THE Nigerian music scene is now thriving with female participation. Among them are exponents of highlife, pop and hip hop. But only a few were there in the beginning to provide inspiration and influence ' from the folkloric, indigenous perspective and tradition.Hajia Lolo, a griot with a strong cultural tradition and powerful voice came along. Then appeared Batili Alake from South Western Nigerian who paved the way for Waka ' even though not many took advantage of her example except S. Aragbada and quite recently Salawa Abeni.But Comfort Omoge burst into the scene at a time that Africa's contribution to music was being recognized in the West ' a time that the sounds of Africa were beginning to seep through into the mainstream of Western pop consciousness. To the best of her ability, she took advantage of this opportunity by the way she basically structured and designed her music. Only she did not live long enough to revitalize and transform her music (from the production point of view) ' in order to take full advantage of the international scene.Popularly referred to as the 'Queen of African music' by musicians and entertainment critics, Omoge popularised Asiko music of the Ikale people of Ondo State and brought it to a level where it now enjoys international recognition.The rich musical culture of the Ikale people first registered an impression on the public through Theophilus Iwalokun, a singer and guitarist whose folkloric approach to juju music has come to be identified as an integral part of the traditional music of Lagos.This impression became further stimulated through Crosdale Boluwaji Juba, a fine trumpet player who sang with deep feeling and emotion, but died in mysterious circumstances at the peak of his popularity after his debut album in 1976. His own approach, though soulful and mind-blowing in terms of singing with a guttural voice, was in the highlife tradition.Both impressions in terms of juju and highlife laid emphasis on melodic inventiveness with Western instruments ' guitars and horns - to give the music the popular dance feel. But Comfort Omoge consistently performed the music in its rootsy, downright cultural nature, singing in the typical African traditional style with an essentially percussive backing.Omoge's singing usually called out for the group-vocal response of a 15-member aggregation whose ensemble was consolidated by well-blended rhythmic patterns that took their roots directly from the cultural heritage of Ikale people.A talented and foremost female singer with several awards to her credit, Omoge succeeded in transforming Asiko from its classically indigenous level to a contemporary state without the use of Western instruments.Her popularity should have assumed some international dimension and her music legendary stature, but lack of encouragement from recording companies who have always been busy dissipating their energy on imitative music and foreign idioms slowed down her progress.Specifically, Omoge pitched her tent with Decca Records, which did not seem to appreciate her type of music which needed development for wider recognition. She had no proper management' Decca did not assign any producer to her music. She was left to her own designs. And because she was not widely exposed, she operated within the limits of her own possibilities.Producer Odion Iruoje was at Decca during her recording stint with the company. Even though he did not produce her, he reminded the company about her potential, and helped to give her a better recording deal: 'I worked with Comfort Omoge around 1979. At the time I came to Decca, she was complaining about poor treatment along with the likes of Dan Satch and Sir Warrior. I helped to restore her confidence in the company. I recommended that her royalty be increased.'Commenting on the authenticity of Omoge's traditional music style, Odion further said, 'she was growing up but the music did not grow with her. She was the authentic exponent of Asiko, she had the basic rhythm of the music.'However, Omoge's music has several striking qualities to recommend it for general acceptance. The singing style which was dominated by her solo voice had become tested and found qualitatively pleasant to listen to. She usually did not dabble in irrelevant lines for extra flourish in the name of improvisation. She was usually thematic and kept her singing within the limits of the melodic structure. In addition, Omoge was usually expressive and came out with a clarity that conveyed easily understandable meaning.She operated with an accompaniment that did not in any way overstate its percussive effects with intricate rhythmic patterns. All the instruments which were local and indigenous were very well coordinated by a leader who used them effectively for the cohesiveness of the entire ensemble.The last time she came up with any recording of note was in 1980 for Afrodisia, even though she had continued to participate in live shows and had received awards from her appearances. And, characteristic of all her recordings was a rich cultural value both in melodic and rhythmic terms with a voice as strong as Mariam Makeba's. She would have climbed to the top, only there was no producer to provide the desired impetus.All these qualities and the elements that constitute them manifested themselves profusely in her live as well as studio recordings. But the true dynamics of her music were faithfully captured by Afrodisia in 1980 on an album which represents the typical drums and voices, the unlimited potential, and the uninhibited craftsmanship inherent in African music.Titled Irore re yi ran in Ikale dialect with Omoge's portrait conspicuously displayed on the front cover, dressed in full traditional attire, the album remains a landmark in her musical career. This is unlike the trend by most artists these days who merely dress in African attire without matching it with the identity of their music. In terms of cover photography, the other side features the other members of her 15-man aggregation, comprising five women and nine men who sing and drum.Mounted on the first side are five beautiful songs opening with a traditional melody with inspiration from the scriptures and titled, 'Gbo ohun awon angeli tin korin', which means, 'Listen to the voices of angels singing,' followed by words of admonition and exhortation in tunes such as Oro ana tajoso, Adelebo dakun mayobe, Gbemi le bebe idid and Ikale Lerun.The other side is totally wedded in folklore tradition and features two songs which give Omoge ample room to illustrate her stories with idiomatic expressions and proverbs as she feels her way through numerous choruses.Comfort Omoge has tagged her music Asiko which means music of the moment ' perhaps for reasons of sound identity and categorization. But the idiom is rather too prolific and fundamentally cultural to be pigeon-holed in such an ephemeral manner. Omoge's asiko is too deep-rooted to be contemporary; the music is too profound and remarkable to be dated. It is a celebration of African music.The album was recorded by award winner LAK Adeniran, a creative engineer who turned out numerous successful albums for Nigerian musicians on the Decca recording stable. Unfortunately, Adeniran himself met his untimely death a few years ago.However, Omoge has left behind a musical culture that is unique. With Asiko music, she has demonstrated that African music can attract profound appeal without the use of Western instruments, a fact which is a challenge to all ' whether literate or illiterate.Besides, her music is a challenge to the young female singers and musicians who generally believe that the only way to survive in the industry is to play imitative foreign music. And, in particular, the illiterate female musicians in our villages should be inspired by Omoge's example, so that the musicianship in them can come to the fore for recognition.
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