Ayinla Omowura

Ayinla Waidi Omowura was born in 1933 in Itoko, Abeokuta, Ogun State. Starting out as a blacksmith and driver, his raw vocal power, profound command of Yoruba idioms, and razor-sharp social satire propelled him to the forefront of indigenous music in the late 1960s.

Leading his ensemble with master lead drummer Adewole Oniluola, Omowura released dozens of hit albums with EMI Records that chronicled everyday working-class life, governmental policies like the 1973 currency decimalization, and moral debates. His fiery lyrical rivalries and magnetic stage swagger made him an idol of transporters and traders. He was tragically killed during a dispute in a beer parlour in Abeokuta on May 6, 1980.