Enirete Eregba Group Dedicates December 23 To Serenade Fallen Heroes (CHECK THEM OUT)

Ola ‘Kiya, Reporting

THE Enirete Eregba Cultural Group of Ogori, in Ogori-Magongo Local Government Area of Kogi State has dedicated December 23 to celebrate and serenade three of its fallen heroes – Lead Singer Daniel Osebugbugbodi Orire with Oguda as stage name; Taiye Shadrach Edahson and Rotimi Adekunle, popularly called Ode(gbami).

A candle light procession is being organised in memory of the three lost icons on December 23, 2023.

The trio, of average age, who passed at intervals in 2023, were fecund members of the ace Eregba group in Ogori. Their immense contributions to fatherland and the sustenance of the Eregba culture have earned them not just a candle walk, but an all-night Eregba performance in their honour.

As a result, Ogorians, home and abroad, and from all walks of life, are expected at the memorial and memorable event in honour of the three cultural icons.

Daniel Osebugbugbodi Orire (Oguda)

Oguda was a lead singer in whose blood flowed the undiluted Eregba gene. Blessed with a sonorous voice, rich and deep philosophical diction of the Oko language, Oguda had had it rough in life after losing his dad, another great Eregba griot, Awurudagba, at a very tender age. His education suffered intermittent setbacks in spite of his obvious brilliance and intelligence. He was on and off Ogori before he finally decided to settle down permanently in his root.

Daniel Osebugbugbodi Orire

Born 1972, Oguda had his last Eregba Performance in December 23, 2022 superlatively, dishing out songs, with some, predicting his imminent transition, unknown to his loved ones and admirers alike. Barely a month after, he passed on Monday February 6, 2023.

Daniel Osebugbugbodi Orire

Stonix News had gathered that after returning from his farm that fateful afternoon in January 2023, he took his lunch, and laid down in his room for his siesta. He never woke up as one of his curious kids, who went to check on his beloved father in the room, met him gasping for his last breaths. Oguda joined his Eregba ancestors leaving behind his aged mother, wife and kids. He was reputed for his ingenuity, good heart, humility and easygoing nature. At a time, he became a pastor. At another time, he withdrew to himself. He oscillated between emotions – a nerd he was.

Taiye Shadrach Edahson

Taiye Shadrach Edahson was one of the sons of late historian and icon of print journalism in former Kwara and current Kogi states, Joseph Edahson Ogbomedah. Born on May 21, 1980, he was said to be the security aide to the chairman of the Ogori Magongo Local Government Area, Mr Goke Oparison.

Taiye Shadrach Edahson

Stonix News gathered that he attended a primary school in Igarra, Edo State and Community Comprehensive High School, Ogori, where he had his secondary education. He proceeded to Abuja School of Accountancy where he had his National Diploma. Edahson was also a student of National Open University (NOUN), Ogori Study Centre.

He worked as a civil servant with Ogori/Magongo LGA in the Treasury Department, and until his death, he was appointed as Senior Adviser on Security Matters to the Chairman of Ogori/Magongo LGA, Mr.Goke Oparison.

As a security expert, he severally led the Kogi State Vigilante and other internal security self-help agents within Ogori/Magongo LGA to curb the influx of kidnappers and other criminal elements in the area.

Edahson was also the Chairman of Culture/Education/Security Committee of Ogori Descendants’ Union (National), just as he served as one of the Chief Security Officers of Enirete Eregba Cultural Group, Ogori.

Being an ardent lover of the security wellbeing of his community, Edahson was said to be a thorn in the flesh of marauding kidnappers who have crept into the woods of Ogori, unleashing terror on the peaceful people in their wake.

He was reportedly targeted for elimination and fell to the ambush laid for him somewhere along Ekpe-Ososo road of the sleepy agrarian community where he was macheted and mutilated to death on Sunday, October 13, 2023.

His cold murder threw the Small Jerusalem into deep mourning and fear. As of today, it appears no one has been apprehended in respect of the brutal killing suspectedly executed by Fulani marauders.

Edahson left behind, too, his wife and kids as well as an unmanned, porous community of professors and army generals.

Edahson was described as someone who was ready to sacrifice his life (and he did) for the safety of his people and community.

In an Eregba song to underscore his chivalry and love for fatherland, Ezu Kerekere, during the Eregba Performance for the final burial of Princess Esther Adefolakemi Arogunmasa at Enibe in October 19, dropped this elegy as a tribute to his untimely death. In his ululating vocals, he sang:

Etaye Edahson o, oya keke

Etaiye Edahson O, oya Keke

Iwo ne me yi na, iw’ aye me ko mu yi

Etaiye Edahson o, oya keke

Etaiye Edahson O, oya Keke

Ukpuku wuru ro gana bisi age ya

Etaye Edahson o, oya keke

Etaiye Edahson O, oya Keke

Ezu, in this mournful song, lamented the cruel manner with which the security expert was butchered to death by his attackers, describing his death as that of an indescribable fallen grove!

