I was fully employed as a permanent staff of the Western Nigeria Television/Western Nigeria Broadcasting Service (WNTV/WNBS) in 1970 and later became the producer of all Yoruba programmes under the tutelage of Prince Bayo Sanda and Adebayo Faleti..all of blessed memory.
Most of the records available then were marked NTBB..Not To Be Broadcast!!!
‘Sèinde’ by King Sunny Ade, ‘Ejigbadero’ by Ebenezer Obey and other praise songs of new rich money bags were common at the start of oil boom in Nigeria.
Most of the YORÙBÁ records were abusive of enemies or praise songs of money bags.
During the reign of General Murtala Muhammed as the Head of State, I was commissioned to record jingles to discourage praise songs and public spraying of money, which encourage armed robbers and moral decardence. The gingles were aired on WNBS and WNTV for a long time.
Hence the launching of the VOICE OF REVOLUTION by the then Education Commisoner, Professor Bolanle Awe, on Saturday December 6, 1975.
Tge idea behind it was no praise songs of the living and no abusive songs of perceived enemies.
No partisan political songs whatsoever.
Tge aim was mainly to promote musical records that would project the noble values of Yoruba history and culture in the spirit of Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC ’77).
Appreciation for artistes was suggested to be packaged inside envelopes or dropped in a bowl before the performing artistes.
The Programme was widely advertised but it incurred the anger of most contemporary poets and musicians who even waxed records to attack us directly or indirectly.
Yoruba elders would say:
NÍTORÍ ALÁGBE KÓ LA SE N NÁWÓ
NÍTORÍ ENÌ TÓ N SE ÀJO NI
(it’s not because of the artistes that money us sprayed at parties, it’s for the benefit of the celebrant).
But the sayings of the old has changed to the new culture of money bags carrying and spraying raw cash. Not anymore on celebrants but on bands and bandleaders!!!
However, the pertinent question to ask is: has the new culture encouraged hard work and virtues among our youths so far?
I guess we have to leave that to future generations.
If I still stand on the principle of ‘Don’t spray me while chanting ewi’; or ‘No praise singing of money bags’ or ‘no partisan political songs up till now’; the fault is not mine but that of the authorities at WNGBC OF WNTV/WNBS.
