Without any prejudice, late Sulaimon Ajetunmobi, a.k.a Bebeto remains one of the greatest Fuji icons to have ever emerged from the Somolu community and made his mark as far as music is concerned.
Apart from the fact he was discovered from the street and followed by the street guys, he was a handsome man of impeccable character who took a rebirth, rebranded himself, and ruled the Somolu community and its environs with dignity and honour with his music.
Sule Alani Bebeto started his music career in 1990 equally with his printing apprenticeship after which he graduated and having deliberated upon which of the career paths he should follow, he finally chooses Fuji at the expense of his Printing career and established his own musical band called Bebeto Fuji Organisation.
The tall, lanky, and light in complexion dude’s first outing, and subsequent ones for his club; Young Stars’ Club of Somolu as an Executive Member (Chief Whip of the club) outside his abode at Orile Somolu, no doubt, shot him to prominence as his constant engagement made him the instant irresistible musical brand and respected personality of high repute in and around Somolu community.
Within the space of six months, he became a household name, loved and cherished by young and old somolites growing from bound to bound each passing day as he kept churning out good vibes that attracted the attention of the people that like his style of music especially the elites not leaving out the Muslim community which thereafter earned him the honour and turbaned as the ‘Amuludun of Somolu Central Mosque’.
Unarguably, and as the name suggest, Sulaimon Ajetunmobi was from a Muslim background with sound Quranic memorization that he often recited before any show which he sees as a way of making supplication to God for perfection in his chosen profession. He travelled through the length and breadth of Southwest Nigeria exhibiting the stuff he was made of with so much rigour and expectation laced with success at the back of his mind.
Some of his top-rated songs include Kanyinsola, Ileya, Kaka-Lobito, Sheku 1, and 066. He released his first album in 2004 titled ‘Gear-up’. The second album was in the pipeline when he had an accident and died instantly on March 28th, 2005 along the Ibadan-Ijebu Ode expressway while returning from a show in Ibadan.
The epistle will not complete without mentioning his band boys namely; the first Band Managers, Segun Ajigba, Segun Oduwole, Alamuta Taiwo (late), Tajudeen Orji, and Sunday Ela.
His Band boys include Jamiu Eja, Taye Oluwo, Kazeem Paiko, Yinka Obaaro, Saheed Ogbana, Atai Jazzman, Semiu Osilo, Samodi Bata, Alagbeni Debi, and Ayan Muri.
Notable among his fans are Last born Monsuru, Ojurongbe Saheed, Ade Big Fish, Laolu Elahor, Shameh Olowolaiyemo, Elewedu Jelili, Ibro Atiku, Tope White-House, Mulikat Abinuwaiye, Shadiyat Korangunse, Muina Yoyo, Alao Lastborn, MC Musiliu Olu-Omo, Kunle Poly, Mustapha Sego, and Femi Japron to mention but few.
He was also known to be the only musical act championing street carnivals in and out of Somolu some of which are Talonyoju Carnival (Shodimu), Infinity Carnival (Olabiran), Sheku Base Carnival, Econet Base Carnival, Humani Carnival, Ladi-Lak Carnival, Oshodi-Bolade Carnival (MC Musiliu Olu-Omo), Ospitan Carnival, and Johnson Carnival.
Meanwhile, when the news of his death was announced in Somolu, the whole of the Somolu community was shaken to its foundation leaving behind despair, pain, and a dejected community. No doubt about the fact that his death left a huge vacuum that has not been filled till date.
Sulaimon Adejumo (Bebeto) is survived by his mother, brothers, sisters, wives, and children.
Although he’s no more, the legacy he bequeathed will remain evergreen in the memory of his fans in and out of Somolu with extension to the southwest of Nigeria through the support of his promoter, Alhaji Kamorudeen of Dan Production, Mushin who also have two top-rated musicians; late Sunday Sunny T. Adesokan and Shanko Rasheed on his music label.
To date, his music when played, come with acute nostalgia that oftentimes and continuously puts lovers of good music on their feet dancing and repeating the rhyme.
