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| KSA; Stopped drinking water for an entire year |
“I
fell ill in 1991. The first sign of that
illness was when I started coughing. I
thought it was a minor thing so I would take those sweets which I was told
could clear cough to stop it not knowing the cough was caused by dust. By that time I was taking part in Jimoh
Aliu’s film, Fopomoyo. When I finished my show every Friday,
Saturday and Sunday I would leave on Monday afternoon for Ado-Ekiti. Then we would go
into the bush which was the film’s location.
fell ill in 1991. The first sign of that
illness was when I started coughing. I
thought it was a minor thing so I would take those sweets which I was told
could clear cough to stop it not knowing the cough was caused by dust. By that time I was taking part in Jimoh
Aliu’s film, Fopomoyo. When I finished my show every Friday,
Saturday and Sunday I would leave on Monday afternoon for Ado-Ekiti. Then we would go
into the bush which was the film’s location.
I would be there till Friday morning when I would leave for Lagos to
play again, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
And on Monday I would leave for Ado-Ekiti
again. So when the cough continued, I
went to Iduna Specialist Hospital, Apapa,
where the doctor after examining me said it was caused by dust. “Do you
normally go out in the open?” He had asked. I didn’t want to tell him it
was more than that. It was Bhola Eberiga who told him: “Doctor,
every Monday he leaves Lagos for
Ado-Ekiti, far away in Ondo State (now Ekiti State) and returns to Lagos to
play”. The doctor was shocked.
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| Jimoh Aliyu aka Aworo….The Man in whose custody KSA was ‘attacked’ |
The Story of Lady
Bhola Eberiga…
Bhola Eberiga…
Now,
a word about Bhola Eberiga; she was one of those who designs my
costumes. And she had been doing that since
1969 from Ibadan. She was also interested in my image and was
always concerned about me. But more
importantly, she always spoke her mind.
When she sees anything wrong she would tell you to your face. And she did that more to protect you than
anything else. She was such a great
friend. She it was that introduced me to
Iduna
Specialist Hospital. And because
the medical director who had earlier treated her for gall stone took her as a
daughter, I was glad for him to be my doctor.
a word about Bhola Eberiga; she was one of those who designs my
costumes. And she had been doing that since
1969 from Ibadan. She was also interested in my image and was
always concerned about me. But more
importantly, she always spoke her mind.
When she sees anything wrong she would tell you to your face. And she did that more to protect you than
anything else. She was such a great
friend. She it was that introduced me to
Iduna
Specialist Hospital. And because
the medical director who had earlier treated her for gall stone took her as a
daughter, I was glad for him to be my doctor.
Each
time I came around, he would always like to examine me. “Lie
down, lie down, let me see what’s
happening to you”, he would always say.
Sometime he would take me to his house which was in the same premises
and we would sit down and talk for hours.
But when Bhola told him about my movement which caused the cough, I was
mad at her. I was upset with myself and
was even crossed with the doctor. “You are going nowhere”, the doctor had declared asking the nurses to set up
a bed for me. It was then I explained to
him why I was moving from Lagos to Ado-Ekiti so frequently.
time I came around, he would always like to examine me. “Lie
down, lie down, let me see what’s
happening to you”, he would always say.
Sometime he would take me to his house which was in the same premises
and we would sit down and talk for hours.
But when Bhola told him about my movement which caused the cough, I was
mad at her. I was upset with myself and
was even crossed with the doctor. “You are going nowhere”, the doctor had declared asking the nurses to set up
a bed for me. It was then I explained to
him why I was moving from Lagos to Ado-Ekiti so frequently.
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| KSA…Got sick after hitting Jimoh Aliyu’s Fopomoyo location in Ekiti State |
First,
I was fully booked for the season and second, I had to help Jimoh Aliu out in his first personal
film, Fopomoyo, “Sir”, I said,
“the financier, Chief Balogun of Express Fisheries made my appearance a
condition for releasing the money and in fact that money was given to me to
give Aliu”. He understood. Still, he said I had to remain in the
hospital for at least three days. I
managed to stay that night but as soon as he closed, I sneaked out. I returned to Ado Ekiti and came back on Thursday instead of Friday and went
straight to see him. He was unhappy with
me saying they had been looking for me all over. I apologized…
I was fully booked for the season and second, I had to help Jimoh Aliu out in his first personal
film, Fopomoyo, “Sir”, I said,
“the financier, Chief Balogun of Express Fisheries made my appearance a
condition for releasing the money and in fact that money was given to me to
give Aliu”. He understood. Still, he said I had to remain in the
hospital for at least three days. I
managed to stay that night but as soon as he closed, I sneaked out. I returned to Ado Ekiti and came back on Thursday instead of Friday and went
straight to see him. He was unhappy with
me saying they had been looking for me all over. I apologized…
“As I was playing, my
body was getting weaker and weaker. I
told myself, instead of you to fall or anything you should leave the
microphone. So I left the stage and went
to the room to lie down. And for the
first time in my musical career, I burst into tears. I didn’t know when the tears came. The band boys were now asking what the matter
was”.
