Wednesday, December 29, 2010

BIG DADDY

BIG DADDY

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

R.I.P


Fuji music will keep Ayinde Barrister's memory alive By Kayode ogunbunmi December 19 , 2010 12 :10 AM People die. However, the understanding of this finality to human sojourn on the planet never was able to remove the sense of panic or loss that usually accompany the passage of an acquaintance. It is worse when it happens to a close friend or associate. Or to an artiste whom you spend most of your growing up years adulating. Every epoch has significant milestones and, for a certain category of Nigerians, especially those from the southwest part of Nigeria who are now in their late 30 s to early forties, that defining aspect of their youth was the exciting musical rivalry between Sikiru Ayinde Barrister and Kola ‘ Kollington' Ayinla - who were locked in love-hate battle for supremacy as the authentic voice of Fuji, a music genre both claimed to have invented. His greatest fan I was always a Barrister fan, partly because he was a more accomplished singer (Ayinla has a racier band) and also because he came to my attention way before Ayinla did. Of course, they initially struggled in the wake of the larger image of two older giants in Yoruba music, King Sunny Ade and Ebenezer Obey, who branded their own music juju music. As opposite to Juju, Fuji is more traditional Yoruba in conception and rendition and probably hacks back to older forms of performers of Agidigbo, sakara, gudugudu, juju and Apala music. With its percussion loaded with dundun (Ayinla settled for the harsher (and harder) bata) talking drums, agogo (gong) and sekere (beaded calabash), Fuji draws its listeners to waist wriggling and feet shuffling dances that will amaze anyone raised on western music. Barrister dominates his band though; his voice cutting through the layers of the beat to deliver in message in sometimes high-pitched tone. Most of his fans love his song; a mix of evocative and pithy Yoruba sayings, wise sayings and sometimes ribald. He was also a believer in using the medium of his song to teach and his songs are usually laced with stories drawn from local lore or tales that would be familiar to readers of Arabian Nights tales. Barrister was a master story teller, a modern day griot with the gift of a dynamic band behind him. Rendition for Omowura In some ways, Barrister's music is a more grounded version of the fare served by Ebenezer Obey, whom he takes as his mentor. Ayinla was closer to Sunny Ade. But it was a mark of the vibrancy of these two men that they gradually eclipsed their mentors, as Fuji music became the dominant music form in Yorubaland, with Sunny Ade (and occasionally Shina Peters) still holding the fort for Juju music. Incidentally, Fuji music and Ayinde came onto theirs after an earlier struggle with the older Apala music. In fact, the earliest promoter ( inadvertently it must be said) of Barrister was one of the most popular Apala musicians, the late Ayinla Omowura. The eegun Magaji (big masquerade) would denigrate the upstart fuji artiste in his songs and warn him to stay in the shadows. Ayinla's death, at the hands of one of his band boys thrust Barrister into one his earliest controversies as he was accused of being behind it. His soulful rendition about Ayinla's death - and his plea of innocence - won Barrister more fans. It is also an album that fans of the recently deceased musician should listen to when they feel moved to mourn their idol. From its ajiwere days, when Barrister performed as an itinerant musician who entertains people during the music month of Ramadan, the music evolved in scope and depth to draw in from several traditions, including samba and reggae. Perhaps one of the strengths of Fuji was its inifite adaptability and power to inject other music forms in its growth. Younger Fuji artistes now rap and freestyle to attract younger listeners, thus assuring that the music form would survive for longer. Fuji soldiers Barrister, along with Kollington were former soldiers and both embarked on their career after their demoblisation. They were both civil war veterans, stories of which found their way into Barrister's songs. Name any human emotion and experience, and barrister probably sang about it in his evocative ways. Love, marriage ( and the imperative of family planning), poverty, tribulations, democracy and good governance - and death. He also drew on his deep knowledge of the Koran to enrich his music, reciting verses from the muslim holy book to underpin the message of his song. He was accepted ny all nevertheless as his fans, Muslims, Christians and traditional religionists embraced the messanger along with this message. His music ran into a little difficulty after a brief falling out with his lead drummer, Oyadolu in the 1980 s. After flirting with another Ibadan musician, Sawaba Iyanda, during which that gained a little limelight, Barrister reunited with Oyadolu and the music continued. Until death did them apart. One of Barrister's prayers was that the calabash decorator might die, but that his products do not perish. Barrister is now sadly departed. His songs lives on in our hearts and our ipods. May Alhaji Agba meet the favour of his maker.

BURIAL OF MR FUJI


The remains of late Fuji Music maestro, Sikiru Ayinde Barrister will be flown into the country on Wednesday and buried in his home in Isolo, Lagos State, contrary to conflicting reports about where his last resting place will be. It was revealed that the body will arrive the Murtala International Airport by 1 pm from the London Hospital where he died after a protracted illness. The reemains will then be moved to his house for burial, slated for 4 pm the same day. Further findings revealed that the body will be committed to mother earth right inside the sitting room of his popular Fuji Chambers, while the house will be turned to museum. The Lagos State Government is said to have signified interest to contribute to the burial ceremony. Sources close to the late musician also informed the public that the bed on which he last slept on before his departure for treatment in the UK and subsequent death will be preserved as part of archival materials that would attract tourists to the chambers. Mr Ayinde died penultimate Thursday at St Mary's Hospital, London, United Kingdom, after developing complications as a result of surgery he underwent recently to extract excess fat from his body. Health complications Barrister, as he was fondly called in the music industry, was 62. He was, about three months ago, admitted to a German hospital where about 32 kg of fat was extracted from his body. Before this, he had undergone surgery at an Indian hospital. But on his return to Nigeria, he developed some complications and was referred to Germany for further medical treatment. While in Germany, news filtered through that the musician had died. That news shook his fans and artistes who looked up to him for guidance, but he quickly came out to debunk the death rumour. The deceased was a former soldier who fought in the Nigerian Civil War, before eventually becoming a full time musician. His music, which is very philosophical, touched the lives of his many fans.

