Haruna Ishola

Haruna Ishola Bello (1919 – 23 July 1983) was a Nigerian musician, and one of the most popular artists in the apala genre.

Music career He was born in Ibadan, Nigeria. the re-released record soon raised his profile. Haruna Ishola began recording apala numbers in about 1955, and soon became the most popular artist in the genre, and one of the most respected praise singers in Nigeria. Ishola adapted and stuck to a strong traditionalist approach, citing both Yoruba proverbs and Koranic scripture in his songs, and introducing no Western musical instruments into his musical line-up. Before the end of 1950s, he introduced shekere into his music, and recorded a song in 1960 for Decca Records titled "Punctuality is the Soul of Business".

Ishola would sit when performing, surrounded by two talking drummers, lamellaphone, shakers, agogo bells, akuba, claves, and a chorus of singers. He became one of the first Nigerian musicians to tour abroad, performing in Benin, the United Kingdom, Sweden, France, West Germany, and Italy.

Conflict with business partner Haruna Ishola was involved in a landmark case in Nigerian courts against his former business partner. In 1964, Ishola was looking to start his own record label to maximize his creative control and personal profits. He invited a reputable businessman, Nurudeen Omotayo Alowonle, to become his partner. Alowonle was an investor and a known name in the music industry. They also invited F. S. Balogun and another gentleman to be part of the business. Ishola was unable to afford a proper lawyer due to his prior label's mismanagement of his royalties, but knew that for the partnership to be legal, the terms of engagement must be documented. On May 28, 1964, the four signed a hand-written contract to become partners. The name they chose for the partnership was "Express Record Dealers Association". According to the agreement, "Express Record Dealers Association" was formed for the purpose of producing records with the distinguishing label mark Alowonle Sounds Studio. Nurudeen Alowonle was appointed the Managing Director of the firm. The business experienced massive success, but with the newfound glory came tension. In 1966, Alowonle was accused of embezzling record label profits and funds into his personal bank account. On February 7, 1967, the partnership was dissolved. Thereafter, the former partners decided to retire the name of the business.

While at a local music store in mid-1967, Ishola chanced upon new records bearing the name "Express Record Dealers Association". He bought some copies and began to make a discrete investigation. He wondered who could be so courageous to be using the trade name of the defunct partnership to market the records. It was Nurudeen Alowonle, the former Managing Director. Ishola brought his former partner to court, where the case was presided over by Honorable Justice George Sodeinde Sowemimo. Alowonle applied for a trademark on the name in November 1967, and upon producing the handwritten contract from 1964, Justice Sowemimo nullified Alowonle's trademark on the record label name and prohibited him from using the brand name on his own, and dictated that Alowonle pay Ishola for funds embezzled from 1966 until the end of the partnership when he was unable to produce valid documents stating that Ishola and the two other partners had been paid their fair share.