Ebenezer Obey

BIO

Ebenezer Remilekun Aremu Olasupo Obey-Fabiyi, was born in Idogo, Ogun State, Nigeria on January 3 1942 of Egba–Yoruba ethnic background. He began his professional career in the mid-1950s after moving to Lagos under the tutelage of legend Fatai Rolling-Dollar.

He formed a band called The International Brothers in 1964, playing Highlife–Jùjú fusion. The band later metamorphosed into the Inter-Reformers in the early-1970s, with a long list of Juju album hits on the West African Decca musical label.

Obey began experimenting with Yoruba percussion style and expanding on the band by adding more drum kits, guitars and talking drums. Obey's musical strengths lie in weaving intricate Yoruba axioms into dance-floor compositions. As is characteristic of Nigerian Yoruba social-circle music, the Inter-Reformers band excel in praise-singing for rich Nigerian socialites and business tycoons. Obey, however, is also renowned for Christian spiritual themes in his music and has since the early-1990s retired into Nigerian gospel music ministry.