Thursday, December 23, 2010

HOUSE DISSOLVE

HOUSE HAVE BEEN DISSOLVED AND ANOTHER HOUSE HAVE BEEN ELECTED LIKE
PRESIDENT,VICE PRESIDENT,SPEAKER,TREASURER AND OTHER COMMITEE

TO ALL MY FANS

May your world be filled with warmth and good chear this Holy season, and throughout the year. Wish your christmas be filled with peace and love. Merry X-mas

Monday, December 13, 2010

FUNMAN AND THE HOUSE

Musicians Association of Nigeria ( FUMAN), Abass Akande Obesere, has appealed to the Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola, to assist him in resolving it. Speaking with NFC, the newly installed Lagos Ambassador and Paramount King of Fuji Music, said that he has written a letter to Fashola to invite all fuji musicians to a meeting just like Alhaji Lateef Jakande did during the Barrister and Kolington face off. He said that his decision was borne out of the fact that most fuji musicians live in Lagos, saying, “I don’t want the crisis to degenerate to violence as this might disrupt peace in Lagos, making some undesirable elements to capitalise on it to cause crisis during the forthcoming electioneering campaigns.” PK1 st as he is popularly called, said that his ambassadorial appointment has changed his focus about everything in life because people now look up to him to assist in maintaining peace in Lagos and its environs. To show his commitment to allow peace to reign in Lagos fuji circle, Obesere was reported to have walked out on controversial fuji musician Saheed Osupa, at the recording of a video at the Eko Reel Mix Studio recently. NFC learnt that when news got to him during the recording that Osupa, who mounted the stage as the opening act was singing abusive songs, he ordered his managers and band members out of the premises of Radio Lagos, saying he had warned Osupa against that. When Obesere was contacted he confirmed the story and simply said: “All I want is for peace to reign among fuji musicians in Lagos and Nigeria as a whole.”

KING SAHEED OSUPA BIOGRAPHY

Saheed Osupa is a popular Nigerian Fuji Musician.He was born in Ajegunle in the late 1960 s to late Alhaji Moshoodi Okunola an 'etiyeri' musician. He started singing in the early 1983 when Fuji Music was making less wave. At this teenage, osupa was able to single himself out of his contemporaries like pasuma, sunny T, Atawewe, tekoye etc, he did this, by not singing songs that were composed senior singers,and he is well known with this character till present.Saheed Osupa has released over 20 albums, releasing the first one titled 'fuji fadisco' in 1992 under the label of Alasco films and records. He is a native of Ibadan. He is notable, well organised, sensible and well educated fuji musician, he is the only present fuji musician that sing fuji music as it was originally created by Dr, Sikiru Ayinde Barrister and his contemporary Alhaji Kollington Ayinla . Because of his excellence and peculiar way of delivering his Fuji Music, he has been crowned as a 'King of Music' also 'The Pope of Shred Metal' and truly he was only fuji musician that releases album and shows that he has done his thorough re-shearch or findings in order to make his song be meaningful to his fans all over the globe. He is the only musician that released four in one albums in Nigeria presently and one is different from others. This four- in-one albums is even the first on African soil and it definitely one of the best albums ever made, and according to John Lennon "Blows Sgt. Pepper's to pieces!!".Osupa is married to two women and blessed with children. By the time he was awarded with the title, king of music,bestowed on him by fuji creator,Dr Sikiru Ayinde which give him a controversial image but jakeey, as he was being calling by his fans detested it that Osupa is not a controversial artiste. Academically,osupa attended polytechnic of ibadan where he had OND in 1992 , he later studied computer networking in USA. Osupa in fuji music industry can boost of bringing up upcoming singers,though they may later turn out to be amongst his bitter enemies in this industry after he might have tried to bring them into lime light,among the musicians osupa trained are Muri Alabi popularly called Thunder, kamoru Ishola known as saridon 2 , while there are many young musicians that took after saheed osupa in term of way of sing and voice type,amongst them are Alujo Morufu, Aro Musendiku, Alamu sherif,Anango Okada,and lastly Safeje Amama who always claim that his voice and that of Osupa are just merely identical and not that he picked up the voice from him, even though that every fuji listners know that he uses osupa's distinguishing style of voice to present his own music also, the only proof for this fact is that osupa had started releasing albums eleven years before safejo could performed in a joint album titled 'god father' with pasuma and tekoma where he claimed to be ebora which means fairy of fuji music, the nick name that osupa was popularly known with in his album called 'london delight' which released 2 years befor god father.Saheed is surely the king of music not for anything but for his consistency in keeping the the original face of fuji music the one many claimed fuji musicians had changed thinking that fuji is just all about dancing to drum beats not knowing that fuji was being used by its early artists like barrister and kollington to advice people and pass messages to despotic ruler,and in fact, osupa is the only fuji artist that sings sensibly and uses his songs to advice,educate and pass messages to people.long life king saheed the one and only king of our time!