Obey, whose full names are Ebenezer Remilekun Aremu Olasupo Obey-Fabiyi, was born in Idogo, Ogun State, Nigeria. He began his professional career in the mid-1950s as a member of the Fatai Rolling-Dollar's band. He later formed a band called The International Brothers in 1964, playing highlife/juju fusion. The band later metamorphosed into Inter-Reformers in the early-1970s.
Obey began experimenting with Yoruba percussion style and expanding on the band by adding more drum kits, guitars and talking drums. In an effort to rise above his competition, Obey began to develop new musical "systems," adding as many as 20 new musicians to his band at a time, extending the length of his album tracks, and pumping out hit after hit. Obeys’ musical strengths lie in weaving intricate Yoruba axioms into dance-floor compositions. Typical of Nigerian Yoruba social-circle music, the Inter-Reformers band exceled in praise-singing for rich Nigerian socialites and business tycoons.
Since the 1960s, Ebenezer Obey has been one of the most popular, prolific, and influential musicians in Nigeria, releasing over fifty albums, developing juju style, and conducting an informal and highly creative campaign against his competitors in the musical world. Though his lyrics were traditional, his musical direction was highly innovative. A stylish and bluesy guitarist whose music has been contagious in Nigeria for years, Obey is also renowned for Christian spiritual themes in his music and has since the early-1990s retired into Nigerian gospel music ministry.
No doubt my favorite musician of all time and I also dare to say that this album is on my top 2 of all time. Here is Obey in the 60’s………..Enjoy!