Dauda Akanmu Epo-Akara (23 June 1943 – August 2005), a Yoruba musician from the city of Ibadan, was the main force behind the popular Yoruba music genre called Awurebe.
Dauda Epo-Akara: The Guitar Maestro of Awurebe Music
Alhaji Dauda Akanmu Kolawole Adeeyo, widely known as Dauda Epo-Akara, remains one of NigeriaâÂÂs most distinctive traditional musicians, celebrated for pioneering and popularising Awurebe music. Active mainly in the 1970s, he carved a unique space in Yoruba popular music through his mastery of the guitar and his ability to fuse multiple musical traditions into a single, recognisable sound.
Dauda Epo-Akara was renowned as an exceptional guitarist, seamlessly blending highlife, jújú, and Afrobeat influences with traditional Yoruba musical expressions. His Awurebe style stood out for its rhythmic depth, philosophical lyrics, and strong moral and social commentary, reflecting everyday Yoruba life, spirituality, and communal values. During the height of his career in the 1970s, he released several successful albums that resonated widely with audiences across southwestern Nigeria and beyond. One of his most notable works, E Ma S'ẹÃÂkà, remains a reference point in discussions of classic Yoruba music and experimental guitar-led compositions of that era.
Dauda Epo-Akara passed away on 18 February 2005, leaving behind a legacy that continues to echo through contemporary Nigerian music. Although he is no longer alive, his influence persists, particularly among modern musicians who draw inspiration from traditional sounds and cross-genre experimentation. Had he lived, he would have turned 81 years old in June 2024.
Today, Dauda Epo-Akara is remembered not only as a musician but as a cultural innovator, whose work helped expand the creative boundaries of Yoruba music and preserved indigenous sound traditions for future generations.
Source:
Nigerian music history archives
Oral accounts and discography references on Yoruba traditional and popular music traditions