Rebirth of KSA, Obey’s joint concert

THE last Children's Day was a day of enchantment for fans of Evangelist Ebenezer Obey-Fabiyi, otherwise called Baba Commander, and Chief Sunday Adegeye Adeyeye, alias King Sunny Ade, who after 35 years thrilled their music enthusiasts to a joint performance they had been yearning for in the past.
Tagged Oleku Concert, the success of the show followed a failed attempt by another show promoter to bring the two artistes to perform together in 2010.




The decision to get the two artistes to do a joint performance, according to Mr. Deji Osibogun of WTS Broadcasts Limited, organizers of the show, was partly to satisfy the yearnings of lovers of Juju music genre and prove sceptics wrong, who thought that the two artistes were not in good terms.
The event was staged at the Harbour Point, Victoria Island and featured the likes of Baba Sala as Master of Ceremony and Fatai Rolling Dollar as Special Guest -both mentors and trainers of  KSA and Obey respectively.


Although Obey had argued that against popular speculation that he and KSA have never shared a stage together in their long years of music career, he noted that it was a long time ago, and that what happened then would be nothing compared to what they were about to have this time round.
Thus, it was obvious from the gesture of both artistes that they were rekindling a lost tradition. On the other hand, fans appeared to be relishing the variety of a two-course meal.


“The truth of the matter is that we have always been together, and we have played together. On my own request, we played together at the Mobolaji Sports Center in 1973. We also performed together at the Surulere Night Club in the same year 1973. That makes it 39 years ago that we have performed together,” said the Evangelist before the concert.


And when the show kicked of in earnest, there was no telling that old friends and new lovers of KSA and Obey had the opportunity of a lifetime to be enthralled by the spectacle of both men performing in a concert which WTS Broadcast, promoters of the show tagged, Oleku, a Yoruba language expression for ‘smash hit’.
The concert was also meant to celebrate 70 years of Evangelist Ebenezer Obey on earth, and 50 years of King Sunny Ade on stage.
“When we were young, it was our belief that one day Otis Redding and James Brown will play together on stage; it never happened. It was our dream that Fela Anikulapo-Kuti and Bob Marley will appear together on stage; it never happened. But today, God has given the opportunity of bringing two of the best musical icons the world has ever known to the same stage, for the first time after 35 years,” Osibogun had said at a pre-event press conference.


With Ebenezer Obey playing gospel music and Miliki to the delight of the audience, and KSA hitting hard on the chord and dancing agelessly, the show was a potpourri of performance by two headliners like never before.


The show which was transmitted live on national TV was widely attended by notable personalities -among them were Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Raji Fashola of Lagos State, and former governor of Ogun State, Gbenga Daniel.

The Nation