In the history of indigenous music and its development in Nigeria, the late Alhaji Haruna Isola sat comfortably on top of names to be considered. Apala, the genre that gave him name, fame, and fortune, was at a point, a synonym of Haruna Isola, who stood far ahead of others doing that genre.
By 1967, the Ijebu Igbo-born, who was the son of a successful blacksmith, had hit £6.7 million in his account, hence his broad investments and his first- in-Africa Phonodisk Records he founded in 1979, pressing vinyls, cartridges and cassette completed with a 24-track recording studio in Oru-Ijebu on Ibadan–Ijebu-ode highway.
Before his death on November 9, 1983, Haruna Isola was not known to have publicly named a musician or musicians his favourites due to his father status among all performing artists.
However, his son, Alhaji Kazeem Haruna Isola, has unveiled the faces of musicians in the heart of his father. In an interview with Mr Dele Adeyanju of the Agbaletu fame, the UK-based revealed Evangelist Ebenezer Obey, King Sunny Ade, and Dr Sikiru Ayinde Barrister as his father’s best-loved.
“Alhaji was fond of Evangelist Ebenezer Obey, King Sunny Ade, and Alhaji Ayinde Barrister. He enjoyed playing their songs in his car. He could not do without them because as a talent himself who didn’t joke with his music career, he derived satisfaction in the songs of the three,” he revealed.
He added that his father showed love to the late Marvin Gaye when he played his 1982 “Sexual Healing” song while he was holidaying in his residence in London.
He was taking his bath while I was playing different songs. He came out and asked for Marvin Gaye and said the album would be a commercial breakthrough,” he recalled.
Published on June 28, 2025
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