By Bimbo Esho
Ahuja Bello’s live could be compared to one who amidst adversities remained strong and kept bouncing back.
Ahuja Bello whose real name is Ismaila Dele Bello was Born on 24th of August, 1942 at Ilado, Iseyin.
He attended Baptist Primary School, Iseyin in 1951.
He had his secondary school education at Baptist Secondary Modern School, Iseyin in 1961 and graduated in 1963.
Having mentored under I. A Elegbede, Expensive Olubi and later King Sunny Ade who gave him the name AHUJA which is synonymous to a popular Vocal engine of that generation.
Ahuja Bello toured abroad with Expensive Olubi’s band as the band’s vocalist and engineer between 1973 and 1975.
He later formed his band in 1976 and named it Ahuja Bello and His Golden Eagles Band. Ahuja released his first album “Awa Ti Danfo “ in 1976 and later the second one in 1977 titled “Ariya Ti De”.
When Ahuja traveled to London with his band boys he recorded another song “Ahuja in London”. This was when he met Bob Marley.
Sooner than later Ahuja became the toast of Lagos elites and kept dropping one Evergreen hits after the other.
Many believed that Ahuja sang exactly like KSA. Coincidentally, they both had tribal marks and It was usually difficult for people to distinguish between both icons when they listen to their songs.
In the 80s Ahuja’s reign started dwindling . Ahuja, who was an active performer and was fast rising and a toast of Lagos socialites became suddenly bed ridden due to a car accident he had on July 24th, 1980 a month to his 40th birthday.
The incident took place around Alaka in Lagos when Ahuja ran into a stationary Army truck that left his right femur broken. Thank God for Y.K Ajao who recognised his car on this inauspicious day.
Little did Ahuja Bello know that more tribulations was going to befall him when he fell again in 1987 this time from an Okada somewhere close to his house which caused part of his left ear to be chopped off.
All these adversities almost removed the shine from a dwindling career.
By the time Ahuja Bello recuperated and decided to launch his second coming new juju styles had already saturated the airwaves .
Ten years later he had another fall but this time more tragic. He had gone to a fan’s house to pick up an engagement fee for a show and he fell down on the staircase which led to another serious fracture on his leg . Few weeks later he developed hernia which was operated on.
The last time I saw Papa Ahuja Bello was 2017 when our company Evergreen Music Co organised an evening of award for forgotten Lagos Music Icons at City People Events.
Adieu, Ahuja Bello
