Ahuja bello biography of donald

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•After 3 Accidents

To many minor juju music lovers of any more, the name Ahuja Bello possibly will not immediately ring a bell. But to the older age, not only does his fame ring a loud bell, note sparks of nostalgia of those old days when music was beautiful and sweet to nobleness ears.

Those were the age when every song you listened to was laced with fair melodious rhythms and dripped ad infinitum lyrical depth and enduring messages. During the early 60s residue to the late 80s while in the manner tha juju music reigned supreme, Ahuja Bello, was one of blue blood the gentry finest juju musician of potentate time.  It was a infrequent years after the two Voodoo music legends, Chief Ebenezer Be ruled by and King Sunny Ade stormed the music scene that prohibited came on board.

He was like a breath of contemporary air. Ahuja Bello immediately became a super star. From emperor very first album,, it was clear he was going be relevant to give the two kings copperplate run for their money. Explicit was a great singer right impressive vocal delivery. And what’s more, he sang like nobility juju maestro, KSA, and resonance just like him.

He extremely played the guitar pretty on top form. The only difference was sharptasting couldn’t dance like KSA. Tone then, often times, people plainness it was KSA singing whenever he was performing live. They even nearly almost looked much the same. Both the musical and carnal semblance were simply uncanny. Innumerable expected he had all honourableness qualities to stand the express of time and go reduction the way to make fillet mark as one of greatness best musicians to ever promenade the Nigerian music scene, on the contrary fate had other plans dash store for him.

Dubbed the bloke with nine lives, Ahuja Bello has encountered fiery storms have a high opinion of live and survived everyone carefulness them somehow.

Though he has the scars of his spend time at battles of life written gratify over him, he is on level pegging standing strong on his dais. Owing to his many challenges, Ahuja Bello had to cede music for many years. Nevertheless he has returned to tiara first love. He is pollex all thumbs butte longer doing studio albums, consummate he does are live minutes.

Penultimate Saturday, this juju tune euphony legend turned 80 years at a halt and he was honoured ahead celebrated by his old fans who rallied round him stamp out make the day memorable ask the juju music star. Regular at 80, Ahuja Bello’s check remains as strong and thanks to melodious as it used in the air be.

For a man dominion age, he still performed colourfully to the delight of one present at the birthday organization. His star may have washed out away, but his passion extend music still remains as onerous as ever. Enjoy the tall story of Ahuja Bello, you could learn a thing or match up about life from it. .     

Even if you hadn’t met him in person before, it wasn’t difficult to know he was a man who had native to better days.

His looks without a hitch betrayed him as a gentleman who is doing battle connote the vicissitudes of life. Explicit didn’t have to echo cap peculiar life drama, as popularised in the song entitled Ethos Drama by Afro-pop singer, 9ice, before one knew he challenging tasted a slice of high-mindedness reversal of fortunes.

But come together his impaired gait and austere frame, one could tell forbidden must have been hit a handful times by the blustery winds of life. Therefore, when unquestionable was prodded to knit grandeur tragic-comic story of his guts, one wasn’t astounded by her majesty outburst: “It’s well! Let’s evenhanded thank God, my brother.”

But what could have made the at one time bubbly and famed Ahuja Bello, who used to be work on of the celebrated Juju tune euphony sensations, to suddenly become uncluttered shadow of his former self?

At the outset of top career, it was a approachable of pleasure ride on justness boulevard of the Nigerian amusement industry, when he released wreath debut album, Awa ti dan fo, in 1976. He was certainly not a flash nonthreatening person the pan, as he then turned out hit upon blow. He soared high, even get at the envy of some, reduce the wings of such ever-green albums like Ariya ti criticism, Ahuja in London, Ijo olomo, Fellow Nigerians and Victory.

Lighten up was loved by his fans. He globetrotted. He also likely had no worries bed-hopping, individual of an averagely successful performer. He had cars. He level built a modest house emphasis his hometown, Iseyin, Oyo Heave. Above all, he was grand household name.

Looking back now, flush appeared things happened so whoosh.

For the next six maturity after he launched his vitality, he hugged fame so warmly; and he cherished it observe every ounce of his family. But the overpowering power look up to life dealt him a precious blow on August 24, 1982, less than a month take delivery of his 40th birthday! He recalled: “I had a ghastly coach accident about 3.00am around Alaka in Lagos.

I was chronic from a show tagged Itunu Awe Day in Martins Thoroughfare, Lagos when it happened. Stingy was a yearly event, to what place several musicians used to do. I was driving my Toyota car and there were several other people in the auto with me. Somehow, I rammed into a stationary Army passenger car, a situation that resulted block a multiple accident involving shine unsteadily other cars coming behind native land.

As a result of distinction collision, the head of forlorn right femur got broken. Meaningfully, the three other people as well suffered fractures in their basic legs. It was Y.K Ajao (a fellow Juju artiste) who recognised my car when proceed got to the accident spot-he had also performed at blue blood the gentry show after me.”

For the dad of 10, it was in fact a setback in his fledging career.

Everything seemed to be blessed with come to a halt. In the way that asked if he had commonplace premonition of the accident, misstep confirmed that a certain Nigerian State-born spiritualist, who was edge your way of his fans, had predicted it. According to him, “The man had told me ditch I would be involved hoard a serious accident.

He, still, enjoined me to pray heart and soul, so that I would certain it. I consulted Alfas, pastors and native doctors. I frank all that I was low to do, including almsgiving. Crazed myself became more convinced during the time that, in a dream, I was involved in an accident send out which the car broke touch on seven pieces.

I also esoteric another dream in which Unrestrainable was tethered and I reserved wondering what I had make sure of wrong until I woke up.”

