A week after his death, popular gospel singer Sola Allyson has finally paid tribute to the Ola Ibironke, the man who launched her to stardom.
Allyson’s tribute which details how they met and how Ibironke impacted her career reads…
Mr Ola Ibironke. Dudu Heritage.
And the Man transitioned…
I called you Uncle Ola.
Looking back now, it’s evident that my meeting you was intentional by The Plan. A time in my life when I was dissatisfied and restless. I wanted to do something else. I was already singing professionally for about 15 years and I was bored. Tired. Almost frustrated. I wanted to act. I met Lanre. On a bus from Obalende to Ogba. We talked. He worked for you. Your company needed someone green to do the soundtrack of the just finished film project Eji Òwúrọ̀ by @Bimbooshin. But Olúṣọlá wasn’t even interested in singing. I wanted to act. Lanre gave me the address of your office. Dolphin Estate Ikoyi.
I came, I obtained the form – to act o. Day upon day, one thing after the other, you got to know I could sing. I was given the responsibility to do the soundtrack. Because I am excellence-minded, even as it was acting I wanted to do at that time, I did the songs. I put in my best. I received help in writing evergreen songs that me I didn’t know that’s what they were. Just to drop it and face front about acting. But destiny was happening to me!!! And you were the one used to effect it.
You heard the songs. You said they were too good to be left in a film. You saw farther than anyone did. The people working with you then looked at you somehow but you owned the resources, you were the Ọ̀gá, your word must be obeyed. You insisted I had to go back to make the songs longer to fit into 42mins cassette, standard album duration. You insisted I had to feature in the film’s advert with the songs I did. Me that I was always ready to work, my boredom lifted, and I did it well. It was then I knew that I was only just tired and bored, not that I didn’t want to sing again. My soul just craved more…
And the more that I craved came through you, Uncle Ola…
We did it as you said. Not done around here like that before. I did it. Well. You said encouraging words to me which noone in the line of my work had ever said to me. You put into words that I saw with my soul’s eye but had no word for. Those words fed me healthy!
You didn’t ask me for what those in your kind of position had asked me which made me always run away from them. I respected you hugely because of that. My confidence in life soared the more. I began to see that what I wanted was possible after all without my substance being used in exchange. I did all I should do happily and conscientiously. Not knowing that it was time…
My destiny was ready, the way was laid out before me, and you were used as vessel to bring it to pass! And just like that, the journey into fame began…
I became Sola Allyson, Eji Òwúrọ̀. 😊
Can I ever forget you? Am I not always thankful that I met you at that time?
Though I had to move on in destiny, I was always praying for you everytime you crossed my mind. Can I ever forget how you saw that my voice and songs were more than a film soundtrack? I’m a fan of Nollywood and I saw @bimbooshin regularly. I prayed for you both. I sent you good thoughts. I hope I did enough of that. And I hope they helped your journey here a bit more…
Now, you have left us here…
You had to go! 😰
Hmmm… SAD. But then, what can we do? Is it not assigned for us all to go at one time?
May your path be made easy. May you meet with mercy. May Light shine. You were a good person. May good be yours as you go ahead. May good be the portion of all yours you left behind.
For you, I’m always thankful, Uncle Ola.
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