Adewole Oniluola, legendary talking drummer for the late apala singer, Ayinla Omowura, is dead.
He died at 97, in circumstances that, sources said, were old-age related.
Adewole Oniluola, interestingly, died at a time of resurgent posthumous honnur and celebration for Omowura.
The late singer’s biopic is, for instance, currently being produced by ace filmmaker, Tunde Kelani, and this has been in the news in the past few months.
Inspiring actor, Lateef Adedimeji, is playing the lead role of Omowura, in a production that has attracted a lot of attention to his (Omowura) musical essence, the apala genre and Abeokuta, setting of the movie and Omowura’s equally legendary hometown.
Besides, journalist and columnist, Festus Adedayo, earlier in 2020, published a major posthumous biography on Ayinla Omowura, who was also known as Anigilaje.
The book, Ayinla Omowura: Life and Times of an Apala Legend, has received wide acclaim.
Adewole’s passage, however, is also coming at a time a major controversy seems to be redefining the position and influence of Omowura in the Yoruba music kingdom, concerning his relationship with another musical icon, Sikiru Ayinde Barrister.
Adedayo had, recently, sparked a debate when he declared that if Omowura had not died the time he did some 40 years ago, Barrister would not have attained the height he did before he also died in 2010.
The singers had some misunderstanding before Omowura died, despite the differences in their ages and genres.
This unsettled Barrister’s numerous and more emphatic fans who have continued to try to prove Adedayo wrong.
They believe that both artistes were immensely talented and destined to rule the world.
Oniluola too, also interestingly, not only enjoyed longevity, he also continued to enjoy relative stardom long after his master’s death.
Well, the way Omowura regarded him, song-praising him in different albums, did not suggest a master-drummer relationship.
As highly engaging writer, Odolaye Baa Wakili Aremu, really notes, it was Oniluola that originally formed their band.
Unlike many drummers who practically die once the musicians are no more, Oniluola stood relevant, still drumming, and was a regular attaraction especially at the drum festival annually held in Ogun State.
Here is a great tribute to Oniluola by seasoned the writer code-named Odolaye Baa Waki Aremu:
Okó ò sí, Okó ò sí, Ẹ̀lẹ̀ Ò Jẹun Sùn.”
Adewọle Àlàó Onílù-Ọlá was arguably one of the best talking-drummers of his generation, if not the outright best in fact! Ojúbánirẹ́, of the Haruna Isola’s band was another one but none controlled the rhythm as tight and fast as the smallish man with extremely fast and furious hands.
Alao gave Ayinla his dynamic and racy rhythm of which most of us often still get confused if what we are listening to is indeed Apala or some hybrid shit. The tightness of that old band was made possible by him – for example Ayinla, like most musicians would stray off key and sometimes lost his words – Alao would quickly telegraph the right keys, notes and sometimes would even remind him in a concise beat.
A case in point was the “Ẹ̀lẹ̀ Ò Jẹun Sùn” sharpie, of which Alao, on cue quickly dialed in with an equally beautiful but vulgar beat retort: “Okó Ò Si Ò!” Alao in that particular example made Ayinla, his leader get away with some sexually explicit language on record. A fan-favorite mischief that carried a heavy consequence back then. That’s how the two players musically fed off each other!
The band was initially his. He invited Omowura in, and the rest – as we all know now is history. They broke up once. And they teamed up again like a once separated couple ego-tripping but couldn’t entirely stay unloving one another. Reportedly one of the only individuals to ever get the mercurial Ayinla to feast on a fat, humble pie. Extremely talented, with a beautiful sense of rhythm. His timing was impeccable. Amazing how we all trusted Ayinla with his deliveries and more so Àláò with the racy beats. I saw his picture last week on the set of the Ayinla biopic, I somehow sensed Baba was winding down, but he gracefully did in time for the end of the shoot. In his 90’s, he was blessed with a long and lasting life. Imagine how much needed information would be lost if he’d died before the wrap?! Definitely a wunderkind. Definitely a Hall Of Famer! I can readily picture Ayinla welcoming Alao, his evergreen sideman with open arms back into the golden realm, right this minute. A permanent reunion. A now complete tale of no break!
