50 FACTS ABOUT LATE FUJI MUSIC LEGEND, SIKIRU AYINDE BARRISTER.
Sikiru Ayinde Barrister, like Jengbetiele, Abefe Adeboye sang in his 1995 Discovery album, is a household name even in death. Barrister is revered worldwide not only as the creator of Fuji Music, but also the one who marketed it into the most important places in the world starting from his first full-band trip to London in 1978.
The velvety-voice singer also gave the music the complete face it appears in till date. In his 1978 album, Fuji Reggae Series 2, the Fuji Exponent described his new stock as "an amoeba which transforms to any shape as occasions call for it - be it Sakara, Apala, Waka, Juju, Highlife, Afrobeat, Disco, or even today's hip hop.
He did not stop there being all thunder without rain. He actively experimented graciously what he talked about with everyone who listened giving him unreserved adulation for a job well done. Evidences are found in his numerous albums like Iwa, Fuji Reggae, Fuji Vibrations, Fuji Funky, Fuji Garbage series I-III, Fuji Extravaganza, Fuji Explosion, Fantasia Fuji, Fuji Exponent, to limit to a few.
Hmmmm! He was really an enigma loved by a frighteningly huge population of local and international fans across the world from childhood till death.
Those who claim to know him only knew little; there are always so much to know about him.
In that line, this research, painstakingly done exposes many revelations only few knew about the late music maestro:
1. Barrister came to the world not only with the placenta, but also a prophecy that he must not celebrate his birthday no matter whose ox is gored. And he never did except once.
2. His 60th birthday was organized in a manner in which the organizers thought they could beat the prophetic warning. It was organized out of sheer love by his numero uno musical son, on a later date from his actual birthday of February 9.
3. However, his close circuits noticed he started worsening rapidly in illness till he finally gave up the ghost on December 16, 2010.
4. Since his death 12 years ago, he is arguably, one of the few most celebrated Nigerian musicians on social media.
5. There are more than 10 active social media groups with a very large followings created in his name which all keep growing in number of followers till date. There are also live programme on radio and youtube done on a weekly basis, e.g Oludasile Fuji with mostly international followers, participants, and callers.
6. Records have it that the kid Sikiru easily beat all his colleagues and classmates in competitions of whatever callings. According to late Ayinde Commissioner, one of the notable "Were" music singers, who reigned with the deceased in the early 60s, "What we struggled to learn in two-three months at Arabic school was mastered better in days by Barrister whenever he came back after being long away."
7. At Baptist Mission School Iwo, (a christian school) Osun State, the kid Sikiru Ayinde rose rapidly, though previously based in Lagos to become the lead player of all the school musical instruments.
8. He also became the academically best students and led the school in inter-school competitions like quiz, etc, though a serial stammerer. He later became the Head Boy of the school before relocating to Lagos, his original base.
9. In 1966 at Isale Gangan, Lagos Island, with attendance of all notable "Were" singers, he won the Coca Cola cup, which was the most revered cup in *Were" music competition in Lagos Island then, defeating competitors such as Saka Layigbade, Jolly Lawa, Abinuwaye Bashiru, Baba Ralia, Kawu Aminu, Ayinla Yekini, Ayinde Muniru, Tate Aileru, etc, who were twice his age.
10. In another "Were" competition, he fell and started vomiting blood before Ayinde Muniru Mayegun, who later became the Managing Director of his record firm, Siky Oluyole Records, rescued him by taking him to the renowned spiritualists in Lagos then.
11. Barrister never did any rehearsal with his band members before recording all his "147 albums", with none of the band members knowing what he wanted to sing. His living band boys said he either started singing and they followed up with the most appropriate beats or they started playing the instruments while he sang along.
The back-up watched keenly using their instincts or take initiatives from him to join the song as needed. An example was the interview granted by Samson Giga, his sakara drummer who gave an account of the recording of one of their hit albums, " Reality".
According to the dark-goggle-wearing drummer, "Barrister started by asking Origade, another sakara drummer to play. Immediately he did, he clapped for him, and called in other talking drummers saying, Origade drummed "Oke ga joke," now join him to drum Agbajelola ga a juwon lo, Oke ga ju ga ju gen gen di gen...". And lo and behold, the music started that way till the end.
12. He left his stage on many occasions for other musicians whose musical instruments developed fault while singing in the same party, and asked his fans and sponsors to direct the spending on them. He also joined to spend from his pocket.
13. Fuji which he pioneered is Nigeria's most viable traditional genre surviving today. It also boasts of the largest performers along with Nigerian hip hop.
14. He was only able to talk freely by singing, and obviously stammered while talking normally.
15. He was also reported in an interview by the likes of veteran Juju Singer, Prof. Y.K Ajao, to have asked the entire spenders, fans, and watchers at his life play in a party, to move down with him to another musicians stage nearby, when he was told that the musician had been deserted by fans and spenders in his own party. He then led "money-spraying" on the musician, while the crossing fans also joined. According to the "benefactor" musician, "the money he made on that occasion was more than ten times what he normally made".
