayinla who quickly and gladly responded in his album thus,
?Adeyimika Barrister, eyinafe fuji COMMANDER Duduyemi Temi layinde..
In 1974, Barrister started the mid-week show at both Stadium Hotel and Obey Miliki Spot on Tuesdays and Wednesdays all night, later changed location to Obey Miliki Spot and Surulere nightclub due to the growing population of fans attendance and the latter more central and spacious with parking facilities. The evolution and exodus of fans continued to grow from 1974, the carpet crossing continued en-mass from all work of life migrating to SAB’s show. It affected almost all musicians including Admiral Dele Abiodun who at the time used to perform at (Mama Coco night club), Chief Commander, the Baba himself, King Sunny Ade, Baba Haruna Ishola, mention any star musician then, simply because you can find whatever you wanted musically from all aforementioned musicians perfectly and easily with SAB on stage.
Out of all of them, that of Ayinla Omowura can be described as a revolution because they were not only cross-carpeting but moved en-mass with the base. For example, the Late Wasiu Mejindade, Jelili Odo, Aremu Ola Mother, Fatai Obe, and some others who were supposed to be executive members of the Ayinla Omowura fans club quickly founded Sikiru Ayinde Barrister fans club National Headquarters Mushin, late Alhaji Inufele Bashiru who was their patron at Ayinla Omowura fans club suddenly became their Adviser. All of these events happened behind him, Barrister was unaware. Any way you look at it, the fact remains that socialites would want to identify with the rising star of the moment. They were still operating both clubs together to some extent but the noise and the popularity of SAB as a rising star was becoming unbearable with some of the old star musicians coupled with the incessant and unstoppable publicity coming from the combined newspapers like the Ibadan based Entertainer where Olutade Makinde was the (Editor) and The Hunter, Dayo Odeyemi (Assistant Editor), The Ilorin based Herald, Late Yakub Abdul-Azeez (Editor) The Punch, Late Owolabi Ilori (Sports Editor) later Fola Arogundade, The Concord, Mik Awoyinfa, Lagos Weekend, late Shupo Ibikunle and later, late Chinaka Fyncountry, Kunle Odufunwa and Chief Segun Oshoba who was the MD Daily times were at the arrowhead.
The electronics media were not left behind, At NTA Ibadan, Mr. Goke Akinlabi, the late Kunle Payne the floor Manager, and Olumide Bakare (the now late popular Nollywood actor, BCOS, Abbey Fagboro, NTA 7, Mr. Taiwo Alimi, Itseko, Funmi Davies and co.
LTV 8, Bayo Tijani, Kemi Ilara and co. NTA Lagos, Late Yom Yom, Shade, Sanda and so many that I can not mention now due to exigency, please forgive me.
The above-named personalities were just God sent from heaven to help propagate Allah’s message in SAB if not, how can he Ayinde a young boy then be able to personify all aforementioned to do his bidding and more so, simultaneously? All these happening were too much for Ayinla Omowura because (Bi won se nge SAB lowo lon boruka) with a series of songs, style, beat, and system flowing out of him and firing from all cylinders. I think lack of education had contributed in no small way to influencing Omowura at taking the unacceptable step he took by going straight to the studio to wax the record and even mentioning SAB’s name, (Ayinde maje ngbo pemo jie lorin lo, kojejebe oro apara ni).
I think what happened after this was when some other small musicians (Awon odo kekeke ati osa wewewe ati awon omi okun etile) who were also jealous of SAB’s miles gap between them tried to use the advantage to climb the ladder unfortunately for them, they had jumped the queue and had to go back to queue accordingly.
Late Alhaji Akanbi Kereem aka Mojidi Mayabikan SAB friend and Director of the Admin of Ayinde Barrister organization.
Omooba Olawusi Abiodun Idiat Saheed
Producer OLUDASILE FUJI program
