By Charles Okogene
Of all Nigerian musicians that used their songs to fight for the emancipation of South Africa from the shackles of apartheid regimes, that of the late Sonny Okosuns was more biting.
While Nigeria, as a country during the era of Muritala Muhammed/Olusegun Obasanjo used diplomacy to fight Ian Smith, Piet Bortha, one time leaders of the apartheid regimes, Okosuns used his songs, Papa’s Land, Fire in Soweto among others, to wage his protest against the country.
While Papa’s Land released in 1977 was a direct assault on colonial regimes lording it over countries like Angola, Namibia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Fire in Soweto was directed frontally on South Africa as a result of the country’s massacre of over 200 defenceless school children.
And the result was that the then South African government banned the sale, the broadcast of the two songs in its territory.
With the ban, Okosuns’ international image grew. He won his first gold disc with Fire in Soweto. He became a true African soldier fighting with his lyrics. He joined the likes Hugh Masekela, Mariam Makeba both of whom used their songs to fight the evil that was apartheid and earned for themselves international stardoms.
Okosuns was huge to the extent that his ‘Which Way Nigeria’ song that is still relevant till date, was used by Samuel Doe, Yommi Johnson and their band of soldiers, to overthrow the legitimate government of William Tolbert. If it was now, perhaps Okosuns’ would have won international award like Grammy, BET, to mention a few.
But back home here in Nigeria, his case was like that of a prophet that has no honour in his home town. He was not recognised by Nigerian government even while alive or posthumously. Not even an MON, Member of the Order of the Niger was given to him while alive.
May his soul continue to rest in peace!