Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has commiserated with the family of the late music legend, praying to Allah to grant him Al-Jannah Firdaus (paradise) and comfort the family.
Ilorin-based music icon, Alhaji Jaigbade Alao, popularly known as The King of Music, died on Monday morning in his house.
According to a statement released by his family, Jaigbade passed away in the early hours of Monday at the age of 121, after complaining of a slight headache.
One of Jaigbade’ son’s, Abdulrasaki, said, “Baba died this morning without showing any sign of sickness. When he woke up early in the morning, he complained of a slight headache, and before we decided to take him to the hospital, he had given up the ghost.”
Abdulrasaki said that the late Jaigbade was survived by four wives and 34 children.
He was buried immediately on Monday afternoon, according to Islamic injunctions in his compound, along Ita Merin area of Ilorin West Local Government Area of Kwara State.
A condolence message signed by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye, read, “On behalf of the government and people of Kwara State, I send our condolences to the family of Alhaji Jaigbade Alao and all lovers of his inimitable Dadakuada music worldwide. Alhaji Jaigbade was a legend whose mastery of his genre of music projected the state positively.”
“He was also a community leader in his own right. His death has created a void in the chain of great mentors for younger ones who took to his genre of dadakuada music. We beseech Allah to forgive him and grant him Al-Jannah Firdaus.
“The Dadakuada crooner was among the statesmen that the Kwara State Government recently honoured in the maiden edition of its lifetime achievement awards dedicated to different personalities who served or contributed to the development of the state or the country at various levels/sectors.”
Jaigbade originated his genre of Dadakuada music in 1939, which traditionally hails from Kwara descent.
The music maestro was honoured with an honorary doctorate degree in Arts and Culture in 2017 by the Kwara State University and was also recognised by the Kwara State Government as one of the most distinguished personalities in the state in December 2022.
