THIS evergreen story was triggered by a text message inviting me to Victor Olaiyas Stadium Hotel last Sunday, April 10, with veteran Y.S. Akinibosun on the same bill with Afrodissique Band, Biodun Batik, B. Olaiya and Titilayo. According to the invitation, this show is expected to take place at the same venue every second Sunday of the month. The fact that this aggregation of musicians is trying to engineer a resurgence of live music performance, a development which the scene desperately needs today to upgrade the essence and quality of our music, is heart-warming. But the big news is that Y.S. Akinibosun, who has been on the highlife scene since the 50s has continued to be relevant, playing his saxophone and singing with the same energy and gusto.Y.S. Akinibosun was part of the ebb and flow of highlife in Nigeria and Ghanafrom the 50s to the 70s. but the striking aspect of his career is the fact that he became even more active from the 80s to date when vintage highlife was supposed to be experiencing extinction. He is not only proficient in the performance of highlife, he is an Afrobeat musician, having benefited from an apprenticeship with Fela Anikulapo Kuti as a major saxophonist with the Egypt 80 Band.While the association lasted, Y.S. was a favourite of Afrika Shrine devotees. He was in the habit of joggling with popular and familiar tunes as a solo concept, in the course of improvising. And the audience loved it.On the other hand, Y.S. has contributed more to the promotion and revival of highlife than any other musician in this country today. Even at the time that nobody wanted to listen to the music, he kept his Classic Band going and has groomed hundreds of young musicians in the business.His Classic Band, which performed continually for ten years for the now suspended highlife revival initiative in collaboration with the Committee for Relevant Art (CORA), has provided a platform for highlife to develop in Nigeria. In 1999, the Classic Band was the standing orchestra for the first ever edition of the Great Highlife Party which held at the Lagoon front garden of the Goethe Institut, 10, Ozumba Mbadiwe Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.The second edition of this highlife festival was even greater in dimension and quality of music in that it found him performing with such veterans and superstars as E.C. Arinze, David Bull, Sony Brown, Nelly Uchendu, Ralph Amarabem among others who all came from the South Eastern part of the country.A tested saxophonist and drummer, he has led his own bands and at the same time played with almost all the big names in the business, as sideman. Reflecting on the genesis of his career, Akinibosun said:I started from Central Hotel, Ibadan as a percussionist with the late great trumpeter and band leader, Agu Norris. I played bongos, conga and drums. This was in 1956.Playing with Agu Norris was a good start for Akinibosun because Norris was a no-nonsense bandleader who upheld discipline as a prerequisite for good musicianship. He usually led small groups which generally afforded its members the opportunity to benefit from the intimate cohesion of a well-knit band.Akinibosun acquired the techniques of drumming and the ear of rhythm from Agu Norris. He did not find it difficult to get a job with another band when Agu Norris disbanded a year after. Said he:When Agu Norris band disbanded. I came to Lagos in 1958. With the skills I already acquired on drums, I was in great demand. I immediately joined Jubril Isah, an ex-Bobby Benson saxophonist who had struck out on his own and was leading a good band. According to him, no sooner had he established himself with the band than Jubril had an offer to go to Ibadan as resident band at Paradise Hotel: I went with him but the contract did not last for more than three months. Jubril decided to go to Kano for a new offer but I refused to go with him. Instead, I teamed up with King Kennytone at Ibadan. He took over from Jubril.Akinibosun is one of the finest saxophone players on the scene today, but it was not his wish to play the instrument. He was basically a drummer. The change of instruments was forced on him by unforeseen circumstances:While I was playing drums with Kennytone, he sent me to Flamingo Hotel, Akure. He was arranging to play at Akure. It was on my way to Akure after Ilesha that I had an accident in which I fractured my right hand. I was hospitalised for two years at the end of which I would no longer play the drums. The execution of the instrument requires the active participation of the two hands. On discharge, I started to think and wonder what to do, since I could not play drums again.I came to Lagos in 1961 and met Peter King who was then playing with E.C. Arinze at Kakadu. Peter had three weeks left before he traveled abroad. But he taught me how to play the saxophone for that short period.When Peter travelled I moved back to Ibadan where I met Alaba Pedro who told me he had a saxophone at the Action Group Headquarters. He was the guitarist with the then Action Group Band at Oke-Ado, Ibadan. I used to go to them to practice on the saxophone. I later played with the band for three months before I left.In those days, it was believed that for any musician to acquire experience and proficiency, he must move round from one band to the other. Akinibosun complied with this formula:My first band was that of Chris Odiachi. He led the Central Dance band at Central Hotel, Ibadan. But because I was advised to move round as fast as I could to garner experience, I did not identify with any particular band for too long. From Ibadan I moved to Osogbo where I played at Fakunle Major Hotel with the resident band for six months. After a few months, I moved to Ijebu Ode where I played with trumpeter Kola Odus with Apiper Jay on guitar, Kendy Adex on trumpet and Tajudeen Adex on trombone. Within a short time the hotel shut down and the band moved to Chrisbo Garden, Ibadan.From there I was invited by the management of Right Time Hotel, Ijebu Ode to come and lead the band. I went. But I was there for only six months before I moved to Lagos to join Agu Norris again, this time as a saxophonist.YS Akinibosu had been in Lagos ever since.
Click here to read full news..
