London Listening Sessions

2 weeks ago | damiajayi.substack.com | Dami Ajayi

In Yoruba societies, Balogun is an important chieftain. A war general with a battalion at his disposal. It was typical of them to live on the fringes, away from town centres close to borders. You would also expect the Balogun to be a man of few words–expectedly more skilled in warfare than in small talk. Perhaps gifted in those kinds of speeches that make soldiers on duty tour choose patriotic martyrdom.

3 weeks ago | damiajayi.substack.com | Dami Ajayi

It was first one tweet, then a flurry of tweets and soon, Ejeagha was trending on my X timeline. Yes, it is true. The great and under-celebrated folklorist and outstanding guitarist, Mike Ejeagha, has passed away at the age of 93. Death is always a complicated event, especially for those who have lived in the public glare. First, my condolences to his family and his loved ones. Then, my condolences to those of us for whom his music means something.

2 months ago | damiajayi.substack.com | Dami Ajayi

1. A stray tweet has haunted me all week. I do not remember the tweet verbatim, but it was something like…the music of our father stays with us forever. Like most social media maxims, this tweet demands some introspection. Naturally, it called up the music of my father—his JVC deck connected to his Kenwood amplifier routed to the wooden Akai speakers from which his favourite music spewed. We are back to our flat in Ado-Ekiti, which smells of boiling beans and locust beans.

Mar 23, 2025 | damiajayi.substack.com | Dami Ajayi

Late last year, Jazzhole Records, with the support of Studio Monkey Shoulder, released two LPs: Eroya and Asiko Tito. Both records are anthologies of music drawn from diverse African and Afrodiasporic genres, Jazzhole Records’ speciality. The release of both records, particularly Eroya, is timely. Eroya was released by Faaji Agba, a collective of twelve musicians. Most of these musicians were elderly and have passed on, but this does not diminish the importance of their music.

Mar 12, 2025 | damiajayi.substack.com | Dami Ajayi

Naming love songs after girls is the gift that keeps giving. The old timers—highlifers and Juju exponents—knew this. Mention a girl’s name on wax, sing sonorously about her geographical location, croon in the same breath that you have dispatched yourself in her direction—and you are half-way to her heart. Taxi drivers were a regular fixture in highlife love songs in the 1960s, when vehicular transport was a miracle.