Nigeria has lost a prominent monarch as the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Salu Adetunji, has joined his ancestors.
The monarch was said to hvave died at the University Teaching Hosopital, Inadan, on Sunday,January 2, 2022.
He was 93.
Born in Ibadan , Western Nigeria in 1928, he was the first of 17 children.
Popularly called Baba Alaje a name coined from his Record Label OMO AJE which he founded in 1957, a nod to his ability to sell stuff for profit, Aje being the Yoruba goddess of Enterprise and Wealth.
Baba Alaje evolved from being a record shop to becoming a music promoter and distributor of different Yoruba Musicians of that era: Tatalo Alamu, Dauda Epo Akara, Jimoh Ayinla Anikura, etc
At age 48 in 1976, he became de facto head of the family and changed Omo Aje to Babalaje.
Perhaps , his most important musical legacy is that he gave young Wasiu Ayinde a chance to be his own man after tutelage with the great Sikiru Ayinde Barrister.
His breakout album Talazo 84 was released under Babalaje Records and the two worked together on no less than 20 Wasiu albums from Talazo in 1984 to Fuji collections in 1991.
In 2016, Saliu Adetunji became Oba Saliu Akanmu Adetunji , Aje Oguguniso 1, the 41st Olubadan of Ibadan.
