Beautiful, Energetic, Unassuming and Highly Respectful Abimbola Esho a.k.a AjikeOkin, is Managing Director, Evergreen Musical Company, the greatest custodian of yesteryears music in Nigeria.
In this interview with FirstNigeriaTV’s Ojomo, Olusegun Adebambo, she speaks on the genesis of the thriving indigenous company, its roles in the Nigerian music industry, hopes for the future and other germane issues.
Excerpts:
Could you very briefly take us back to the inception of Evergreen Musical Company?
The company started about twenty five years ago. We first had the band as the main business involved in playing highlife music at top social clubs. The success generated at these occasions, especially the level of acceptance of the genre by socialites, made us begin to look inwards and we started to reproduce the works of music artistes of early days whose music were considered as having gone into extinction. We sought the approval of some of the artistes that were still alive as well as families of those who had also become of blessed memories, to recreate their works in manners that could bring back their good memories for the entertainment industry.This process automatically led to the formal registration and resumption of operations of Evergreen Musical Company.
How easy has it been for you to correlate the music of yesteryears with what obtains today?
As you know, for someone like me, I can’t claim to be old. I’m like a bridge between the old and the young, meaning that I can easily manage the differences between the old and new generation music and even make an amalgamation between the two. Music comes and goes just like the pendulum and as an intermediary, I understand what the trend was years ago, what it is now and what it would likely be in the near future.
How do you ensure that music transformation over the years is enabled for longevity so as to prevent their extinction?
Yes, of course nothing remains constant, there is always a process of evolution in between life and existence. New ideas for continuity keep rolling in and as professionals in the field of music, we keep tapping into them for continuity of our business.Cassettes and vinyl records were instruments of the past that have transformed into digitals, CDs and Mp3 today. And of course, we expect tomorrow to come with advancements in music production through research and development which we are even already feeling at the moment.
What are the secondary venture areas by your company, apart from music production?
Yes, for now and because the company has grown far beyond us, we have set up an NGO called Evergreen Heritage Foundation which was in the news a few weeks back. The foundation is formed to cater for several needs of people as they relate to music such as music education materials, artistes’ promotions/sponsorship, history/artefacts compilations, music artistes’ production and enlightenment materials, industry crisis management and a gamut of other services that make up a total and comprehensive entertainment hub. From all aforementioned, you can easily see that we have gone far beyond just music production.
Have you entered into contractual agreements with government bodies, other non- government organizations and corporate bodies in the course of your ideas’ actualisation?
Yes, we have been extending collaborative arms towards some state governments especially Lagos and also some corporate organisations but we recently had to press the brakes because of the Covid-19 scourge which we hope would by God’s grace, soon be abated. Like I said, our ideas have grown so big that we cannot alone handle processes, we direly need collaborators.
I vividly remember the good old days of Evergreen Music Company as run by your dad, what are the legacies he has bequeathed to you to enhance your capabilities in carrying on as Managing Director?
Oh, like all and sundry know, my father had been and still remains a guru in the music entertainment industry in Nigeria. The books remain there in the archives to speak volumes about his achievements in the growth of the industry and it is this same legacy he has passed down. I have been involved in music through him ever since my teenage and most of what I know about music requires I always say big thanks to him. By the existence and proliferation of Evergreen Musical Company, many of the hitherto famous and popular artistes who would have been long forgotten have been given opportunity of musical life after death.We have also preserved the works of the major artistes of yesteryears including Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, Ebenezer Obey, Victor Olaiya for generations yet unborn to access.
Has your company been involved in music cultural exchanges with other countries?
Yes, we intend to factor into our NGO music cultural integration and comparative analysis which involves sharing ideas with different cultures in the areas of music instrumentation, production and distribution as well as profiling to see areas we can tap into for improved productivity. We have actually been able to prove the ingenuity and richness of Nigerian music all over the world. Some of our indigenous music titles are now being employed in world class product adverts’ and promotions.
Now, let’s move away from Evergreen Musical Company and inquire about your personality.. Who are you??
Abimbola Esho is the Managing Director of Evergreen Musical Company Limited, Bimbo is an entrepreneur, and she holds a Bachelor of Science Degree (B.Sc.) in Anthropology from the Premier and Prestigious University of Ibadan (UI) in Oyo State. Her interest in music spans a period of over 15 years when as a young undergraduate she wrote her final year thesis on Highlife Music in Nigeria, a research study that took her on a musical odyssey across the length and breadth of Nigeria documenting and researching into the lives of different forgotten Nigerian music legends. Her innate passion, talent and experiences also span from wide range of industries including entertainment, fashion and event management. She is the MD/CEO of Esho-Re, clothing and branding company and The Amuluduns which is 100% indigenous Event Management Company under her leadership.
Bimbo is a columnist for the oldest Society Soft Sell Magazine in Nigeria (City People Magazine) where she contributes weekly on their music column. Bimbo’s unabated love for knowledge made her to create an online chat group called Members of Music Icons (MMIs) which comprises Famous Nigerian Music Icons, Researchers, Music Collectors, Music Directors, Art Collectors, Poets, Journalists, Radio Presenters, Universities Deans, H.O.Ds, and other prominent personalities from different sectors of the economy, all with a common goal of sharing music education and experiences. Bimbo has handled many projects for Evergreen Musical Company which include Nigeria Independence Parade of Stars, Dr. Victor Abimbola Olaiya’s 60 years on Stage, A centenary of Nigerian Music at 100 Years (1914-2014), Last of the Originals, Public presentation and launching of the entire works of Fela Anikulapo Kuti and many more, she is an easy going lady and very enterprising and industrious.
And finally, how did you come about the nickname AjikeOkin?
Ajike is my eulogy, referred to as ‘Oriki’ in Yoruba Language and I incorporated into it the word ‘Okin’ because that’s the most beautiful of all birds.#
