Ishola's first album in 1948, Late Oba Adeboye (The Orimolusi Of Ijebu Igbo) released under His Masters Voice (HMV), was a commercial flop, but his relentless touring gave him a reputation as the most in-demand entertainer for parties among the wealthy Nigerian elite.
In 1955, a rerecorded version of his 1948 album was released following the death of Oba Adeboye in an incident in an air accident on BOAC operated Argonaut G-ALHL,[2] the re-released record soon raised his profile.
[3] 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.
[4] Ishola would sit when performing, surrounded by two talking drummers, lamellaphone, shakers, agogo bells, akuba, and claves, and a chorus of singers.
He wrote in the CD liner notes, "Among the most memorable anecdotes were that Haruna Ishola's voice was so powerful that his praise singing could kill its intended recipient if not provided with restraint.
The titular track from the album was an ode to the prestigious and popular nightclub in the city of Osogbo, where Ishola and his group performed concerts to sold-out audiences, sometimes even lasting between four and ten hours.
[5] He became one of the first Nigerian musicians to tour abroad, performing in Benin, the United Kingdom, Sweden, France, West Germany, and Italy.
His son, Musiliu Haruna Ishola is also a musician, still performing and carrying on his father's legacy, who released a million-selling album titled Soyoyo in 2000.
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.