The famous St Peter’s Cathedral Ake brimmed with joy that Sunday morning sometimes in November 1994. Not just the famed there-is fullness-of-joy-in-the-presence of-God kind of joy, but a palpable sense of gratitude nay jubilation at the blessings of a new born to the family of one of its own, the very popular and ebullient Dipo Sodipo. The self-styled Pope, Dipo Sodipo’s sobriquet, haven gotten married years earlier had been without a child and everyone was expectant. When the child eventually came, it was the long awaited answer to the people’s prayers. Pope was a joy giver and a key member of the Cathedral. His jovial mien and outlook to life deserved a personal blessing. The outpour of affection and good wishes was testament to the kind of man Pope was. Dipo Sodipo was born to the famous Sodipo family of Igbehin Ancestral Route in 1954. He attended the famous Abeokuta Grammar School, that renowned school that produced Fela, the filmmaker Tunde Kelani, Guinness World Record holder, Senator David Dafinone, Barrister Olisa Chukwura; and then The Polytechnic, Ibadan, where he studied Music. At school, he cofounded the CHORAL Group with a group of friends that later metamorphosed into the K-12 Voices in the then Western Region. The K-12 Voices regaled the campus with choral music and regularly performed on the Western Nigeria TV (and later BCOS and Radio Nigeria Ibadan). He popularized the one-man band style which the Tunji Oyelanas had perfected years before he started his One-Man band. By the 90s, Pope was the rave of the entire Abeokuta metropolis.
It is pertinent to recall that 90s in Abeokuta was a melting pot of media enfant terrible and boundless socialization. The presence of the then Ogun State Polytechnic (now Moshood Abiola Polytechnic), UNAAB & FCE OSIELE aided the nightlife of the ancient city as the Students, whose social activities rivalled their education drove most of the gigs in town. From hosting K1 to Sir Shina Peters, who ruled the juju landscape with his fast afro juju fusion, the Students made Abeokuta a social hub rivalled only by Ife, Ibadan and Lagos. The city is home to Ogun Radio, arguably the training ground for most legendary radio personalities and entertainers of today.
Before every other frequency on the FM band hosted a radio station, OGBC 2 90.45FM was the beloved lone ranger. From the late Gbenga Adeboye to Late Toba Opaleye; from Larry Echejile (now Izamoje of Brila FM) to Yinka Ayefele (who now runs his own string of radio stations he calls Fresh FM), himself an Assistant and Content Creator to Kola Olawuyi; from the late Peter Okoduwa, who inspite suffering great personal tragedy when he lost all but one child in a drowning accident, gave classical social and political commentary (think today’s Jimi Disu without the annoyance), to a young Abisade Ologunde (you may know him as Lagbaja) who hosted a late evening show, Ambrose Somide now of Raypower etc, OGBC 2 was the home of broadcasting. And where there was such glowing media presence, a vibrant academic community, the Remembering The Pope Without A Cathedral Dipo Sodipo: 42 nightlife was bound to be a hit. Dipo Sodipo was the royalty of the social stratosphere. From parties to clubs, Pope held sway. He was made the President of the One Man Band Association at some point, perhaps due to his influence which ran deeper than his baritone voice and an ever present , jovial nature which endeared him to many across the social space. It is pertinent to note that at Pope’s passing, the young Orlando Owoh-wannabe, Tunde Soyebi, who took over the mantle of leadership too died suddenly, leaving the Association without a leader for a really long time as the members felt the leadership was cursed. But I digress. Many would recall Pope’s weekly soirée at Wetlands Clubs and then SuperFoods back in the day. Be it sat behind two steps of keyboard, playing to a preset tune he regularly changes to suit the atmosphere, sometimes a carton of his favored Guilder nestled underneath the musical instrument, Pope sang with unmistakable swag and a joy that could only be from within. And he didn’t just sing, he also engaged his audience.
Like Fela, he would sometimes go into short sessions of banter with his fans most of whom were either his friends from way back or family or both. Indeed, after their famous Friday night Show on OGBC, Nkan Nbe, Kolawole Olawuyi and his sidekick, Yinka Ayefele, would sometimes drop by at his gig in town to relax after a long day’s work before departing for Ibadan the following morning. His popular saying, elere fe to, Yoruba for the performer needs to take a leak, became synonymous with a musical interlude that stretched into minutes. Many say he took the break not just for biological reasons but for a short smoking stint, same as was renown for the legendary Orlando Owoh. Pope married his heartthrob, Olapeju, a high school teacher & Educator, fellow alumnus of the Polytechnic, Ibadan, and had three daughters, Ayomipo, Ikepo and Dolapo. For most of his years, he lived in a modest apartment next to the Sodipo’s family compound in Iporo Ake, a short drive from St Peter’s Cathedral, Ake. At the time of his demise, he lived at the upscale Ibara Housing Estate.
His personal house, a custom built duplex deep inside Obantoko was completed after his demise. Recently, this writer drove past the house and could not but wonder how much changed the house would have become had Pope lived much longer. Not for lack of maintenance, far from it, it was simply a case of a palace missing its king. While he did music and became famous for it, Pope worked for many years with his elder brother, now late, the foremost publisher, Distinguished Old Boy of the very Abeokuta Grammar School, the venerable community leader, Gbemi Sodipo, as the Assistant Director of the hugely popular Gbemi Sodipo Press in the Idi Aba area of Abeokuta. Employees at the Press remember Pope as the life of the establishment, going about his duties with a playful and approachable attitude that endeared him to both staff and short hires. In the course of his career, he waxed a couple of albums, including Amoran, Full Bloom, arguably his most popular and then Getting Better, a worship, praise and effusive thanksgiving medley.
Getting Better was his personal give-back to God following an initial illness he survived. Despite committing to a teetotaling life, he remained social and lively till his death on 19 August, 2000 aged 46 years. To many, Pope was a bundle of joy who gave his talent much heed, made a name and lived a life of comfort. His funeral on the 26th of August 2000 was a festival of tears. His Pall procession was led by his towering cousin-in-law, Tunji Okusanya of MIC Funeral Home fame, who himself was killed a few years back in the ill-fated Agagu plane crash. The Cathedral was anything but joyful. The magnificent edifice was all gloom as mourners, friends, fans gathered to pay last respects to their Pope. Abeokuta wept as the shiny casket was wheeled into the Cathedral and then driven in a long motorcade that crippled economic activities all the way to his final resting place at the Anglican Cemetery next door to where we now have Ogun Tech Hub in Kobape, outskirts of Abeokuta. Oladipo Eniola Sodipo lived a fulfilled life.
Twenty-one years on, it is hard to disagree with everyone that Pope died too soon; his style and performance have long become stuff of legends consigned to faded pages of history books. ***
Bankole Banjo is a Communications Specialist and Head of the Brand, Media and Communications department of one of Nigeria’s foremost insurance companie
