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At the Expo Hall of Eko Hotel and Suites on Sunday, November 7, history will be made when the two most enduring legends of Juju music play a joint concert backed by one band. There are many firsts to be achieved by the concert, a memorable ‘One Night Stand’ featuring Ebenezer Obey and Sunny Ade, a show that is not likely to be repeated.

It will be the first time Obey will be seen by a secular audience since becoming a man of the cloth nearly 20 years ago. He was the philosopher-king who gave us the timeless wisdom of ‘Man and Horse’, a song about man’s never-ending existential dilemma, a Myth of Sisyphus for Nigerian lives. Then he became an evangelist, and his legion of fans have thirsted for more ever since. It is a testament to the undying legacy already laid down by Obey during his productive years, that his listening public has remained devoted. The love of his music has not waned but increased and garnered fans among the younger generations over his long years of absence.

In the case of Sunny, popularly known as KSA, the great achievement of this maestro has been the commendable feat of staying at the very top of Juju music, since the heyday of the genre in the 70s. Through perennial classics like ‘Synchro System’, ‘Ariya Special’ and ‘E Kilo F’Omo ‘De’, Sunny has captured the mood of the times for millions. Like his followers, he has had ups and downs and weathered the storms to retain his unerring magic touch. Worldwide, there is hardly any other music star that has stayed solidly in reckoning so constantly, for so long.

This weekend’s gig will also be the first time that King Sunny Ade and the erstwhile Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey will play together, by most people’s recollection. At the height of the popularity of Juju music, the two were said to be rivals. The genre is replete with albums that fanned the flames of the speculation about the legendary rivalry of the bandleaders, especially Obey and Sunny. Even their fans were said to be at loggerheads.

Obey and Sunny have always downplayed the supposed rivalry, saying they were in fact like brothers. And with the Eko Hotel concert, they will lay to rest the final embers of the imagined rivalry, with a band under the direction of the respected producer, Laolu Akins.

It is indeed the stuff dreams are made of. It is hoped that this historic concert will not just float into the air once it is concluded, to be grasped at only in memory. It should not be lost on the organisers, the fact that this concert should be captured for posterity.

‘One Night Stand’ with Obey and Sunny should be captured in a masterful audio-visual recording, for sale as CDs and DVDs to the teeming fans, many of whom will not have the privilege of attending the concert. It is fitting and right, given the importance of Obey and Sunny’s imminent performance together. Such recordings would also be immensely lucrative for all involved.

Thanks to Obey and Sunny, Juju music has survived the onslaught of other genres like Fuji and Hip-Hop to remain relevant in a changing world. The two leading exponents of the genre have, in their different ways, typified the very essence of their craft.

A new book on an international touring exhibition, ‘African Lace’, says of Juju music: “The Yoruba ariya in the post-colonial aftermath is at once a revue and performance of sociability and kinship.”

As Obey and Sunny put on a show of sociability and kinship for us once more, we say: Thanks for the memories.

Subsequent to going to press, NEXT was informed that the concert has been postponed.