Yes, this is one thing Yoruba people don’t like to talk openly about.
They will secretly whisper their choice very conspiratorially
Edgar, I prefer Sunny, but Edgar, I prefer Obey. However, don’t quote me, they will add
You know Obey is more philosophical; his lyrics are deep and offer life lessons, but Sunny, is an ashawo, they will add to that.
Sunny flows, easier to dance with and comes with borderline sexy and lurid attimes, and this goes with his persona as a flamboyant, well-dressed ick
But Obeys’ lyrics go with his dour, non-exciting persona, which borders on a pseudo-religious approach
The rivalry peaked in the 80s and was quickly diffused by strong Yoruba elders who saw a strong possibility of a mutual destruction of two iconic figures if allowed to fester
Since then, the rivalry has been discussed in hushed tones and in dark rooms
Well, I am Akwa Ibom and I no dey too fear and as no be Tinubu dem be, I go open my mouth talk
I grew up on both. I first met KSA as a young child, going to grind pepper for my mother at Adebiyi Street in Shomolu
His tunes were melodious and allowed for a sing-along, which was huge, especially for a young boy who did not understand Yoruba
His anthem for Festac’77 caught me, and Synchro System further enraptured me
His voice and clean sound really made him a star in my young eyes
So I made the record shop my home as I went there every Sunday to listen to Sunny
‘Ma fo wo kan be yen’ was by best as it totally captures the continued fixation of older men and very young girls
The flirtatious – don’t touch me, I like it- denmurenes of the young girls as they continue to titillate and mesmerise the older man with perky breasts and undulating waistlines was the punch of tge song
Obey, on the other hand, came at me during a trying period of my youth
My father had lost his job, and to make ends meet, we started hawking bread
So every afternoon, we would go to the bakery at Esanogbogun Street in Shomolu to pick bread
There was a record store beside, and the man would blare Obey and the song – Asiko caught my attention
By this time, I was sufficiently fluent in Yoruba and could understabd the deep philosophical words he sang with
Those words comforted me as I hawked bread all over Shomolu and Bariga, and when my legs were tired, I would go to the record store, drop the tray of bread and listen to Obey with tears in my eyes
Obeys various songs, especially the Asiko, kept me sane, held me by the shoulder and reminded me that this suffering is but for a time
So who is greater?
Last year, in December, we did a massive Musical on KSA and ran into trouble with him
The musical was written and directed by Emmanuel Adejumo, whose father, Baba Sala, mentored Sunny and was said to have given him his first guitar
This December, Adejumo is coming back with Obey, another lavish Musical on Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey
This time, we have learnt lessons from our experience with KsA.
Everything has been documented, and videos and clips of meetings with the great man have been curated and kept – I cannot shout
It is after watching Obey that I will come out with my verdict as to who is greater of the two, and when I do that, Yoruba people can come and beat me. Thank you
Obey is playing at the Agip Recital Hall of The Muson Centre on the 25th and 26th of December, 2025
You can get your tickets at https://linktr.ee/Duke_of_Shomolu
Yess
Duke of Shomolu
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