By Odolaye Aremu
Comfort Ọmọge was the Igbodigo, Okitipupa princess whose unforgettable alto pitch could have raised Lazarus from the dead, even in the absolute absence of Christ.
Such was the magnificence of her singing voice. Her Asiko tune was one part melancholic and another part melodious tightly supported on ends by some crazy, unplugged drummers.
It is the dramatic similitude of sex- we all start it slow till we build onto a plateau of pleasurable frenzy, till we eventually fall into a climactic finish. Comfort Ọmọge got that formula down pat! She never strayed from it till her eventual end.
A Miriam Makeba type figure. A Madam, as she at times preferred to be addressed. Warm woman and non-controversial. Regal. Of course, a Princess whose husband- the Ọba Of Igbodigo reportedly was her major inspiration. She sang too many times in the bedroom, the man advised her to start recording. And she did. And she became famous. Arguably one of the most famous Okitipupa/Ikale singers. Herself, Crosdale Juba, and later Sunny Pedido.
24-hours of the day seem insufficient to fully address the wishes running through our heads, let alone sufficient for the chores at hand to do. A lifetime is a blur, even for greatness.
Imagine Aretha Franklin and Comfort Ọmọge singing ‘R-E-S-P-E-C-T’ together on the same stage like those nostalgic concerts with the Tenor Pavarotti and some other mainstream acts. Aretha in her soulful voice and Comfort in her Ikale alto, backed by her tight, melodious village drums and harmonious voices.
Oh well! It was a sudden swoosh of the mind. Only a wish. Nothing but a wish.
How I left off Theophilus Iwalokun’s name off the list is just plain oversight. He deserves an astounding mention just on his own. His Surulere album was popular back then.