That same year, he took his band to London, England to record their only single for London Records. The single with “Allah Wakbarr” on the A side and “Beautiful Daddy” on the B side is highly collectable, usually fetching $100 or more per copy. Allah Wakbar has also been featured on the now defunct Afro Strut label’s Nigeria 70: The Definitive Story of 1970’s Funky Lagos compilation and recently on Luaka Bop’s World Psychedelic Classics 3: Love’s A Real Thing • The Funky Fuzzy Sounds of West Africa.
But in 1973, Ofo The Black Company was asked by the East German government to play the “World festivals of the youth and student Berlin capital of the GDR” International Folklore festival in East Berlin along with Miriam Makeba as well as other musicians from Argentina, Bulgaria, Chile and Vietnam.
Larry Ifediorama died in 2005 in Lagos, Nigeria.
Allah Wakbarr
Ofo The Black Company Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
الله أكبر
الله أكبر
Love is me love is me
Brother
Sister
Interpretation:
The repeated phrase "Allah Wakbarr" throughout the song means "Allah is the greatest" in Arabic. This phrase is often used in Islamic religious contexts and is associated with expressing gratitude, recognizing the power of the divine, and celebrating life. By using this phrase in their song, Ofo The Black Company is expressing their own gratitude and reverence for the divine, as well as acknowledging their own cultural and religious heritage.
The other lyrics in the song, "Love is me love is me, Brother Sister," may be interpreted as a call to embrace love and unity among all people, regardless of their differences. This theme is echoed in the repetition of the words "Brother" and "Sister", suggesting a sense of community and kinship that transcends individual identities. Overall, the song may be seen as a celebration of life, love, and spirituality, with a message of unity and respect for all.
Line by Line Meaning
الله أكبر
Allah is the greatest
الله أكبر
Allah is the greatest
الله أكبر
Allah is the greatest
Love is me love is me
I am love, I embody love
Brother
My fellow human being, my brethren
Sister
My fellow human being, my sisters
Writer(s): Larry Ifediorama
Contributed by Anthony Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@narinderdhanjal221
The greatest ever fuzzing Afro funk 45 & one I love spinning - absolutely incredible!
@baronesselsavonfreytag-lor1134
Shukriya Ji
@kaboulscabal4816
I?
Just love this song ... can't believe it's from 1972.
But it's timeless.
That. Is. All.
@analystab1
I first heard this on the Top Gear Botswana Special but it took me a while to find out which song it was. Memorably the opening beats of this song chime fittingly with that old Lancia refusing to start :)
@truckmaniacyt
lol same i looked for this song from top gear as well
@TheChatterbox1991
Just came here from that too!
@albyalfarisi
Semoga keberkahan selalu menyelimuti kalian :)
@SuperForest78
fantastic sound
@rasj1020
FANTASTIC!!!
@Inyang53
Being used for a Bet advert in the UK.