My teacher, Mr. Davies from Sierra Leone was helpful, but after he left, nobody came to take my place. My music stopped. I started uniting firm secondary school – writing for the Daily Times “Opinion Page” – I used to win prizes from competitions. I loved all kinds of professions as a child but top on the list was being a broadcaster. I listened to broadcasters like Michael Olumide , Seun Waneri , Isola Folurunso and others read the views. I wanted to be like them but on getting to Lagos after school in LG 55, I settled first for the post of clerical officer at the Regional Treasury, Ibadan . I also became a cooperative inspector before joining the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC). I could not go in directly as a broadcaster. I was employed as an Engineering Assistant. I was employed by the NBC in 1957 as Engineering Assistant but did not move into the mainstream of broadcasting until 1960 when I was attached to the Music Department as a Gramophone hiring staff. From there, I became a producer and presenter.
My first big break was in 1968 with the presentation of the “Big Break a pop programme that was a net-work for all the stadium – Lagos , Ibaan, Enugu , Kaduna . It made me popular. I also presented Jazz programmes and recorded bands from producing magazine programmes. I was sent along with Tony Ibegbuna to pioneer the first FM broadcasting station in Nigeria and Africa Radio Nigeria 2” – presenting and producing programme in 1977.
In 1984, I was sent to the Staff Training School as a lecturer, having been sent out on a Train – the – trainee course from 1984 to 1992 which I referred, I was also a lecturer and Head of the Production Dept. of the Training School. During this period of time, young broadcasters, presenters and producers from all the radio station in the country including participants from the Gambia , Sierra Leone – all through my tutelage.
The best period of my life as a broadcaster was the time I spend teaching in the Training School. It was very rewarding and interesting. I met and interacted with students from various parts of the country and West Africa . I still receive phone calls and messages from some of my students most of whom are now in the management cadre of the profession of broadcasting.
Broadcasting was a thing of joy in those days. Money was not the motivation. There were high standards and if you did well, you were respected and appreciated. We relied on job satisfaction and self fulfillment.
But these days, money is placed before professionalism. The standards have fallen as a result. With the proliferation of TV and Radio Stations – all of them going commercial, everything is now for sale. But this is not to day that there are no good broadcasters among the new generation most of whom have talent.
I kept a library of music. I also kept records of activities. But more importantly. I moved quite a lot – from broadcasting House to drinking joints, and from these joints to the night clubs – where I met and made friends with musicians of old.
I retired from broadcasting in 1992. I was forced to do an extra year for somebody to fully take over from me – during which period I was paid a special salary. I retired after serving the maximum period of 35 years.
Seasoned broadcasters find it difficult to own their own stations because, they are poor. You need morally to pay for the licence in the first place and to establish the station.
I found myself writing for the Guardian – by chance. I was advised, (because on the reports I used to write on the projects of my students in the training school) to review broadcast programmes in the. My choice was the Guardian where I went to see the then Editor who was Emeka Izeze . He was quite cooperative, understanding and agreeable. But the man who really encouraged me was Jahman Anikulapo who is now Editor, Guardian on Sunday. He encouraged me to extend my writing beyond broadcasting.
Fela author
I met Fela sometime in 1963. He was the one who found me out. He came to meet me in the studio while presenting NBC Jazz Club one Thursday night. I had heard some of his releases on single play which her mother brought to me in Broadcasting House while he was still in London . He played progressive highlife. But on the day of our meeting, he merely introduced himself and expressed his administration for me as a Jass devoted. He had come with a white label album of Jazz which he recorded in London . I played it on the programme from there on, we became friends. This will in 1963
We formed a Jazz group as a result of our friendship – The Fela Ransome Kuti United – which I managed in 1963. I also found that musicians for the Koola Lobitos when we moved from Jazz to highlife in1965 – I manage the band until the 70s which he became popular. Fela was a great musician who live Bob Marley endured himself to the youth and the Western World in particular with his confrontation politics, sex and unusual social behaviours.
He lived the life style of a genius. He was true to himself, bold, fearless. It will be wrong for anyone to judge or discredit him for his life style. I was around when he marvel 27 lives. His parents were Christians. He disagreed with this belief as an adult. He read books by George and others. America changed him.
Fela was a rare talent. His education, sense of commitment and life style all rolled into what he was. There can never be another Fela.
The Guardian
For the Guardian, I write three colums – “Evergreen”, “Sound and Screen,” and “All that Jazz”. I write about our musical heroes, broadcasting and Jazz. Guardian pays me peanuts but I enjoy what I do. For me at my age, is is an opportunity to hand down information to the new generation. I enjoy feedback from all over the world. It is this appreciation that keeps me going. I wish I could go into other business, maybe they would have made me richer. But I'm not sure they would give me the kind of satisfaction I get from my writings.
Music
I listen to all kinds of music and I enjoy all of them, depending on who is playing the music. I like Jazz and African music especially apala as played by Haruna Isola , Ayinla Omowura and Ligali Mukaila. Jazz is the ultimate in popular music. It I the yardstick for measuring the artistic quality of popular music, not the popularity.
Highlife is Nigeria and West African's basic popular type upon which all other grues can take their roots and influence, especially for the generation – instead of looking out to the west for inspiration. Jazz is not popular anywhere in the world. Most Jass musicians are poor. But they take solace in their creativity; self fulfillment in their artistry.
Reflective
Life has taught me to be hardworking, honest and prayerful. My children know about these three cardinal points. Unfortunately, I did not deliberately prepare for old age. It was difficult in my time to amass wealth as a civil servant, but God has given me good health all the way. Wealth they say is wealth.
This is not recently the old age I managed. It would be a lot better. But I thank God for his mercies. My advice to you thirst after good success – success built on honesty, hard work. I do bother about life after death. I believe that whatever you sew you will reap.
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