The mystery behind egba musical maestro, Ayinla Omowura And his Nexus with Fela, Obey and Barrister

Globally, the Late Ayinla Omowura is celebrated as a super genius. This fact was also acknowledged by the Late Fela Anikulapo Kuti (another Egba musical hero) who described Ayinla Omowunra as "my illiterate genius brother from Itoko whom I respect for his brains and insights".




Ayinla was years ahead of his time. I wish to make a kind of "footnote" of the missing link in several intellectual documentaries on the life and times of Egungun Magaji of Egbaland-Ayinla Owowura.


I was born and lived at No.89 Itoko Road, Arinlese, Abeokuta. My mum (living till date) is a distant Aunt to him. The Late Ayinla would reputedly trek down in majesty from his Itoko home, down south to Arinlese (a 5 minutes trek) to drink or see a male or female friend.






He would stop-by at my mum's shop and greet her the unusual way: he would clap, dusting his palms against each other three times and then prostrate to greet my Mum. The age difference was less than two years!!!! Very respectful !!!! He often came in his casual attire, sometimes what we call "Jalamiyah".

My mum's elder brother, Chief Olaosebikan Sowunmi (also the Elder brother of Chief Samuel Adeyemi Sowunmi, the Sagbu'a of Egbaland - Dad of the most cerebral Hon Segun Sowunmi, Spokesperson of Atiku Abubakar) was also a singer and later became song inspirator, dishing sounds out (as a composer) to his Cousins-Ayinla Owowura (distant Cousin from Itoko) and Chief Ebenezer Obey (our first Uncle, also from Keesi like Obey-Fabiyi).

Ebenezer Obey's father (a Keesi man) was a founding member of Emmanuel Anglican Church, Keesi, Abeokuta. Ditto my mum.






I recall how the Late Sikiru Ayinde Barrister led choruses to usher-in the body of Obey's Dad for funeral in the Church. He (Barrister) was so excited that he entered the Church with his Mecca cap ("Mecawear" cap). My elder sisters in the Ushers simply nudged him, "Alhaji, shoosi'lewa", meaning Alhaji Barrister, you're inside the church premises and you should remove that cap.

After the burial of Ebenezer Obey's father, in 1985, while at BBHS, the issue of death prediction of Ayinla Omowura came up again. It was an attempt to exonerate Alhaji Sikiru Ayinde of any complicity in Ayinla Omowura's death. [Both Ayinde Barrister and Ayinla Omowura had reportedly been embroiled in a battle of supremacy at that time]

So, after Alhaji Barrister attended the funeral of Late Chief Fabiyi (1st Baba Ijo of Keesi Christians), we again engaged my mum who is the 1st Asiwaju of Keesi Christians and Cousins of the Fabiyis (Keesi).

My mum said Waidi (as she calls Ayinla Omowura) knew he would die young. She said Ayinla died a hero, and that he knew he had a "small ration".






This was explained by the "Elders" with allusions to several of the instances where Ayinla Omowura had predicted his death. I note those instances thus:

(1) The Late Ayinla Omowunra had openly confronted the Late Bayewunmi in April of that year (1980). After watching the Good Friday/Easter movie on Christ's crucifixion on a black and white TV. The Late Omowunra said to his band members, at their Music Office at Itoko junction (the popular one-story building now demolished for road expansion) that "Bayewunmi will be his "Judas" the way he was reacting over an issue.

This was well captured in the recent book on Ayinla Omowura, particularly the most unusually brilliant book review I read on the publication.

(2) The second side of the album on "Owo Udoji" reveals the "small portion" theory of Ayinla's death. As we were told, Ayinla became very powerful and had to do a "ritual" of brain optimisation like a new, little child ("Ayinla pa'da do'mo tun'tun o, Adewole (the head drummer) pa'da do'mo tun'tun (×2), teba n gbe'wa gege, kii e gbe'wa lowo lo'wo, o (×2), taba ro'mo tun'tun a da'riyo (×2), Ayinla pada do'mo tun'tun

Meaning: Ayinla is now a brand new little child that the whole celebrates and rejoices at his arrival.

Ayinla was not a child. The song was philosophical.

The flip side of the "omo tuntun rituals" ( new baby rituals) was that "no strong object must touch his head; lest his head cracks because it has been remodeled spiritually like that of a new born baby.

With the song, it was apparent that the level of inspiration and ability to keep producing new records at will, effortlessly, was "magical". Ayinla's brain became superlatively extraordinary.

(3) The third hint not captured in the book and review was when the late Ayinla Omowura gave an indication of his "little portion" in another album.

He mentioned the names of several Egba superpowers and depicted to them that, unfortunately, his portion was "very small".






Ayinla sang: "Oluwo ilu o iye mo'bu (iye mo'bu ree o, iye mo'bu o); Alake Egba o iye mo'bu (iye mo'bu re o iye mo'bu o), Amodemaja o iye mo'bu, ...., Olajumoke o iye mobu; ... oba Olubara o iye mo'bu, ....,Oluwo Itoko....; Asipa Ajadi... etc and also mentioned a prominent Egba lawyer, "Lawyer Coker re o iyemobu.... (Chief Toye Coker was the Apena Egba) at that time.

The Late Ayinla Omowura announced to all of them the then powerful "inner circle elites" that he might not be "staying long".

Those songs and incidents were not ordinary. They depicted meanings and deep essences only known to those most culturally and spiritually ingrained to think and act likewise.

The way and manner the Late Ayinla Omowunra songs/albums subsequently became and now increasingly becoming very popular in Nigeria, Canada, UK, US, Cuba, Spain, Brazil, Liberia, Sierra Leone and among the Yorubas in the Diaspora, and even growing stronger after four decades (40 years) of his death shows that the spirit of Ayinla Omowura can never die. Our children and grandchildren have now taken keener interests in Ayinla Omowura's songs.

As we often say: "AYINLA 'KU, OHUN E WA"- AYINLA OMOWURA IS LATE BUT HIS VOICES CONTINUE RESONATE IN HIS SONGS"!!!!

Ayinla Owowura is a dead but living Legend.

RIP our Hero!!

This piece was duly edited by the content creator. 

The commentaries were supplied by Prof. Yemi Oke, the Bada-Baamofin of Egbaland. He teaches, practices, and researches LAW.