 |
| KSA…Battled an unknown illness until he got to London |
How I stopped
drinking water for a year…
drinking water for a year…
At
a point exhaustion came. There was no
time to rest. The cough had now gone but
sometimes when I finish a show in Lagos on Sunday, I would sleep all the way to
Ado-Ekiti. As soon as I came down, people would be
telling me that I looked tired and always asked whether I had slept or rested
at all. That was also the period that
the problem of salt water came up in Lagos.
I decided not to drink water at all except tea. For a year plus, I drank only tea. This was based on ignorance. It was on a completely useless, baseless,
idiotic belief that I could survive on tea only that I stopped drinking
water. Even when the salt water problem
stopped I continued with my tea. I did
not know that the caffeine had already entered my blood. So exhaustion set in. And this was very evident at my next show
when I played in Lagos for Chief Rasaq Okoya of Eleganza. Very unusual of me, in the middle of the show,
I felt so tired that I called for a break.
And Chief Okoya came and said, “Sunny,
this is very unusual of you. Are you okay?” I said no problem only we want to fix one of
the instruments! Still not convinced, he
said, “if you want to have a break, have
a break and join us. Don’t say you want
to use all your energy like that because the way you are even playing it’s
like…” We had about one hour break
and resumed. We finished around
6.30a.m. I then left for Ijebu-Igbo for another show.
a point exhaustion came. There was no
time to rest. The cough had now gone but
sometimes when I finish a show in Lagos on Sunday, I would sleep all the way to
Ado-Ekiti. As soon as I came down, people would be
telling me that I looked tired and always asked whether I had slept or rested
at all. That was also the period that
the problem of salt water came up in Lagos.
I decided not to drink water at all except tea. For a year plus, I drank only tea. This was based on ignorance. It was on a completely useless, baseless,
idiotic belief that I could survive on tea only that I stopped drinking
water. Even when the salt water problem
stopped I continued with my tea. I did
not know that the caffeine had already entered my blood. So exhaustion set in. And this was very evident at my next show
when I played in Lagos for Chief Rasaq Okoya of Eleganza. Very unusual of me, in the middle of the show,
I felt so tired that I called for a break.
And Chief Okoya came and said, “Sunny,
this is very unusual of you. Are you okay?” I said no problem only we want to fix one of
the instruments! Still not convinced, he
said, “if you want to have a break, have
a break and join us. Don’t say you want
to use all your energy like that because the way you are even playing it’s
like…” We had about one hour break
and resumed. We finished around
6.30a.m. I then left for Ijebu-Igbo for another show.
The Alabukun
strategy…
strategy…
By
the time I got there, it was like I was having a fever, or a headache. My usual illness is malaria and when I take
the medicine, it would go. But this was
different. That was the first time I was
unable to pull myself together. As luck would have it, NEPA was bringing and
taking light every five minutes and the generator was not working well. So I used that time to rest. I don’t normally have time to rest at shows –
if I’m on stage I would be playing non-stop.
As I was not getting any better, I told somebody to go and buy Alabukun for me. In 1968, I was the first musician to promote Alabukun but I never took it then. Five minutes after taking it, sweat came on
my body and I felt good. NEPA also came
on and I started firing on stage. I
closed around 8a.m. I had so much
energy…
the time I got there, it was like I was having a fever, or a headache. My usual illness is malaria and when I take
the medicine, it would go. But this was
different. That was the first time I was
unable to pull myself together. As luck would have it, NEPA was bringing and
taking light every five minutes and the generator was not working well. So I used that time to rest. I don’t normally have time to rest at shows –
if I’m on stage I would be playing non-stop.
As I was not getting any better, I told somebody to go and buy Alabukun for me. In 1968, I was the first musician to promote Alabukun but I never took it then. Five minutes after taking it, sweat came on
my body and I felt good. NEPA also came
on and I started firing on stage. I
closed around 8a.m. I had so much
energy…
 |
| KSA….Nearly died after Fopomoyo but didn’t die |
We
then proceeded to Ilorin for the next show.
