And whilst we are still on the subject of nostalgia and all the good things that have left us behind, it is meet and apt to recall a good and noble figure from the wonderful past. Before Tatalo Alamu, the writer and columnist, there was Atatalo Alamu, the master musician and drumming prodigy from Ogbomosho.
At the turn of the seventies, a youthful teenaged snooper while still learning the trade at the Nigerian Tribune then housed at Pa Aminu’s one-storey building at Adeoyo, used to slip into a rundown badly lit bar between Beere roundabout and Mapo Hall to watch a command performance of the great man. Beer was plentiful and so were some mysterious aging local wenches who appeared rough and ready to move things forward. It was all in a night’s work.
Snooper learnt on the authority of a personal correspondence with Alagba Agbo Areo, the notable publisher and pulp fiction maestro, that the full name of the fabled musician is Atatalo si Gbegiri ana, meaning he who grinds pepper for the purpose of warming up the left-over bean soup. Snooper can attest to the fact that the Ogbomosho variant of the soup has a unique flavour.
But the Alamu we are talking about this morning is neither the columnist nor the great musician. This one built up a huge following and reputation for himself in another sphere of human endeavour, this time creative broadcasting. Remember the Alamu man of the eighties and nineties from BCOS and latter its Oshun counterpart? Smolette Adetoyese Shittu-Alamu was a master crooner with the mellifluous voice who brought joy to many listeners in many parts of the old west.
Not only was the calm, authoritative and alluring voice quite a revelation, the ace broadcaster stunned quite a lot of people by his mastery of the subject matter at hand as well as the range and reach of his intellectual expertise. When he was on top of his form firing from all cylinders, it was nothing short of a command performance. The Ghana-born crooner was a traditional griot, maestro and airwaves marshal combined.
Personal encounters with him deepened our respect and a personal association developed. It was such a delight to discover that unlike the pompous, self-advertising media influencers of contemporary times, Smolette was understated, self-effacing and quite refined, with a warm but discriminating personality. There is something about him which reminds one of the old Gold Coast gentleman. Shittu-Alabi was born and raised in modern Ghana of Nigerian parentage.
In contented retirement, the former broadcaster has not been idle. This is the second book from his stable. Titled, A Story To Tell: Autobiography of the Alamu Man, it builds and expands on the themes of the first book. It is a wonderful read, full of invaluable insights into the human condition. The Alamu man has proved himself a master of the written word.
A friend who attended the launching spoke of the outpouring of goodwill and abiding affection for the master crooner. This is as it should be. The Yoruba people never forget, no matter the circumstances. Here is wishing our good friend, Smolette Adetoyese Shittu-Alamu many more years of invaluable contribution to his fatherland.
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