Onicha-Ugbo’s entertainment revolution

By Azuka Jebose

By the end of Nigeria’s civil war in 1972, Onicha Ugbo foot soldiers that pitched tents with “The Republic of Biafra” returned to a new social environment in our small town. Onicha Ugbo was experiencing a vogue social scene that saturated the then mid-western Nigeria. Music was the social engineer of that psychedelic revolution.
Psychedelic rock and funk music woke a small town from the traditional celebrations and dirges to a fountain of soul brothers and sisters, parading the center of the town(by Ogwugwa’s joint), way before that symbol of civilization, the town’s towering water Reservoir, built beside the Monyes compound.

Almost 50 years after the reservoir was built, the small town still waits for dependable and reliable free water supply from the Water Reservoir. It was before the widening of the town’s only road link to native land Nigeria. ( Ikor orfu).

Our parents were serenaded and entertained by traditional celebrations and ceremonies: Ichi Nmor, Ichaka, Ili Nzele, obituaries, marriage, and birth ceremonies from Ogbes to Ogbes (Quartes to quarters). Onicha Ugbo’s social scene was controlled by the Obi in council, chief priests and heads of various villages. It was a communal setting directed by centuries of customs, and traditions rooted in conservative principles.
Ogwugwua’s beer joint, located at the center of the town’s first mini-shopping plaza, became a melting pot of social activities. Bored youths returned from evening farms and or schools and hung out at the center of the town to feel the latest gossip and also be acquainted with the fashion trends and happenstances within the entertainment fabric of a quiet town: rumors, mostly razed faster than harmattan breeze.

The center of the town provided information, it was a communal potpourri of networking: you were able to gather without proof, any innuendos, rumors and information, sometimes silly human errors of lifestyles, and used those for our annual Ineh festival: “Igba Abu”.

The big yellow moon teased us with streaks of bright lights during its seasons, and we could see clearly through the thick forests of our villages’ paths. The insects and other nightly creators shared our paths to nightlife and fun. The sounds of the bats, the rattlings of the crickets, or the rough wailings of the frogs, were cacophonies of our life those days

…And then came OGBELE PALACE HOTEL

Ogbele Palace Hotel was the heartbeat of Onicha Ugbo’s modern entertainment lifestyle and social scenes. In 1974; Onicha Ugbo witnessed a change in its dragged nightlife. An indigene was in the cinema business. So he occasionally came home to show movies at Ogbele Palace Hotel. I watched the American movie, “Kingkong” at Ogbele in 1974… I had just returned from a six-year self ( or parental) exile from Onicha Ugbo to begin secondary education at Ebu Grammar School. I lived with my grandmother in Ushi Oduna. (I attended Ebu Grammar School for one year; and transferred to Oraeze Grammar School, the next year). We watched movies(Films) every month or as our dear son of the soil privileged us.

At the four-point intersection that was the bustling entrance of the town, the Center that holds entrances to Idumuje from Ikor Orfu, and Ogwugwua’s joint, was an exciting and flashy skinny tailor. His name was IMAKALA… Imakala sewed trendy clothes for all celebrity secondary school boys and chics within what is known these times as the Ika/Anioma axes. We had Oraeze Grammar School, Ugboko Comprehensive, St. Anthonys, Ede Grammar School, St. Patricks, Ezi, Olona, Oligbo and other secondary schools. We had styles and pride. We dressed to impress the girls and had funny but sensual “guy” names. I remember these names:” Last Kobo”. “Tuwo”. Gwegide”. “Yankee”. “Moco”. “Action”. “Jaggas”. “Darasin”. “Alan Ball”. “Black Moses”. “Teo Kuti”. “Asimoplastic”. “Toronto”. “Derry Jay”. “Expensive Black”, “Target”.

Imakala was also a disc jockey. He powered his Vinyl player on batteries. Those were the days we had Sunday jumps at Ogbele Palace Hotel and the super nouveau celebrities from neighboring towns would come to Onicha ugbo to flex and vex. Onicha Ugbo had its own “ajonwas”: My uncle Peter Molokwu “Tuwo”, Late Darazine, were celebrated radicals. My aunt, Ngozi,”Gwegide” mortgaged her beauty. Don’t blame her. There were; Asimo Plastic, Last Kobo, Yankee, Pato, Jagas, Action, “Chop Money”. These were toasters and happenstances of our social scenes blessed with young socialites. We wanted to be like them. Sundays were jumping either at Ogbele or at private Idumu house parties where we had riddles and jokes, Girls/Boys choice: the chance for a girl or boy to dance with a girl he/she admired. We had soul!.