Rotimi Adekunle (Ode)

Rotimi Adekunle, born 1972, was a member of the Enirete Eregba Cultural Group ensemble. His job of thumping the single-faced conga drum was reminiscent of that of Ijeda’s Ezekiel Awolumate whose era introduced the instrument to the performance. He was a strong, sturdy and energetic local wrestler and footballer in his much youthful days. His mesmerizing dribbling skills in the pitch those days earned him the nickname – Ode which is the short form of Odegbami – the legendary Green Eagles 1980 AFCON winner.

Rotimi Adekunle Ode

Adekunle’s sudden demise came Thursday November 9, 2023, after a brief, but devastating illness. His wife and four kids, as well as his Eregba group, are left in cold to mourn and forever miss him.

The death of these three iconic youths and veritable members of the Enirete Eregba Cultural Group same year – Oguda at 51, Ode at 51 and Edahson at 42 – are rather three deaths too many of youths in their very productive prime.

It’s becoming a somewhat pattern in Small Jerusalem as brilliant and resourceful youths prepared to up the glory of the land easily cave in to cruel death! For many folks, it’s not ordinary particularly looking at the same trajectory playing out in 2022 and previous years!

The Eregba song late Baba Ogori once dished out some years ago comes to mind at this crucial point. He had sung it thus in one of his numerous performances before he joined his ancestors:

Ikirisa kwe Fu renibe

Eni se sa sa ena we Nana

Ikirisa kwe Fu renibe

Eni se sa sa ena we nana

Isude yiwo egben ne yi wo

Amuludun aben abe miwa kana

Iya yogben ro enidede ni roro

Iya yogben ro (2ce)

The song, in a rough translation, decries and laments the deaths of the very youth in their prime, calling on the attention of Ogori people to beware.

In a post by the lead singer of Enirete Eregba Cultural Group, Mr Stephen Odina alias Ezu Kerekere, a candle light procession holds on December 23 – the group’s annual Eregba festival day.

“Join us as Enirete Eregba Cultural Group Ogori mourns the passing of its members.The programme of events will showcase a Candle Night Walk/Live Show on Saturday 23rd December, 2023 as from 6:00p.m. Your presence, prayers and financial supports will be highly appreciated,” Odina posted on his Facebook wall recently.

Reminiscing Yuletide At Ogori

Describing the feelings and ambience of Ogori at Yuletide is making some vain attempts to explain the joy of a woman just birthed of a bouncing baby. It’s exhilarating, nostalgic and highly reflective.

Ogori people cherish Christmas celebration like they cherish education and their peculiar cultural nuances such as Eregba. But in the Ogori of yore, if you’re say 45 and above and you grew up in Ogori, you’d remember what we children called Adeleke!

This is not the famed name of the dancing governor of Osun State, but a sobriquet given to a masked dancer clothed with debroomed fresh palm fronds round his waste, with a sweater top, thick stockings worn on the feet, fists covered with gloves and face covered with a mask. The best of the masks is the carved wooden ones like the Benin mask rather than the plastic one! It is called Ileleule!

Two cut-to-size bamboo sticks are improvised to be beaten with two sticks to produce danceable, rhythmic music for the Adeleke, and with an ensemble of five or more, they sing, drum and dance from house to house along the streets to elicit donations from those impressed with their performance. A better Adeleke that’ll impress and draw financial gifts from the audience is the one with a beautiful wooden mask and music produced from agidigbo with frenetic dance steps! My reader could still recollect Demilade Onoba of Enibe and his legendary performance! Most common song sung to accompany any Adeleke is a call and response refrain that goes thus:

Call: Adeleke

Chorus: we we.

Call: Adeleke

Chorus: we we

Call: Adeleke mo’ de o

Response: Oya mo’ de o

(On and On)

For those not talented in assemblying an Adeleke, they would make do with pairing themselves in twos, threes or fours, arm themselves with bottles and long nails used to carefully beat the bottles to rhyme with songs like:

Call: Usa usa re usa kongo

Chorus: Alabausa

Call: Usa usa re usa kongo

Chorus: Alabausa

Call: Ewo sarobe shua bobe

Chorus: Alabausa

Call: Ewo sarobe shua bobe

Chorus: Alabausa

While it may be difficult for this writer to interpret the above lines, the group of teenagers often males, decked in Christmas clothes (often in Ankara), dance to the rhythm of the beat in front of any house where people are sighted in festive mood.

A sure persistence and sustenance of the music tempo would finally make the entertained to part with gifts – some coins or naira notes – to the joy of the entertainers. The ensemble proceeds to other homes till fatigue sets in when the proceeds are shared. Christmas is sure fun in African communities of yore! How about today?

Having been absent from Yuletide celebration at Ogori for donkey years, this writer cannot tell whether the Christo-African cultural code still exists among folks of the younger generation. Is Adeleke still rife at Ogori?

If Adeleke is gone into oblivion, not Eregba which is still enjoying more acceptations and supports among both old and young, male and female. Besides Enirete Eregba Cultural Group (EECG) led by Stephen Odina whose stage name is Ezu Kerekere, other groups such as Ijeda and Tibile, among others, are vibrators with their aesthetic and functional essences in keeping the fabric of the ties among the people intact.

Like they greet in Oko (Ogori) language this season, Tanimu ro Ogori regben. Ogbo’na wo keke, Ebeen na wokeka!