Ebenezer Obey, the singer, is 80 and many lovers of his sound are treating themselves to some of his hit songs fusing juju music with highlife.
The product of the singer’s exploits in music was something of an obsession in southwestern Nigeria in the ’80s.
Obey began his professional career in the mid-1950s after moving to Lagos.
After tutelage under Fatai Rolling-Dollar’s band, he formed The International Brothers in 1964, playing highlife and jùjú fusion.
The band later morphed into Inter-Reformers in the early-1970s, with a long list of Juju album hits on the West African Decca musical label.
Obey began experimenting with Yoruba percussion style and expanding on the band by adding more drum kits, guitars and talking drums.
Obey’s musical strengths lie in weaving intricate Yoruba axioms into dance-floor compositions.
As is characteristic of Nigerian Yoruba social-circle music, the Inter-Reformers band excels in praise-singing for rich Nigerian socialites and business tycoons.
Obey, however, is also renowned for Christian spiritual themes in his music and has since the early-1990s retired into Nigerian gospel music ministry.
Chief Commander, as he is fondly called by his fans, has played alongside popular gospel music veteran, Kunle Ajayi during his 30 years on stage concert in Lagos.
Here are eight evergreen songs by the music icon:
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