Some years ago an acquaintance passed on a cassette of a Nigerian musician who was previously unknown to me; the tape was simply labeled "Ali Chuks." "He's an Igbo, and he's a Muslim," my friend explained. Which caught my attention, because if there's one thing that would seem to be hard-wired into the DNA of every Igbo man, woman and child, it is an abiding allegiance to the Christian faith. The reasons for this are rooted in history. Suffice it to say that in the late 19th and early 20th centuries the Igbo embraced Christianity with a vengeance after stubbornly adhering to their traditional religion from time immemorial, and this identification was only strengthened during the privations of the Biafran war. An Igbo Muslim? Who had heard of such a thing?
As a matter of fact, there are small communities of Igbo Muslims, not only in the Islamic north of Nigeria but in Igboland itself. My friend Maurice O. Ene of Kwenu magazine describes the efforts of one Suleiman Onyeama, scion of a prominent Igbo family, who established an Islamic school in his home town of Eke.
Which is all beside the point, really, because as far as I've been able to find out, Ali Chuks, better known as Ali Chukwuma (his LPs also tag him "Ali Chukumah" and "Ali Chukus"), was a true-blue Igbo Christian and not a Muslim at all. Apparently he took his name from Ali Baba, a famous African wrestler of the sixties and seventies (and if you want to learn about yet another African "Ali Baba," go here.)
I have heard varying accounts of Chukwuma's origins and activities before he became a well-known musician, but he was apparently from Aboh in the "Anioma," or Igbo-speaking area of present-day Delta State. He is said to have moved to Atani near Onitsha following the death of his father and made the acquaintance there of native son Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe. He spent some time in the great master's Nigeria Sound Makers band and later left to form his own Nigeria Peace Makers.
Chukwuma died of liver failure in the mid-'80s, leaving a legacy of much-loved highlife music.
I had wanted to showcase selections here from various points in Chukwuma's career, but listening to the different recordings, one album stands out: Club 25 (Editions Namaco ENLPS 54), recorded sometime in the late 1970s. Therefore, I'm offering it to you in its entirety, and in future posts I'll present other recordings by this master of Igbo roots music.
"Club 25" is another typical praise song about one of the many Igbo social and charitable clubs. Chukwuma recites the names of and praises the various officers and notable of the organization:
Ali Chukwuma & his Peace Makers International - Club 25
"Henrietta" apparently is addressed to a demanding young woman who thinks she can do better than the narrator. "Henrietta, onye d'imma n'azu:" "Who is beautiful behind their back? Who has everything they want or need in this world?"
Ali Chukwuma & his Peace Makers International - Henrietta
"Onye Melu Ogo Amazi" means "The person I did a favor for doesn't realize it." Chukwuma sings, "What you don't know won't kill you. The good that I do for someone will not kill me." He further sings that no one will carry this world on their back when they die. In other words, your wealth won't do you any good in the afterlife:
Ali Chukwuma & his Peace Makers International - Onye Melu Ogo Amazi
"Ezi Okwu Bu Ndu" means "A truthful word is life." Truthfulness leads to a perfect life. Truthfulness is worth more than money. Further, "Nkem fulu n'anya, bu ezi okwu, nkem nulu n'nti bu asi," or "What I saw with my eyes is true, but what I heard with my ears is lies." In other words, don't believe it unless you see it yourself. Chukwuma further sings that a very good friend is better than family. He recounts that when he first started making music everyone said he was a fool, but now that he is famous they all want him to sing their praises. He sings that he went to Kano, Kaduna, Sokoto and Nnewi and mentions various individuals. "Asi na Chinedu nwa ogbenye. Asi na ifeyi nwa": "They say that God guides the poor man's child. They say that a child is priceless":
Ali Chukwuma & his Peace Makers International - Ezi Okwu Bu Ndu
Discography of Ali Chukwuma
Thanks to my wife Priscilla for her help translating these songs. Any errors in transcription are my own.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
The Mysterious Ali Chuks
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23 comments:
that was a wonderful record of an artist i never heard before
many many thanks
thanks for the kind words, john!
your page is great, and i hope that by linking to it on my blog, more people are able to discover and enjoy it. keep up the good work!
chris
this music brings me back to my childhood.
i can't say i've ever heard anything by ali chukwuma, but this is good stuff. thanks for posting it.
No! You are not right with your narration of "Henrietta". Ali in this track, was simply praising "Henrietta" as a realiable and worthy backup. He dignified "Henrietta" and same for Emeka Onuorah and Zik (perhaps, all three are his band members) for their worthy role as backups.
