Ayinla Omowura’s Daughter, Halimat, Taking Apala Higher 41 Years After Egun Mogaji’s Death
Strong, resilient, creative, jumorous, friendly, charming are the words I like to use to describe Halimat Omowura, one of the heir apparent of Egun Mogaji, the late Ayinla Omowura.
My very first encounter with Queen Halimat, as she is fondly called, was when a friend sent her music video to me. I was mesmerised to see how a lady can fit so well into her father’s musical shoe and bridging a gap between yesteryears music and today’s contemporary sound.
Few days later, I couldn’t help but contact Queen Halimat to be part of an event our company, Evergreen Musical Company, was putting together in partnership with Lagos State Government, tagged Ariya Eko, in celebration of forgotten music icons in Nigeria.
Halimat, whose humility is second to none, accepted our invitation to be part of the celebration and she graced the occasion with her band.
She mesmerised the audience with some of her songs as well as some of her father’s popular evergreen songs. It was, indeed, a day to remember.
Subsequently, when she visited us, we spoke about her father’s 41 years remembrance, her album launch, etc. I had no doubt in my heart that, considering Halimat’s dodgedness and her drive for success, the event she was putting together will be a huge success.
Come 26 of August, 2023, Queen Halimat Ayinla Omowura will be setting the whole of Abeokuta, Ogun State agog as Egun Mogaji’s spirt will be resurrecting, 41 years after his death.
She will also be releasing a new album she calls Apala Extraordinary, which is, no doubt, an hybrid of Apala music, infused with more contemporary musical instruments.
In her bid to get Apala music to appeal to a larger contemporary music audience, she is of the convinction that, with her latest album, Apala music will soon be going international.
•Miss Esho is the Managing Director of Evergreen Musical Company, Surulere, Lagos.
