Ekiti mourns music legend, Chief Elemure Ogunyemi, the Elejoka of Egbe Oba Land

Ekiti mourns music legend, Chief Elemure Ogunyemi, the Elejoka of Egbe Oba Land

A leading Ekiti traditional musician, Chief Peter Ogunyemi, popularly known as “Elemure Ogunyemi’ is dead.
Ogunyemi, aged 70 years, who died in the early hours of yesterday at his Ekute, Ado Ekiti residence was said to have fallen sick a couple of weeks ago.
The ace musician, a native of Isaba in the Ikole Council area of Ekiti State, was delivered of at Emure Ekiti from where he got the appellation of Elemure after the monarch of Emure community.
While alive, Ogunyemi, who was said to have at least 46 music albums to his credit, traversed the length and breadth of the country, thrilling his fans with his music usual laced with Ekiti dialect.
He was also famous for his leading role in the promotion of Yoruba language, a feat that made his fans in the diaspora organise his recent musical tour of America and Britain.
Residents of Ado-Ekiti, the state capital and base of his musical group and his Ekute, Ado Ekiti residence, have been inconsolable since news of his death broke out.
Similarly, residents of Isaba, the home town of the multiple award-winning musician, was in sad mood yesterday on learning of his demise.
Ekiti State governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, while expressing his condolence in a statement said he received the news of the death of Ogunyemi with shock on a day the state was celebrating the transition of another illustrious son and former Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Prof. Jacob Ade-Ajayi.
According to the Governor, the death of the music star who positively projected the image of the state and was the first musician of Ekiti genre to acquire a global recognition, is a great loss to the state.
Fayemi described the death of Ogunyemi as a great loss to Ekiti people whose dialect and culture the deceased promoted through his music all over the world.
He added that Ogunyemi mentored other musicians who have promoted the Ekiti dialect and popularized the Ekiti music genre.
Fayemi pointed out that Ogunyemi’s music brought joy to music enthusiasts and lifted the spirits of many through his philosophical sayings and wisecracks.
The Governor described Ogunyemi as a music legend, cultural ambassador, entertainer and great artiste of immense talent.
Fayemi noted that Ogunyemi’s giant strides in his chosen profession made him to receive honours from far and wide including a honorary doctorate degree from the University of Ilorin and the prestigious traditional title of the Elejoka of Isaba-Ekiti.
He promised the readiness of his administration to immortalize the deceased as a mark of honour for being a worthy Ekiti ambassador in his lifetime.
The Governor said the people of Ekiti State and music lovers all over the world are mourning the passage of Ogunyemi.
He urged the family and associates of the deceased to take heart and be consoled by his positive contributions to the development of the state.