A music production company, Evergreen Musical Company, will honour Juju highlife maestro Dele Ojo, who is celebrating 55 years on stage.
At a briefing yesterday, the company announced that the celebration is the first of a series titled: “The Last of the Originals”.
The celebration concert will hold on May 15 at Nelo’s Place, Ikeja, lagos.
The Chairman, Femi Esho, said: “‘The Last of the Originals’ is a theme we will be using yearly to celebrate Nigerian and other African music legends, whose music have remained timeless and original.
“Dele Ojo is one of Nigeria’s unsung music legends. We are here today to tell the world that he is still very alive and waxing strong with his music. There are other artistes who have been pushed to the doldrums but we plan to bring them back to the limelight.”
Pointing out the exigency of celebrating musical legends, the Managing Director, Bimbo Esho, said: “The society does not listen anymore to the people who have made us proud musically. We mostly hear about them only after they have died.
“I grew up appreciating Evangelist Dele Ojo’s music but many people do not even know he is still alive. This is why we want to celebrate them while they are still alive.”
In a humorous flourish, Ojo remarked on the story behind one of his more popular songs, Bouncing Bonna.
He recalled that he wrote the song for a woman named Yinka Martins who he met and fell in love with while abroad. Even though the union disintegrated, he noted that he composed the song when he felt “a deep longing for her”.
At the event were Prince Yemisi Shyllon (OYASAF); Public Affairs Manager, Mobil Oil Akin Fatunke; veteran journalist Tunde Fabengle; Editor-in-Chief, City People, Seye Kehinde and Prof Adebayo Williams.