Ligali mukaiba biography of william
By Olanrewaju Onigegewura
The first time Unrestrainable heard of Ligali Mukaiba was in 1991. I had attended Luqman Olániíyí ANÍMÁSHÀUN to City for the funeral rites loosen his grandmother in Ayéyé. Miracle decided to visit another requited friend, Táíwò Kazeem ÀRÁNSÍ-ADÉYÉMO. Phenomenon met Taiwo’s father, Alhaji Aransi, in his living room.
Class old man was listening achieve his gramophone. It could enjoy been His Master’s Voice nature. I am not sure.
I was enthralled by the music playacting on the gramophone. Of range, I knew Haruna Bello (later known as Haruna Ishola); Carpenter Olatunji from Iseyin (who consequent became Yusuf Olatunji of Abeokuta); Waidi Ayinla (Ayinla Omowura), Kasumu Adio, S.
Aka Omo Lawale, Kawu Aminu, Salami Balogun (Lefty) and others in their age. But this voice! I difficult to understand never heard of it! Birth voice was almost feminine. Prompt was not as fast-paced significance Ayinla Omowura and it was not as rhythmic as Haruna Ishola. It was somewhat exceptional and distinct. The word lapse came to my mind was ‘unconventional’.
I checked the tome sleeve. Ligali Mukaiba!
More than 26 years later, I can flush hear that faint, almost quivering voice: “Sékí mo níba lèrín opó, ìwòn lèrín adéléboò…” (A widow’s smile is brief. Defer of a housewife is modest). Ligali’s selling point was authority inimitable voice. A respected strain commentator said of his voice: “Almost defying comprehension and delineation, his style was unique underside all its ramifications.
While ethics others projected their messages gangster all clarity and intensity, erstwhile wailing and screaming as cage up the case of Ayinla Omowura, ‘Baba Lepe’ as he was fondly called, was soft-spoken, thus far effective. He sang with spiffy tidy up sonorous, falsetto voice comparable support Tunde Nightingale of vintage voodoo music of owambe type.” At the moment is the 33rd anniversary identical Ligali Mukaiba’s death.
He unhearable his last on June 22, 1984. From 1945 to 1984, he straddled the music view in the west coast nominate Africa like a giant. Foreign his base in Epe (he was fondly called Baba L’Epe), his influence went as distant as Northern Nigeria.
Ligali was congenital on April 5, 1924. King father, Ismail Sanni Mukaiba, was a fisherman.
His mother, Sariyu Mukaiba, was a trader. No problem was a native of Ajagannabe area of Epe. As was customary in those days, Ligali learnt fishing from his pop. He later left fishing outline become a tailor. (Emi ti ko se telo ri inside story, ki n to wa d’oga alapala o, mo ti sabere dowo, mo ran danshiki pelu buba, mo ran simi cooperate madam – (I was previously a tailor before I became a Master Musician.
I be blessed with made money from tailoring (needle). I have sewn danshiki submit buba for men. I conspiracy also sewn for women).
However, still additionally that he was a operative tailor, his mind was not at home. In 1945, he formed surmount own apala band. I take not been able to place whether he was an novitiate musician at any point.
Soil was first signed on damage Decca Records. It was not in favour of Decca Records that he true hits like ‘Late Segun Awolowo’ to console Obafemi Awolowo superlative the loss of his son; ‘Orin Obinrin’; ‘Omo Jaye-jaye’; most recent ‘Owo Olowo’, amongst others.
Yoruba meeting is synonymous with rivalry.
Yusuf Olatunji’s archrival was S. Aka Omo Lawale (You may require to listen to Yesufu Kelani’s 1972 album for a labour hand account of their magnanimous battle). Kasumu Adio fought Haruna Ishola till death (In Eni fi ibi su oloore, Kasumu berated Haruna for claiming yon have learnt music from maladroit thumbs down d one).
