By B.C Okagbor (21/04/1969)
Isaiah Kehinde Dairo, a humble, gentle, and very polite man who today is and who forever may be holding the hegemony of the juju empire was born in 1930 in Northern Nigeria. This genius who brought Yoruba indigenous juju to nationwide recognition attended CMS school, Offa, for only two years after which financial strains forced him out. In the company of his retiring father who served the Nigerian Railway Corporation as a carpenter for many years, he left for Ijebu Ijesha his hometown. The year was 1937. Shortly before they were to leave Offa something remarkable happened: the father drawing on his carpentry skill made a drum for young Dairo. Little could it be guessed that such a gift summarized his whole mission on earth? Isaiah was so fond of this drum that he would not part with it – early in the morning, at mealtime, going to fetch water or doing any other thing his drum was beside him.
At Ijebu Ijesha, he became a barber after some months of training. When he was not busy barbing, he was on his drum so much that his father was alarmed. In the evenings he would go and watch his predecessors of juju music at play. These were Orioke, Oladele Oro, and Mike all of whom were then based at Ijebu Ijesha. From the knowledge I.K Dairo gained from his father as a carpenter, he made drums after drums for himself. Not long after, he succeeded in gathering some boys to make up a band. One Taiye Igese was the captain. This was in 1942. The band soon broke up.
Dairo who afterward was to become the most popular of Nigerian musicians went to Ede as an Osomalo a pedestrian cloth seller from one locality to the other. He did this for four years after which he became a road worker for six months. When he saw that pays were not regular, he became a laborer clearing cocoa farms at Oko Apara near Oshogbp. At Oshogbo I. K heard rumors about the construction of the Queens College, Ede, and of the Ede Water supply scheme. Soon after, he was at Ede working in these undertakings under Cappa and D’alberto. Wages then ranged from 1s – 9d to 2s daily. Kehinde made little savings at Ede and with this, he came to Ibadan. At Ibadan, he again worked with Cappa and D’alberto who were then busy at the University of Ibadan. This was the place where I.K Dairo experienced the greatest hardship. He carried blocks upon blocks on his bare head so much that these shove a ring on his head. He was, however, relieved of his heavy labor when he was made a carpenter. Pays there within the range of 1sd – 9d and 2s – 3d daily. I.K indeed did much of laborer work to earn a living to free himself from the fetters of inherited poverty. What an encouragement to some of us! If Isaiah had not been bent on achieving one. And this he has done.
Kehinde did not at any time leave his drum behind. At day, he did his manual labor: at night he played with Ojoge Daniel a juju musician based in Ibadan. Ojoge soon stopped him and I.K Dairo sought fresh avenues. Jobless he roamed for some time until advised by one Enoch to work with Hausa laborers in producing gravels for roads. In those days laborer work was much valued and before one was taken he must have at least seen the foreman offer some sort of bribe. This was probably the only certificate required for entry.
Having wandered so long, I.K felt homesick. Twelve years had elapsed since he left home and he had yet nothing. So with only a sixpence, a guitar, and carpentry tools, he reached his place of birth. With nothing but confidence, he formed his first band. The year: 1957. They were all ten. The band went by the name “morning Star Orchestra”. They were invited to marriage ceremonies, burials, etc to play. Fame attended this group and in 1961, they were to compete with some other juju bands at the Wnbs/Tv IK won 16 artists invited. The name of Blue Spot is also traceable to this time.
IK has played in various foreign countries. He has played in England and he represented Nigeria at the Negro arts Festival held in Dakar in 1965.
Ik Dairo was the first African musician to be honored with the title of Member of the British Empire (M.B.E). He has won this owing to his originality and the improvement he gave to the juju music an improvement, an innovation which can hardly be forestalled by any living artiste. He introduced the talking drum into juju, introduced the accordion, and made the guitar an essential part of Juju Music.
The father of juju is as old as the Yoruba race but the father of modern juju is I.K Dairo. This is particularly seen in the number of juju musicians that have sprung up following closely the footprints of I.k Dario. Some which are also admirable have been striving to reach I. K Dairo record. In this bid, they have not only imitated I.k brand of music they have gone the whole length to copying his exact words and ideas. They add slight changes to affect disguise.
The ship of the Blue Spot hit a huge cataract on the 23rd day of February 1968 after a long laborious journey for eleven years. The nine people with whom I.k Dairo started in 1957 left on this date. The nine could not advance any reason why they decided to leave. On departure, I. k Dairo gave to them the van they were formerly using and also placed at their disposal all the playing instruments which he brought for them. The nine have long formed a band that operates here in Lagos I.K has since made up a new band that is indeed superior to the former. His later songs Ekun Rere and Baba Nigbati nba sako lo state this vividly.