“At 75, I wish and pray that God grants Obey more years and the strength and energy to continue with his music. So to Chief Commander, I say let the music play on.”
This was contained in a congratulatory massage which the former Lagos State governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, sent to the former Yoruba music maestro and now an evangelist, Chief Ebenezer Remilekun Aremu Obey-Fabiyi. Obey, whose nickname is Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey, celebrated his 75th birthday today, Monday.
In the message by his Media Office, Asiwaju Tinubu described Chief Obey as an astute entertainer whose songs will always remain evergreen, adding: “I congratulate Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey on his 75th birthday. It’s a great accomplishment to so be blessed by God as he has been.
“Ebenezer Obey, whose professional career began in the mid-1950s when he moved to Lagos, has contributed a lot to the development of music in Nigeria, nay Africa.
“As a musician with a deep Christian spiritual bend, Obey’s music is unique in the way and manner he turns Yoruba axioms, bearing rich religious messages into dance-hall compositions. “His popular tracks like ‘What God Has Joined Together,’ ‘Aimasiko,’ ‘Eyin Pegan Pegan’, Anjade Loni Eledumare’, ‘Jesu Olore’, ‘Africa is My Home’, ‘Ambe o,’‘I am a Winner,’ etc remain masterpieces any day.
“When in early-1990s, he retired into Nigerian gospel music ministry, I knew it could only be short-lived, because when you have a passion for a profession like Chief Obey’s zeal for music, whether secular or gospel, there is no room for retirement.
“I saw him in action in December last year at an event held at the Lagos State House, Alausa, Ikeja, tagged ‘Evening with Governor Ambode’ to end 2016 and usher in 2017, he was the cynosure of all eyes.
“He remained his true self, the true entertainer that we have always known, churning out one rich number after another.” [myad]