We had to pass through Ondo as
I was to have a short meeting with the Military Administrator, Col.
Olusanya. Immediately, he saw
me, he said, “Sunny, you look pale. Are you all right?” I said, “Well,
I’m just coming from a show”. He
said, “No, you need rest. This life has
no duplicate. You know we love you. We can’t afford to miss you. Where are you going?” Before I could answer, he called somebody to
give a key to one of the guest houses. I
said, “No sir, I’m playing at Ilorin”. He said, “Well,
my God will be with you”.
then proceeded to Ilorin for the next show.
We had to pass through Ondo as
I was to have a short meeting with the Military Administrator, Col.
Olusanya. Immediately, he saw
me, he said, “Sunny, you look pale. Are you all right?” I said, “Well,
I’m just coming from a show”. He
said, “No, you need rest. This life has
no duplicate. You know we love you. We can’t afford to miss you. Where are you going?” Before I could answer, he called somebody to
give a key to one of the guest houses. I
said, “No sir, I’m playing at Ilorin”. He said, “Well,
my God will be with you”.
The Ilorin trials…
When
I got to Ilorin, to avoid people
talking to me, I went into the room given to us. The venue was filled to
capacity. When I was introduced, I could
hardly dance. So I said to myself, what
I did yesterday I’m going to do now. I
sent somebody to go and buy me Alabukun. But they did not see Alabukun. As I was playing,
my body was getting weaker and weaker. I
told myself, instead of you to fall or anything you should leave the
microphone. So I left the stage and went
to the room to lie down. And for the
first time in my musical career, I burst into tears. I didn’t know when the tears came. The band boys were now asking what the matter
was. They called in a doctor who came
and gave me an injection. Within five
minutes, I began to vomit. My body came
hot and I was a little bit relieved and I said, “I want to go and play”. But
I couldn’t. The injection was supposed
to be for malaria but my condition remained the same for three to four
days. They then called my doctor on
phone. He said they should find a way to
bring me to Lagos.
I got to Ilorin, to avoid people
talking to me, I went into the room given to us. The venue was filled to
capacity. When I was introduced, I could
hardly dance. So I said to myself, what
I did yesterday I’m going to do now. I
sent somebody to go and buy me Alabukun. But they did not see Alabukun. As I was playing,
my body was getting weaker and weaker. I
told myself, instead of you to fall or anything you should leave the
microphone. So I left the stage and went
to the room to lie down. And for the
first time in my musical career, I burst into tears. I didn’t know when the tears came. The band boys were now asking what the matter
was. They called in a doctor who came
and gave me an injection. Within five
minutes, I began to vomit. My body came
hot and I was a little bit relieved and I said, “I want to go and play”. But
I couldn’t. The injection was supposed
to be for malaria but my condition remained the same for three to four
days. They then called my doctor on
phone. He said they should find a way to
bring me to Lagos.
 |
| KSA….’My illness started with cough but it was bigger than cough’ |
When
I got to Lagos, he checked me and
said I should give him the medical report from Ilorin. When he read it, he
said: “God, I thank you, I thank you I
thank you that I’m not part of the people that would have been throwing their
hands to their backs walking round the corpse of Sunny Ade”. He now said, “for this, I don catch you. You’re
going nowhere.” He then began
treatment. That was Wednesday and I had
a show on Friday. By Friday I felt I was
well enough so I sneaked out again for the show. When I came, he was very angry. He said if he could slap me, he would have
done so. He sat me down and told me
about life. What staying on this planet
earth means.
I got to Lagos, he checked me and
said I should give him the medical report from Ilorin. When he read it, he
said: “God, I thank you, I thank you I
thank you that I’m not part of the people that would have been throwing their
hands to their backs walking round the corpse of Sunny Ade”. He now said, “for this, I don catch you. You’re
going nowhere.” He then began
treatment. That was Wednesday and I had
a show on Friday. By Friday I felt I was
well enough so I sneaked out again for the show. When I came, he was very angry. He said if he could slap me, he would have
done so. He sat me down and told me
about life. What staying on this planet
earth means.
(Excerpts
from the book; KSA: My Life, My Music by
King Sunny Ade. Read ‘How Primate Olabayo’s Prayers for me failed
twice’ tomorrow on this blog)
from the book; KSA: My Life, My Music by
King Sunny Ade. Read ‘How Primate Olabayo’s Prayers for me failed
twice’ tomorrow on this blog)
