One-on-one with Benson Idonije

Ayodele Lawal Weekend Magazine: Congratulations sir on your 80th birthday. But you don’t look 80, what is the secret? Benson Idonije: It’s been work, work, work. I do a lot of work. You know that I started from broadcasting and later print. WM: What’s your daily routine like? Idonije: As a broadcaster I ran three […]

Ayodele Lawal

Weekend Magazine: Congratulations sir on your 80th birthday. But you don’t look 80, what is the secret?

Benson Idonije: It’s been work, work, work. I do a lot of work. You know that I started from broadcasting and later print.

WM: What’s your daily routine like?

Idonije: As a broadcaster I ran three shifts and when I joined  The Guardian I was writing three columns  weekly but because of old age I now take things easy ,presently I have reduced the columns to one and I now write from home.

WM: Looking back at how far you have come, what do you count as your gains and losses? 

Idonije: I have lost nothing rather I gained a lot. That is why I was celebrated recently. I never knew that I have influenced the life of so many people including broadcasters, writers, musicians and people from other works of life. I was so surprised with the way people turned up for the event. For example having somebody like Dr. Christopher Kolade as chairman of my book presentation, is a great honour.

WM: You have been a music critic for a very long time and your vast knowledge can attest to this. Why music?

Idonije: Well I grew up in a small village in Owan East Local Government of Edo State where music is their preoccupation and when I eventually went to school and studied music my eyes were opened to a lot of things. By my research I discovered that jazz which is my major is an advanced African music, and that gave me a platform to move into other areas of music. I also played the saxophone.

WM: How did you understand different genres of music?

Idonije: When I went into broadcasting my job entailed taking care of the depository of all kinds of music so this widened my horizon musically. I worked in the gramophone library where all index of music was kept. So I got acquainted with all kinds of music and that gave me the platform to explore all areas of music.

WM: You were very close to the late Fela Anikulapo Kuti. How did you strike an accord with him? 

Idonije: When Fela returned from England in 1963, he used to listen to my programme on radio Nigeria then WNBC and he came looking for me. He brought the album he recorded in the UK and I gave it a lot of airplay. That was how we became friends. We were together from his Jazz group that later manifested to Kolalobitos later Afrika 70 and Egypt 80 band. And I was his manager until 1974.

WM: As his manager then, how were you relating?

Idonije: It was a relationship between artiste and manager.

WM: Was he a difficult person to manage.

Idonije: To me he was not difficult. He was a very nice person. He wasn’t difficult. He listened to me and I managed his band from 1963 to 1974. We enjoyed a good working relationship.

WM: Why didn’t you renew the contract?

Idonije: There was no contract between us it was just an agreement between two friends.

WM: What did you gain from the arrangement?

Idonije: A lot and I gained the fact that he was the pioneer of what can be classified as world beat music which is Afrobeat and I also gained the fact that I contributed to making him what he was before he died.

WM: So you made Fela?

Idonije: I contributed partially to his success as a musician.

WM: A lot of people believe Fela was a difficult person because of his character. How were you able to cope?

Idonije: He was a nice person and very knowledgeable, he was a lecturer, a complete musician who spoke the truth at all times.

WM: While working with Fela did you try smoking Indian hemp ?

Idonije: No, I did not try it because I never liked it.

WM: But you worked in the environment?

Idonije: He needed it but I didn’t. Despite this we had a good working relationship, he respected me and I respected him too.

WM: As a music critic, what’s your impression about music of yesteryears and that of today?

Idonije: As you know music is evolving and things have changed. Also, today’s musicians are playing music of their own age. Whereas the late Ayinla Omowura, King Sunny Ade, Ebenezer Obey and others played the kind of music their audience enjoyed. So music is targeted at the audience of a particular time. As for the younger ones they have the music, the rhythm but what they lack is the message and they have to work on that because message can mould opinion and change the world.

WM: Among the younger ones like Davido, WizKid, even your grandson, could you pick your best five or ten?

Idonije: They all play good music.

WM: Is your grandson one of your favourites?

Idonije: Yes. I often guide and I always tell him that his career can’t grow if he imitates people and he stuck to that. And that was what stood him out. All the same I love what others are doing too.

WM: How do you see Nigerian music in the next 10 years?

Idonije: It is very difficult to predict because the way are going it may deteriorate but with the coming of live band things may improve.

WM: You are not growing any younger at 80 but you are still as fit as fiddle. What do you want to be remembered for?

Idonije: Well, at 80 I was celebrated. The four-day event is enough to be remembered. So what else do I need? I have been celebrated in my life time, so I am fulfilled. I was surprised to see a lot of people eulogising me during the celebration. So it is difficult for me to say what I want to be remembered for when I might have gone because my 80th birthday was overwhelming enough.

WM: But to you what do you want to be remembered for?

Idonije: I will say I want to be remembered for encouraging Nigerian artistes, giving them opportunities. I also want to be remembered for impacting knowledge on journalists, remembered for training broadcasters. I know I will be remembered for a lot of things.

WM: What new things are you doing now because you are still agile?

Idonije: Well I’m still writing. During my birthday celebration, I presented three books. One on Fela, another on highlife and the third one on jazz and I’m still writing. I’m trying to write on indigenous African music like Apala, Awurebe, Dadakuada and others.

WM: Any plan to retire from writing?

Idonije: You don’t retire when you write so far as you are alive and active.

WM: Sir what has age taken away from you?

Idonije: Nothing much though I’m not as agile as before so I don’t go clubbing or do any hard job. But I still hang out with friends once in a while.

WM: If you want to live your life all over again will you come back as the same Benson Idonije.

Idonije: Yes I have no regret being who I am so if it’s possible, I will come back as Benson Idonije.

WM: At 80 we pray you live long but when you grow old and join your ancestors what kind of funeral do you want.

Idonije: When I’m gone for good there is no funeral as good as being celebrated when you are alive. So what you see when you are alive is your funeral.