The book, entitled “Ayinla Omowura: Life and Times of An Apala Legend”, is a 537-page research work on the life and musical efforts of Omowura, a foremost Apala musician, who was murdered in a barroom brawl in his Abeokuta home on May 6, 1980 – exactly 40 years ago.
Written by Festus Adedayo, former special adviser on media to former governors of Enugu and Oyo states – Chimaroke Nnamani and Abiola Ajimobi – respectively, according to the author, “is in part, a dig into the culture, music, language and morphology of the Yoruba people.”
According to a press by the author, the actual presentation, which would not be done due to the observance of the social distancing demanded by the battle to free Nigeria of the ravaging COVID-19 disease, will however be a virtual launch/presentation by the two notable Nigerians from their different bases.
“The choice of the two foremost Nigerians and eminent Yoruba sons is an acknowledgment of their voices as cultural, musical and Yoruba societal leaders. While Oba Adeyemi is a cultural repository of the Yorubaland which Omowura’s music projected to the whole world, Chief Fabiyi, apart from being an Egba kinsman of Ayinla’s, also uses his music to exemplify the richness of the Yoruba people’s language and culture,” Adedayo said in a statement.
The author also said the book would be available for sale after the launch
Brief story of Late Ayinla Omowura.
On May 6, 1980, leader of a Yoruba genre of music called Apala, which had quite a sizeable number of cultic following, was stabbed to death on the head with a beer glass cup in a barroom brawl at Itoko, Abeokuta. Ayinla Waidi Omowura, son of Yusuff Gbogbolowo the blacksmith and Wuramontu Morenike, had finally been killed by the scary black club of Death which he had sang sarcastically about in two previous vinyls he did before his death. He died before getting to the Ijaye General Hospital, Abeokuta. On the day Omowura released each of the 20 albums he did for EMI, the company recorded at least 50,000 copies sale.
It took a few weeks after before fans could come to terms with the departure of a man who to some was the enfant terrible of Apala music; who, with an admixture of a quartet musical instruments of Sekere maracas, akuba, Iya-ilu and agidigbo, attacked societal ills in his characteristic acidic tongue. Omowura, though illiterate, projected the image of an ombudsman to the oppressed.
Born in 1933 in Itoko, Abeokuta, Omowura, as early as when he was in his teens, was said to have been apprenticed to his father’s blacksmithry trade. Unconfirmed sources said that while growing up, Omowura interspersed this early childhood vocation with acting as political thug to some politicians of the time. He was also said to have once been a driver.
His musical career took root when he started with a brand of music called"Olalomi" in the early 50's. This brand of music was so popular that he became the darling of the young people both in Nigeria and the the west coast of Africa. This brand faded with time.
His musical career took a new dimension when he joined EMI NIGERIA in 1970 and recorded a single titled"AJAT OF' OJU D'EJO" in June of that year. The tremendous success attained by the single was quickly folowed by three other extended play records. One was recorded in September 1970-HNEP 506 titled "EMA FOWO S'OYA SI WAMO" and the other two, HNEP 533 TITLED "DANFO O SI ERE"/"EMA TORI OWO PA'NIA and HNEP 534 titiled "ANJONU ELERE" were recorded on the 20th of July 1971.
His first album HNLX 5068 which was recorded in the same year was a chartbuster, with a release of over 50,000 copies.
His success was so overwhelming that he became an idol to the masses - particularly among the public transport drivers, and the traders to mention a few.
He left for MECCA and MEDINAT to perfom the Muslim Holy Pilgrimage in 1975 and became Alhaji Ayinla Omowura.
In the 10 years that he was on EMI NIGERIA label, all his 20 albums sold a minimum of 50,000 copies on the first day of release. Acutely popular,Omowura's day of release was always a carnival at garages, Beer parlours and even at parties.
He recorded two album at the same time in 1980, unfortunately only one NEMI (LP) 0490 titled"AWA KISE OLODE WON" was released before his tragic death that year. The second one,NEMI (LP) 0515 titled"25+40" was released posthumously in 1981.
He was married with many wives and children.
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