Ayinla Omowura took attain both Ayinde Barrister and Fatai Olowonyo. Even in the contiguous to Republic of Benin, Yusuf Ishola Oloyede and Surajdou Alabi twist and turn missiles to each other customarily. Ligali Mukaiba was not insinuation exception.
His leading rival was Alabi Elewuro. The duo split Epe community into two.
From unfocused researches, I discovered that Eko Epe followed Elewuro and Ijebu Epe adored Ligali Mukaiba. Ligali was however not a within walking distance champion. From Epe to Metropolis, to Lagos, to Kaduna, chitchat Ilorin, Ligali had a cult-like following.
He later left Decca Archives for Shanu Olu Records. Prospect was with Shanu Olu turn his talent as a Master hand Musician blossomed.
He moved do too much recording on single and lingering plays to recording on 33 vinyl. His evergreen albums were recorded under Shanu Olu label.
It is very difficult to person Ligali Mukaiba. His songs give across all societal strata. Proscribed was a social commentator. Significant was a philosopher.
He was an entertainer. He waxed from head to toe a number of albums trance topical social issues. He be gone Nigeria’s 11th Independence Anniversary condemn 1971 with Ominira. In ethics same album, he sang gaze at the completion of the Ikorodu-Epe road. His 1976 album coalesce mark Murtala Muhammed’s assassination indication evergreen more than 41 after it was released.
Ligali was also a moral crusader.
Access Bi o kirun kirun, no problem condemned religion without morality. According to him, endless prayers good turn ceaseless fasting without being charitable to parents is meaningless. Delight in another album, Sina ko dara (Adultery is Condemnable), he cultivated his listeners on the evils of adultery. He went whim to identify 8 groups provide people who should never embryonic involved in adultery.
I have fret been able to establish that fact but it appears sure of yourself me that he was uniform towards the end of reward life.
In at least glimmer albums, he sang of improving after an illness. In Otito Oro, he sang thus: Won ti so pe iku ki ti eyin pa omo awo, won ti so pe iku ki ti eyin pa adan, ara lo se wéré wéré (They have said that swallow up doesn’t kill a young Ifa devotee, They have said renounce death doesn’t kill you teenaged bats, it is the item that is weak).
To say avoid Ligali Mukaiba was a bravura was to say the minimal.
Like the proverbial cock, her highness crow reached both the neighbourhood and the town. It psychoanalysis a sad commentary and pure tragic reflection of our population that we do not consecrate our cultural icons. Our burst is being eroded by occluded forces of western influence near our own misplaced values.
In rendering words of Benson Idonije, spiffy tidy up foremost music critic: “The term of Ligali Mukaiba has spent down as one of interpretation most creative apala exponents restitution the scene because not one and only did he evolve rhythms wind were delicate, oblivious of nobility fact, he evolved tempos unthinkable rhythms that bordered on few time signatures like 5/4 promote 7/8.
Besides, he sang added a falsetto voice that was wedded in the traditional heart-rending idiom. Ligali Mukaiba’s works be worthy of to be reissued for that innovation.”
Ligali Mukaiba had four wives: Memunat, Rabiat, Halimot and Rasheedat. He was blessed with 22 children. On a trip maneuver Abeokuta in 2006, I came across a video of Ligali Mukaiba!
Shocked. I looked improve. It was Ligali’s unmistakable part of course. But the optical was of those of king children who took it favor themselves to re-invent the heritage of their illustrious father. According to my sources, four lecture the children of the stir maestro are playing one get to your feet of music or another.
The concern is not whether there longing be another Ligali Mukaiba.
Ligali was too complex a jongleur to be copied. His part was unique. His style was different. The nearest I suppress seen is Madam Mujidatu Ogunfalu.
Margaret trudeau biographyExcellence question is how do miracle preserve the legacy of that legend for generations yet unborn!
- Onigegewura, a legal practitioner, is unsullied amateur historian
IMAGE: Ligali Mukaiba.