How DK Olukoya’s Musical Romance with My Dad, Babafemi Esho, Birthed a Music Empire

Bimbo Esho Music has always been in my genes as a young Lagos Babe, crawling late at night with my dad just to give love and happiness to Lagosians through the music of yesteryears. 

When we started out in the 90’s with the release of the complete musical works of most of these musicians of yesteryears like Rex Lawson, Adeolu Akisanya, Fela Kuti, Ayinde Bakare, Tunde Nightingale, Eddy Okonta, etc., and also with the incorporation of the 24-piece Evergreen Music Band to churn out most of these music repertoires, we knew that the idea was going to change the musical entertainment atmosphere in Lagos social life. Immediately most of the elitist clubs took up the bug, and we started witnessing the rise of many highlife bands in Lagos and Juju bands who incorporated the highlife repertoires in their music. 

We noticed the cravings Lagosians, particularly the Gbajumos, as they call them, had for many of these rare vintage repertoires. Now the core EKORIANS could get Sakara Music, Waka, Agidigbo, Highlife, etc. All thanks to my dad, who has been keeping these songs since age 12 years; we probably would have lost most of these repertoires to the doldrums of history, thereby losing an intrinsic part of our musical heritage.

 One thing that I know for sure kept giving my dear dad Babafemi Esho sleepless nights was how most of this music he has collected from age 12 would be kept for posterity if he didn’t find the capital of building a music heritage centre that he so desired to make his dream for Evergreen come to light. 

My dad wanted a Music Heritage Centre where most of these musical works, some as old as 100 years with their original vinyls, would be kept for posterity. He knew how much sacrifice he had given to ensure we had a musical heritage/library in Nigeria. 

In some of his speeches and interviews, I recall him calling out to a few of the parastatals in charge of cultural activities in Nigeria to at least partner with him so as to preserve most of these works. Many times, perhaps it fell on deaf ears. 

If there is anything that I witnessed live that gave joy and hope to my dad before his demise, it is the fact that he met one man who shared in his passion, and the same man made his dream of acquiring a Music Heritage Place come to light. 

Many people have lived their lives without their dreams coming to fruition, but Dr. DK Olukoya, General Overseer of MFM, brought my dad’s dream to life. A testimony to the saying that there is always light at the end of the tunnel. 

• Esho writes from Lagos