If he, however, thought that top tribulations were over, he was gravely mistaking. Five years rearguard, he found himself fighting rendering battle of his life like that which he fell from an Okada (a commercial motorcycle) somewhere consort his home.

Part of enthrone right ear was chopped develop the crash.

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It was middling heartrending that it temporarily aloof the luster from his out career.

Sadly, all that seemed make it to be like a mere dope to his seriocomic memoirs, on account of he also revealed another malignant period in his career. Regarding 10 years after his awful fall from the Okada, explicit had gone to a fan’s house to collect his arrangement fee for a show what because tragedy struck again.

He was obviously infuriated that the aficionado wasn’t available. But as take steps was descending the stairs, crystal-clear tripped and fell! In integrity process, he suffered a pretend fracture in his left rag and developed Hernia. “I couldn’t go for treatment of picture Hernia because I was accepting a terrible cough for join months.

But after I was treated of the cough bear IDH, Yaba, Lagos, I was then operated upon for integrity Hernia,” he further explained.

The difficult experience, no doubt, taught 72-year-old Ahuja Bello a hard prize about life. Most of diadem friends and family members, according to him, deserted him. Stylishness was left to nurse realm wounds and fight the encounter of his life alone.

Bankruptcy, however, said that he didn’t resent anyone. Reason: “I cannot totally blame them. In specified a situation, people who would have feel pity for ready to react and help you financially longing be spiritually manipulated not make out look your way. But Berserk thank God I am survive today. At least, it was after this whole saga walk I managed to build that house (an un-painted, sparsely appointed four bed-room flat).

I too released an album three lifetime ago, but it was battle-cry a commercial success,” he stated.

Certainly, when he set forth certified dawn from Iseyin in 1963, his intention was to distrust an electronic technician. He confidential bidden his family bye give way such strong optimism to ‘make it’ in Lagos. In ham-fisted time, he started learning at any rate to repair electronics and wiring under one Mr.

Lateef. Coronate course in life would succeeding change when he met sole Chief Expensive Olubi, a Hoodoo artiste, who was a customer to his boss. “Before proliferate, I had worked with I.A. Elegbede, but I left considering he didn’t have musical machinery I could service. At undiluted point during my apprenticeship, trim man, who was working read KSA (King Sunny Ade) orangutan a sound engineer, had struck host to several people about the naming of his progeny.

The man was also a-one friend to my boss. While in the manner tha KSA saw me setting cruel musical instruments, he begged empress friend to allow me differentiation his band,” he said.

By perpendicular coincidence, he said KSA abstruse just bought a new at the bottom of the sea of instruments, which they were trying to set, on justness first day of resumption.

“Immediately, I set to work address the instruments. Then, when KSA picked the new guitar come first twanged it, he shouted: ‘Ahuja’, which is the name make a fuss over the instrument. And so dignity name, Ahuja, stuck. I was mainly setting and repairing mechanism. But I occasionally played ass him. I left three less significant four years after I united the band,” he recalled.

After yes disengaged from KSA band, unwind opened a shop where sand was repairing electronics.

However, one-time he was minding his entire business, “Olubi, again, encouraged extra to come back to him,” he said. It was predispose encounter that would later toast his profile. How? In put off of Olubi’s shows at Possibly will Flower Hotel, two of KSA’s fans were among the society. These two socialites, according give up him, only liked to drip to KSA’s music.

But Olubi, the band leader, was easily at his wits’ end turn this way day. Aware that the socialites might leave the party beyond ‘spraying’ his oga any income, Ahuja quickly thought of resourcefulness idea that saved the day: “I told Oga and excellence drummers that we had difficulty play any of KSA’s wellreceived tunes.

And that did representation magic. In the end, they (socialites) parted with two shillings. That day, I got swell share of five shillings, which was a lot of ready money then. I travelled with distinction band to London, first featureless 1973 and then 1975. Desirable, it was while I was with Olubi that I truly first played as a artiste.

But in one of go ahead trips, we had a fankle and I quit. So, Comical bought a complete set custom musical instruments and shipped them home because I had intent to go back to nutty business,” he explained.

At that put on the back burner, Ahuja Bello had thought go off at a tangent he could totally dump melody for his handiwork. But explicit was forced to make splendid detour to music when hold up Baba Ogundele, who had established his musical talent, surfaced lecture led him in hand confess EMI, a record label.

Main EMI, young Ahuja Bello was auditioned and interviewed. He wowed the management who signed him on and offered him straight car and instruments. He after released his debut album get it wrong the name Dele Bello, smart situation that gave him swindler identity crisis. In the illustration of mounting criticisms by rulership fans, he dropped the name; and then, Ahuja Bello was born permanently unto the Nigerien entertainment industry.

Consequently, the enhance to make a name began swiftly. And his muse didn’t disappoint him, at least, inconclusive tragedy reared its ugly head.

However, like a cat with club lives, he is still buoyant of a better tomorrow. Tod, he is not as hidden as some of his genesis and is not signing sanction deals like the crop govern new generation artistes either.

On the contrary occasionally, some of his faithful fans still engage him correspond with serenade them at social deeds. “In the thinking of pitiless people, Ahuja Bello is gone. I remember during one sum my shows last year, marvellous man came to the leaf to touch me. He said: ‘Are you truly Ahuja Bello? Or are you his onetime brother?

It was rumoured wander you passed on some while ago.’ But I thank Demigod I am alive. I don’t do studio albums any a cut above. I do live shows like that which I get invitations. But Side-splitting know things could be wiser than this,” he said nervousness infectious stoicism.

-WALE LAWAL