The death of music collector Femi Esho, documentarist Tam Fiofori and painter Zinno Orara further robs the culture industry of institutional knowledge and experience. IT’S been a torrid few weeks in the culture sector, with death scything down some of the grand players in the industry. Death is the end of all men, but the passing of these impactful players has further robbed the sector of the experience and ideas it needs in these challenging times.
The first shocker was the passing of the inimitable music collector and promoter of highlife music, Femi Esho, on June 17 at age 77. Some critics have always noted how we, as Nigerians, don’t document our history. We don’t celebrate our achievements and chronicle them for the incoming generation to learn from.
But this was different for the avid collector. Through his Evergreen Musical Company Ltd, Baba Esho, as he was widely known, collected and documented music of yesteryears. He made them accessible and also celebrated the artists who produced this music.
One wouldn’t have known about the Ikale musician Crosdale Juba but for his efforts. In my early years as a culture journalist, he compiled and reproduced all the songs of the artist launched with fanfare in Ibadan, Oyo State. I knew the late Mrs Comfort Omoge, another notable Ikale ‘old school’ musician, but had never before then heard of Juba.
Baba Esho improved my music education like he did for numerous others. His impact on preserving our musical heritage is im.