Featured Article: King Echo Toikumoh, The Orpheus of Niger Delta_By: Tobouke Jemine
Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything -- Plato
Many years ago, it pleased the Divine Realm of Music to grant the ears of the earth a musical maestro through the connubial union of Pa Ayemaye Kokoroko and Ma Peretorou Toikumoh in the traditional headquarters of Arogbo Ibe. It was a joyous day in heaven as it was in the realm of man when the music legend, High Chief Echo Oyerigha Toikumoh was born in 1943.
He grew up to realize that his mouth was not just for talking and eating. Much more than these functions, he discovered that he could sing. He sang and saw that his voice arrested the attention of the young and the old in his neighbourhood. Music may not mean career to him then, but it sure meant self-fulfilment and entertainment to him.
At the age of twelve, this prodigy sculptured 'Molo', a traditional guitar by himself, and with it he fed the listening organs of his audience.
While he took singing serious, he was also serious with his education. Either he knew or must have been told that, talent and gifting alone does not make success out of a man; some other forces -- celestial or terrestrial -- must be invoked and involved for talent to be united with the light of success and self-actualization. Hence, he sought to furnish, polish and fortify his musical journey with the force of education. Unfortunately, while he was in primary five at St. John F.A.C.Mission Primary School, Arogbo (1961 -1966), his father died.
The eternal crossing of Pa Ayemaye Kokoroko Toikumoh to the other shore quenched the academic lantern of the young Echo. He was left with his music muse and a determination to make success out of his life.He laboured for financial security through the cutting of economic woods and sale of medicine . From the proceeds of this physical toils he bought musical instruments and founded "Echo and the International Brothers Band of Arogbo" in 1973, but he later changed the name of this band to "Echo and Arogbo Fishers Brothers".
With Highlife masters like Cardinal Rex Lawson as his role models and music producers like Mr Yeke Doumini Ojujoh, Chief Echo released his debut album "Wona Douhaye" in 1974. Other albums include "Akinabibi Kuroemi" (2004) and "Respect Yourself", which was posthumously released.
According to Eji Oyewole, "We used Highlife to address sociatal ills in the country. Even at that time, we had politicians who were not committed to the masses, so we used Highlife to prick their consciences. It was also used for so many things, in so many events such as funerals, but it was used to address social issues." Chief Echo did not saunter away from the noble path of his musical forbears. He likewise sang against vices and promoted virtues for human betterment.
This great doyen of music left us without a gigantic body of life-changing songs. The messages are evergreen.
In "Earlier the Better", taught youths the profound significance of rising early in life preparation for a better future.
In "Money Matter", Chief Echo re-affirmed the biblical fact that the love of money is the root of evil.
In "Money Nor Dey", he communicates how the lack of money destabilizes the joy and peace of the home.
In "Dance to Night", he gave beat to our feet and backsides to dance off the distress, despairs and agonies of life.
In "Ini Mo Were", he teaches us to keep to the hope and beauty of patience and endurance, assuring us that in the right time things will fall into place.
In "Superior Senior Apostle I. O. Jemine", he reveals to us that divinity has hand in the success and prosperity of man.
In "Akinabibi Kuroemi" he sings of how hard it is to keep the sacred virtues of love, purity, faith, obedience and the rest in a world full of evil.
In "Akpo Ni Woboye", he questions the causes of the harsh realities of life, and pleads with God to answer the cries of mankind.
In "Douye", he reasons, empathizes and prays for those whose earthly toils have not yielded the desired good results.
In "Wari Ebi", he sings of the importance of having someone of worth in one's family, and the demerits of having no such one.
In "Ariwei", Echo promotes meekness, forgiveness, magnanimity and stoicism, teaching us to overlook offences and provocations, and at the same time warning liers and rumour-mongers to desist from morally wrong habits.
He sang more than three hundred songs; unfortunately, we cannot do justice to all of them in this piece. But they are all instructive, inspiring and morally enlivening songs.
He was a devoted Catholic, and the fear God and the love of the ways of God was heard and felt in his music.
Truly, king Echo sang with a deep concern to reform and transform society. His musical gospel reminds society, and especially his fans, those virtues that are worth embracing, those visions that are worth pursuing, and those causes that are worth fighting.
There is no Echo song without a useful message for humanity.
Chief Echo fulfilled his musical calling. His legendary musical career was honoured with "The King of Highlife" music in Warri, Delta State in 1995. Pere DME Eperetun, the Agadagba of Arogbo-Ijaw kingdom also honoured his musical contributions to society with the chieftaincy title, "The Ibeimelemowei of Arogbo Ibe". His songs are today played in distant lands, and his most popular song "Earlier the Better" is a darling song of Independent Radio Station, Benin City.
A day after the royal departure of the Agadagba of Arogbo Kingdom, Pere DME Eperetun -- on the very date he was born, the great Orpheus -- King Echo Toikumoh peacefully retired beyond the borders of flesh and blood.
And as I mounted up the hill, the music (of Echo) in my heart I bore,
Long after it was heard no more.--Alfred Edward Houseman.
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