Veteran actor Patrick Doyle has lauded Nigerian music star Davido for his remarkable composure in the face of relentless public criticism, noting that the singer’s global influence continues to soar despite the challenges.
Doyle highlighted a philosophical connection between Davido’s experiences and the late Obafemi Awolowo’s assertion that adversities and criticism often evolve into blessings.
He commended Davido’s calmness and refusal to engage with detractors, attributing this approach to his remarkable success. Doyle also speculated that the singer’s ability to manage conflicts gracefully might stem from his father’s self-effacing nature, despite being a billionaire.
While acknowledging that Davido may initially come across as “flashy and brash,” Doyle pointed out that the demands of his music career necessitate a level of flamboyance.
The actor described Davido’s strategy as admirable, emphasising the importance of resilience and focus in achieving long-term success.
He wrote: “I remember attending a birthday party for Segun Awolowo in his illustrious grandfather’s stately home in Ikene. In the hall adjacent to the mansion where the party took place was an inscription, “Eebudola,” under a drawing of the zodiac sign of Pisces. For whatever reason, that inscription and sign etched themselves into my 20-something-year-old consciousness.
“It was a few years later when I read in an interview that the sage clarified what “Eebudola” meant. He explained that he had noticed a pattern in his life’s trajectory regarding how everything his peers and adversaries used to cast aspersions on him usually turned out to be a blessing for him in the end. The explanation resonated with me profoundly and reinforced my fanatical admiration for the great man.
“Bringing it to the present, I have noticed a young man who of late has been on the receiving end of aspersions from his peers. I have also noticed his attitude towards them and his relentless attacks. He has, for the most part, maintained a calm disposition and a reluctance to engage his adversaries. I find this to be commendable, and I imagine it is an inherited trait from his father who, though a business mogul, is possibly the most self-effacing billionaire around.
“The young man, on the other hand, appears to be flashy and brash at first glance. However, showbusiness, his vocation, demands that he be that way. That said, he is perhaps the least arrogant of his peers, even when he has the credentials to be the most arrogant given the aristocracy of his antecedents compared to his street-upbringing peers.
“On a few occasions, when he has erred and been corrected by elders, he has humbly redirected his steps and never once retorted rudely to correction. In short, he has displayed all the traits of a true “Omoluabi” in this regard.
As for the unwarranted abuse from his peers, it appears that the more they attack him and he ignores them, the more his stature as a global star shines. Truly, the Awolowo “Eebudola” concept is working in the life of young David Adeleke, the Eebudola of the entertainment industry.”
