Chief Awodeyi Obagbalode, aka Vasco da Gama, is an artist per excellence and a multi-talented instrumentalist, who performed with music greats like Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Orlando Owoh and Admiral Dele Abiodun. Now in his 60s and cooling off in his country-home in Iyere-Owo in Ondo State, Obagbalode took Taiwo Abiodun into his world and down memory lane.
His gallery is home to various artworks, ranging from paintings to carvings to sculptures. It is also a music photo library of some sort, with musicians like Michael Jackson, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Orlando Owoh and many more adorning the four walls. Also very conspicuous is a sculpted human head carved from a small tree in his compound. It also doesn’t take time for his love for music to register on any visitor or new company. On this occasion, he routinely sang lyrics a certain late Orlando Owoh song waxed in his praise. At other times, he sang songs of the late Afro-beat king, Fela Anikulapo Kuti.
As the interview got underway, Vasco da Gama as he is fondly called lit a stick of cigarette, looked at this reporter’s searching eyes and mocked in a baritone voice: “Yes, I smoked Indian Hemp while in the Nigerian Army, with Orlando and with Fela. But for my old age, I have no regret smoking it.”
He however said it’s not everybody that can cope with Indian hemp.
How he earned his nickname- Vasco da Gama
Only very few people, apart from Obagbalode’s childhood friends know his real name, as he is fondly called Vasco da Gama by all and sundry. He explained how he came by the nickname: “My name is Awodeyi Obagbalode but I am known all over the world as Vasco da Gama. Back in primary school, while everybody was giving themselves nicknames, I read about this man, ‘Vasco da Gama’ who was an explorer in World History and chose the name for myself. Since then, it stuck on me till date. Only few people know my name; even Fela and Orlando called me Vasco da Gama.”
Going AWOL
Vasco da Gama who was once enlisted in the military, boasted that he joined the army as a corporal in 1968 and was in the Military Band in Lagos playing for the them when he met Fela. “I was in a Military Band called St. Augustine. We once waxed a record called ‘Asewo no bi Work, na management.’ Fela was there and when he saw my performance, he called me to join him; but when I told him I was still in the army, he asked how much they were paying me. So like an obedient servant, I followed him.”
FESTAC 77
Vasco da Gama can never forget FESTAC ’77; that was about the time he first met Fela. Going down memory lane, he said, “I had already known Fela but I went to join him in 1977. Incidentally, it was Fela who was asked to come and do the Opening Glee for FESTAC, but he quarrelled with the federal government over it. They had invited him to come to the venue to perform but he bluntly refused and told the federal government to instead come to his shrine at Kalakuta Republic. That was how they invited King Sunny Ade and he ended up doing the Opening Glee.”
The Duro Ladipo fire drama
Vasco da Gama recalls how the late legendary actor, Duro Ladipo lit the torch flame using African magic. “They had worked the gas to light the torch flame, but the late Duro Ladipo, one of the greatest Yoruba cultural artistes declined, saying since it was an African festival, it should be done the African way. Ladipo and his wife, Biodun went round the National Theatre seven times and at the seventh time, he (Duro Ladipo) stretched out his hand and fire sparked from nowhere. There was thunder and lightning, and fire came out and everybody shouted in awe. It was a drama I will never forget in a hurry. Duro Ladipo used African power to daze all. Later King Sunny Ade went to the podium and did the opening glee, where he sang “Welcome, welcome Ladies and gentlemen…” That was one great song that soon became like a National Anthem, even till today.”
On Fela
“I became intimate to Fela and at night, I would go to play. He spoke about his film the ‘Black President,’ which he was about to produce in Ghana. One day, we were in Kampala Hotel in Ghana, when the policemen came to arrest Fela; it was the then Military Head of State, Flight Lt. Jerry Rawlings, who came to his rescue.”
Kalakuta Republic
Speaking of the legendary Kalakuta Republic, Vasco da Gama said, “I was there when the Kalakuta Republic was burnt down. It was John Uman, who took our machine (motorcycle) and went out, but because construction work was going on at Ojuelegba, he took one-way to be faster and he was pursued by traffic officers into Fela’s compound. One thing led to the other and the traffic officers were beaten up; then some policemen came and were also beaten up; later soldiers came and they beat everybody. They also beat Fela’s mother and threw her down from upstairs. They then set the house on fire. It was hell! That was how the film, Black President was burnt.
