- By Halimah Olamide
As tributes pour in for the Evergreen Music founder the late Olufemi Esho, a former Commissioner for Tourism in Lagos, Steve Ayorinde has said the music museum enthusiast was a legend.
Ayorinde said Esho honoured legends and with that became a legend himself.
Reacting to the death of Esho on Tuesday, Ayorinde who was also Commissioner for Information and Strategy under the Akinwumi Ambode government, said Esho was a collector per excellence,
“Uncle Femi Esho epitomises the concept of ‘evergreen’ in Nigerian music landscape.
He was a collector and a custodian of diverse genres of music,” said Ayorinde in his response to NPO Report’s’ inquiry
He said “Way before streaming became the in-thing, Femi Esho was a frontline music streamer that nearly everyone trooped to in his modest Somolu office/showroom, especially in the 90s.”
Ayorinde, who himself wrote on music and arts and culture as a journalist, recalled that Esho had a repertoire collection which was limitless. He added, “So was his knowledge and appreciation of music.
“He honoured legends and became a legend himself.”
Ayorinde expressed regrets that Esho bowed out at a time that the idea of his music resource centre was about to berth on the ‘mountain of fire’.
He said, “May his legacy of evergreen and faaji continue to endure, for he gave his all to the promotion and preservation of indigenous music.
Rest well, Uncle Femi Esho.”
NPO Reported earlier that Esho died at the age of 78 and his death was announced by his daughter.