FOUNDATION SETS FOR LATE SAKARA MUSICIAN, YUSUF OLATUNJI 40TH REMEMBRANCE ANNIVERSARY
The late music legend was the musician, who played at the naming ceremony of Lekan Alabi, 68 years ago, and he (Yusuf) was family associate of the late father of the foundation chairman, who in the last seventeen years had been at the vanguard of the deceased anniversary.
Speaking to journalists, Alabi said the late Yusuf collapsed at a meeting of Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN) held in Ibadan, on December 14, 1978, and fell into coma, rushed to Abeokuta, but died the following day which was December 15.
‘This press conference is pre-event public awareness of the 40th year remembrance of doyen of Sakara music, Yusuf Olatunji. December 15, will be the exactly 40 years he died. He collapsed at musicians’ association meeting on December 14, 1978, which he was the pioneer President. He fell into coma, rushed to Abeokuta, but died the following day’, Alabi explained
He said, he started the foundation seventeen years ago, adding that the next edition which marks four decades of the death will include a public lecture with the theme, ’Impact of Music in the Society”, as well as music performance by Abideen Yusuf-Olatunji, the grandchild of the deceased who took over the Sakara music of his late grandfather.
‘I started the foundation seventeen years ago, and why I am involved in the remembrance anniversary was that, Yusuf Olatunji was the musician who played at my naming ceremony 68 years ago. He was my father’s friend, I grew up to know him. Infact I name one of my children after him, Yusuf Olatunji Alabi
Penpushing further reports that, Alabi used the opportunity to call on the new generation of musicians, to emulate the genuinty in the music of number of late and living music legends, which teaches moral, educate and kept history of events, rather than engage in vulgar music.