“Fela was also beaten up, and Kalakuta was burnt down. We went to court and in the end they called it ‘unknown’ soldier.”
Vasco da Gama also testified to Fela’s generosity. “Fela was generous to a fault, he was not selfish. He would say ‘We all worked for the money and we should equally share the money.’ Do you know that some Lagos boys who hibernated in his house had free food, drinks and ganja 24/7? Fela was a millionaire before Millionaire; when his house was burnt, foreigners came: Kitigaya, Steve Wonder, Peter Tosh and many other international musicians. They came to sympathise with him. They brought a vehicle for him. He later moved from Mushin to Ikeja.”
On Orlando Owoh
Vasco said, “We knew each from home before I joined the army; but in 1969 we were in Garrison. There was one Major Adewoti from Ifon in Ondo State, who came to meet Orlando (and later invited him to Agbor); that was where he sang the song of ‘Madam Dupe’. They had bought a vehicle and instrument for Orlando, and finally when I came to Lagos, I was going out to play with him. He also used to settle me differently, I was an instrumentalist. I took Indian hemp as a military man, we ‘ate’ it like roasted yam, but it is not good for ‘Omoluabi’ (a responsible man) to smoke it.”
Between Orlando and Fela
“In smoking Indian hemp, Orlando cannot compete with Fela. Fela had a wrapper who had no other job but to wrap Indian hemp for him. While Orlando will not smoke igbo in the public, Anikulapo, may God bless his soul took igbo every hour.”
Vasco da Dagama finally relocated to his country-home, Iyere in Owo, Ondo State in December 1983. He said he was hearing voices beckoning on him to return home. “Whenever I slept, a voice would be instructing me to go home.”
On his talent
“I did not train under anybody. God gave me the gift. I was even an actor in theatre. I was leading actor in my class, while in primary school. Then, I didn’t even know I could draw. When I was with Fela, there was a boy called Lenin Garoko who was designing Fela’s album; I used to go and play with him in his shop; later I thought I could do it and Lenin encouraged me. I joined OCB Ade, another musician and was playing jazz for him. We waxed a record but money became the problem and we parted.”
Orlando Owoh’s travails
I was not a permanent member of Orlando’s band .When I heard of his death I was sad, he was a man. He once sang my praise: ‘Vasco Da Gama E ma ku Odun, barika de sallah Musulumi ododo….’ That record was a big hit and very popular. I remember one occasion when he got into trouble. He was to play for one Colonel Aina, but he went to play in two places and it blew in his face. But that was all. Like Fela, he was accused of armed robbery, but it was just to tar his name. Both were never into robbery.
“He was not selling cocaine; he was more popular abroad than in Nigeria .They arrested him many times over Indian hemp and when his house was searched, they found cocaine. But his wife said she was the owner.”
Vasco also praised Orlando’s wife for defending him in that moment of trial. He said: “That Sade was a great woman. You can’t have another woman like that.
He however said King Sunny Ade was different and unique in this regard. “You would never see Sunny Ade with drug or cigarettes, and he can hardly finish a bottle of coke.” He said.
On the rivalry among musicians
According to Vasco da Gama, fans were the ones causing the problems. “For example, Bob played a tune in guitar for Sunny Ade and it was translated into something entirely different and negative to hurt another musician. He was referring to Obey. And when Obey played his own guitar, they claimed he was referring to Sunny Ade.
“Due to this rivalry, I could remember Bob Aladeniyi, Adeyeye Salaja, Arakatura. There was a time some perceived enemies were accused of seizing Salaja’s voice. Bob played guitar and it almost caused problem between him and Sunny. They turned it to ‘Haa, Guitar Sonu, Obey wa ti, Sunny mu’ (meaning: Obey’s guitar got lost, they searched for it and it turned out it was Sunny who took it.) All these were the machinations of the fans. Yet these musicians love each other. If you are not close to them, you will not know. To the public and fans, they are the greatest enemies, yet they are best of friends.”
On his age, the multi-talented artist said ‘Soon, I will be 70; that is why I have come down to Iyere-Owo, my home town in Ondo State, to spend my last days and relax.