Imakala would spin the latest vinyl to satisfy our souls. Somewhere in Agbor, came a more sophisticated DeeJay with the best and most thrilling disc jockey equipment, flavored with his swagger; DEE JAY RADIO PAPA arrived on the scene with his quintessential Ika swagger. He was a delight on arrival. And we partied on as he seduced us with his new music, style, lights, and sophistication….
DeeJay Radio Papa was a skinny middle-aged disc jockey and operator of a music store in Agbor. Through his music store, he was able to load his playlist with what was then the best and latest dance and disco music. No wonder the social region gravitated toward him on arrival at the scene. He was the reigning deejay within the Ika/Aniocha local government area.
Anioma mid-north area had secondary schools that shared and swayed openly, their ruggedness: the nonconformists. We challenged the status quo and were willing and able to live by a new counter-culture social lifestyle and our rules. We were free spirits. Radio Papa found an amazing attraction among the secondary school guys and girls, and he came to us frequently. He gave us what we wanted: new dance music and vibes, powered by then state-of-the-art music equipment such as Kenwood speakers and stereo. They were generator-powered. Radio Papa’s deejay equipment useless Imakala’s battery-powered turntables. Radio Papa slowly became the showbiz master while Imakala settled as an occasional afternoon house party filler, especially on Sunday afternoons where groups of “Idumu” boys selected a home and hosted the town slickers, famous socialites to an afternoon of music, riddles and jokes. We would dance “hold tights” with the most beautiful girls who dared to challenge the taboo culture of dancing so close to boys in daylight settings.
Along Ogbeke enu village, a young cameraman, Rockwell, found his way to the entertainment scene and captured our lives and those moments. He gave us memories. Rockwell became a part of our entertainment columns, our first known paparazzi, capturing the best of us in those moments. Rockwell became popular as the town’s photographer for nearly ten years until Willie joined the caravan of fun and show business.

In 1976, the town began to face socio-economic changes… Onicha Ugbo’s labor force was slowly being populated by Easterners who arrived a few years after the war. They opened small businesses in major strategic corners of the town. There was Tom the bicycle repairer along Iko road, a few feet from the center of the town. There was also Simon Chemist, who ran what was then known as the best provision store at the intersections of Ushi and Idumu Ogbele quarters, along what is today known as the new Abuja road,inside the Iwelumor compound…. We gathered at Simons to sometimes prep and choreograph our entrance to Ogbele Palace where we hoped to serenade the babes then…. We would wait for the right music that would usher our select group to the dance floor…

Part of the development Onicha Ugbo faced in those times, was rural electrification. Suddenly, a contractor came and began cutting down beautiful trees all over our town. Those trees provided natural shades, beauty, and serenity to our birthland. The trees shaded our lives, protected us from rays of daily noon heat, and covered our nakedness. But those bastards came into our town, dug holes in every village street and planted concrete electric poles for electric wire extensions. By the time they finished their abuse of our nature and land, they left Onicha Ugbo with no electricity, naked, tortured, tormented landscapes, erosion, and in darkness for decades. They lied to us. But we partied on despite the frustrations, disappointments, interruptions, and nuisance.

Imakala was not able to stand the raves, rivalry and waves of radio papa. His music scene was still basking in traditional highlife and Nigeria’s popular music. But disco music was fast becoming contemporary then. It was a new music rave that endeared our waves. Disco and funk were party starters then, not the Wings of Aba. Onitsha, Port Harcourt and Lagos were music centers of Nigeria’s pop music. Those metro cities stationed popular bands such as The Funks, The Semi Colons, The Apostles of Aba, Oliver De Coque, Ikenga Superstar, Oriental Brothers, Nikko Mbaga, Osita Osadebe, Fuel For Love….

Radio Papa whipped our souls with spins of the latest music selections. We had lacerations from the soul whipping. As time began to tell on his DeeJay career, Imakala returned to his first love, a fashion designer and the best tailor in that region. Slowly he faded and settled into time and his generation.

But Radio Papa’s dominance would be challenged by the best-organized disc jockey business. A deejay made its iconic debut. A young sassy, dear dark and lovely free spirit and an extrovert, from Ogbe Obi landed the scene with a banger. His name was Nwanne Nwawolor. We knew him as DeeJay DERRY JAY! Derry Jay was flamboyant, free spirit, flashy, stylish and fantastic. He was also very funny. He was an instant party starter. He rocked our world. He shocked and awed us with disc jockey equipment and new sensual lightning. It was the first time most of the young village celebrities danced under blinking disco lights. He lit up our lives with the best disco and reggae music of our times.. Radio Papa quickly left the scene for the party hurricane that landed with tremors. We loved it so much. And the music played on. Derry Jay became the resident Deejay of Ogbele Palace Hotel, performing midweek or weekends. He was also available for hire for other local functions such as Secondary school inter-house sports, graduations, birthday parties, Obituary parties (“Obitch”)…
Derry Jay’s playlist included the best music selections: Sylver Convention, Brass Construction, Barry White, Michael Jackson, Donna Summer, Peter Tosh, Dillinger I Roy, U Roy, Mighty Diamonds, John Holts, LTD, Tina Charles, Bob Marley, Sonny Okosuns, Fela Anikulapo Kuti… Derry Jay added style and color to his passé. He had an entourage and groupies that traveled to surrounding villages, secondary schools, and towns, to perform. He was everywhere we wanted to be. Derry Jay was so popular within the secondary school social engagements those days that even his competitors, Disco D.O.d and SKAAB could not compete with his fame and celebrity. I never tell you finish.
Make I Kontinu? Stay with me
*AzukaJebose, a journalist wrote from America.




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