John -
You have my endless thanks for de-mystifying (& there4, schooling me on) Ali Chuks. More importantly, your discography has been pricelessly helpful as I prepare to revisit Nigeria to bury my dear mother. In Dec 2009, after 11 yrs (immigration wahala, etc) I was finally able to visit Nigeria to spend time with my Mom. Yes, she WAITED that long! She was lucid and happy beyond measure...and died peacefully this Jan 2010 (just 14 days after I returned by to USA).
Although I never met Ali Chuks, we both hail from the Anioma geo-sphere of Iboland. Although I grieve, I am also consoled by the memory of the countless hours my Mom and I spent listening to Ali's uniquely gifted voice THEREFORE it is my intention to serenade my mother's burial ceremony with Ali's music. Your webpage just made putting a list together a lot easier, and I thank you so much.
- Barrister, son of Ogwashi-Uku, Delta State, Nigeria.
After that last comment, all I can do is say how much I appreciate the Ibo music, and how well it demonstrates what a wealth of it in excellent quality, there was during that period. Thanks for making it available to all.
I am from Aboh and i appreciate this post so much. He was a fantastic musician. Where has this site been all my life. I love it so much. Ali Chukwuma is part of my musical influences, along with many others. You can peep my music here. Cheers for this great work. https://soundcloud.com/okweiodili
Blessings
This piece of info of and about ali chuks is a treasure. thank u so much.ur work is imeasuerable again thanks.
Waooooow, this is magnificent. I am elated to read all these.
My best track from Ali Chukwuma is Chinyelu Ugo.
May the soul of the faithful departed, Ali Chukwuma, rest in the bossom of our Lord, Jesus Christ, Amen
When Ali Chukwuma died, something went out of me. He was an Igbo musician who captured much of the essence of our love of dignified art-making. The narrative about him did not state that he fled with his mother to Atani, his mother's place, as is customary with Igbos who are threatened in their fatherland. His mother had fled after his father's relatives swooped in to torment the freshly-widowed woman. If you listen carefully, you will note Ali's mention of her in some songs. It was in Atani that he got to know Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe, his mentor. They had a rancorous separation later.
Living at Onitsha, I listened to some of his earliest songs after he left Chief Osadebe's band. One song that will always touch my heart is "Late Everest Oguchi" (Ogbuchi?). In that song Ali Chukwuma did an eternal panegyric to a respected teacher, not the usual rich subject of Nigerian music. In "Eje Anabu Isi" (Eje Ana Bu Isi) he captures the exile's longing for home. Unfortunately, he never accomplishes that longing for a return to Aboh.
Thanks for these notes. I grew up living in Onitsha from the eighties through the mid-nineties. Ali Chukwuma's music often fills my evenings with pleasant longings.
Thank you for this pieces of information about Ali Chukwuma
Thanks for the write-up..
But my Dad told me he died amidst performance (on stage)... please is this true?
Nice one
Though I never knew him, I have folks who like his music so much.
I think ozoemena nsugbe did a tribute for him also.
It's funny I'm commenting years after the initial post, haha.
Ali Chukwuma is my best Igbo highlife artist,he died earlier than I thought, thanks for the info
Wot is his mother's name
Anaechelinwa
You did a great job. Highlife musicians in Africa especially Igbo have not been given their pride of place. There's no documentation, no stories/histories about them to inspire others. God bless you richly for this effort. If possible, dig to bring out his life struggles and how he overcame them
Thanks for the discography
Sir Ali chukwuma is one of my favorites,I enjoyed his music so much,growing up as a child I always listen to his Song with my father's tap.Its so disheartening how he passed away,may His soul keep resting in peace legend!!
I am not sure of how Ali Chukwuma got his name but let me point out that Ali can be an Igbo name. Ali is a derivative of Alili (let down -- when suffered or when overcame, and or falling short of expectation). Folks get named Alilielelam (may let down not befall me; may I never fall short of expectation) or other compound forms of Alili. That looks likely to have been how Mr. Chukwuma obtained his name of Ali -- a shortened version of his full name.
Ali Chukwuma was as enigmatic as are shooting stars; he blossomed suddenly and caught everyone's attention but only to die while folks were relishing his music. He exited the universe as do blossoming stars while being studied by astronomers. His legend lives on because he was not fully understood before he left.
Brilliant job, John, more grease to your brilliant mind and to your love for Africa.
When exactly did Ali Chukwuma died? And how old was he?
I play Ali Chukwuma music albums so much that I can replay every tracks countlessly, as I do that I remember what my mother told me about him when I was born in the mid 70s she said he came to our house in Asaba that day with joy he drank to stupor. That his friend has a male child. I couldn't meet him because he died while I was still a child and Popsy travelled to far North with us and they lost contact.
I was told he started his own band out of vexation and disdain shown to him by Chief Osita Osadebe because of his habit the rest is history
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