16. He belonged with KSA in the same social club/circuit, "the Committee of Brothers". The likes of Pa Adisa Osiefa, Chief Oyasola Oyadeji, Chief Adebayo Adisa (Azz Motors), Chief Jide Okunnu, etc., still alive today, are in the club.
17. He recorded his first professional album in the last quarter of 1965, at TYC Records, Abule-Oja, Yaba, Lagos, same day as KSA also recorded his first. However, KSA's album was released ahead of his in 1965, while his in 1966.
18. He played for the National Party of Nigeria (NPN), in 1983 in a famous life play titled, "Up National". The life play, however put him in trouble with vastly majority of supporters of Pa Awo when the drumbeats of his talking drummers was misconstrued as derogatorily addressing Pa Awo. Pa Awo's son, late Oluwole Awolowo, who happened to be an elderly friend of Barrister later took him to his father to explain himself and seek apology.
19. He was the official musician at Chief Obafemi Awolowo birthday parties held at Ikenne.
20. He was decorated as the best traditional musician in Nigeria in 1988 by Tony Okoroji-led PMAN, on the back of his chart-topping Fuji Garbage Series.
21. Fuji Garbage Series II is rated and believed by music producer association to be the greatest Fuji album as well as one of the greatest music albums made in Nigeria till date.
22. Many of the greatest albums to have been recorded in the history of Nigerian music afterwards were extracted from and inspired by Fuji Garbage. These were "Ace", released in 1990 by Sir Shina Peters, and "Bonsue Fuji", released in 1991, by Adewale Ayuba. These revelations are available in many youtube interviews by the two musicians on how they recorded the two albums.
23. Barrister's album, New Fuji Waves", released in 1991, was, according to several reports, the first Nigerian album to have long tracks sung in Nigeria's three major languages of Hausa, Yoruba, and Igbo, before the likes of Shina Peter's Shinamania, etc, came up. He also sang for long in Hausa's Waka in Fuji Vibration, and Current Affairs.
24. Barry Wonder was one of the few most gifted at mastering several genre of music It was with this approach of singing different genres of already established music that he transformed " Were" music into a professional Fuji.
25. To confirm his mastery of nearly all established genre of music in Nigeria, he sang in different styles in several albums, e.g. in Sakara, like Yusuf Olatunji; Juju, like Ebenezer Obey; and Afrobeat, like Fela Anikulapo in Fuji Reggae Series II.
These were so perfectly delivered that no one could fault him. He also sang in Afrobeat at one point, and Ewi-Rap style in "Iwa", Disco (now Hip Hop) in Fuji Funky and Fuji Vibration, and Explosion, mix of Disco and highlife in Extravaganza, etc.
26. He made the longest musical trip by any Fuji musician in 1994 covering multiple cities in Germany, France, Belgium, England, Scotland, USA, and Canada, which he documented in his 1995 album, Precaution.
27. To mourn every late senior musician, he sang exactly like them in his albums in their genre. Examples are highlife for I.K. Dairo in 1996's album, "Inferno"; Apala to mourn Haruna Ishola in his 1984's Fuji Vibration; Sakara to mourn Olatunji Yusuf in Fuji Reggae 2, 1979; Juju for Decency Oladunni in Fuji Reggae 1, 1978, etc.
28. His elegy to mourn late Simbiat Abiola, MKO Abiola's first wife, in Dimensional Fuji, 1993, was arguably the best by any Yoruba musician till date in the language.
29. He was awarded MFR, (Member of the Federal Republic) in 2006 due to what was believed to be based on his album, Precaution released in 1995. The album gave details on the whole issues confronting Nigeria as a nation and possible solutions to the National problems.
30. His songs were usually a fusion of logical lyrics illustrated with brilliant stories, proverbs, and Quranic verses.
31. His 1980 album, "Aye", earned him the Key to the State of Florida and honorary citizenship of the state by Mayor of Florida.
32. It also earned him an honourary Doctoral Degree in music by City University of Los Angeles, the owner of Disney World. The impact of the album was huge as the city - especially Disney World- recorded a high number of visits from Africa, and Nigeria in particular.
Barry Wonder only decided to tell a story of his tourist visit, however, it turned out to be a world famous piece of marketing for Disney World and City of Florida.
The honourary PhD was bestowed on him five years later in 1985.
33. Apart from Florida, he was also presented with "Keys to 5 other USA cities, totalling 6 in all.
34. The Side B of his album, Fantasia Fuji, was arguably the greatest musical analysis of DEATH by a Yoruba musician.
35. In 1991, Barry Wonder remixed his Fuji Garbage series in London, and named it "Fuji Worldwide, Refined Fuji Garbage". The video was also shot in London. The album, took 7th position on BBC World Music Chart (African Music Category). He also mentioned this in Fuji Garbage III.
36. He was awarded "Musical Legend of Commonwealth" in 1989 by the Nigerian National Union in London, with the award presented to him by the Commonwealth Secretary General then, Chief Emeka Anyaoku.
37. At his death in 2010, he had bagged, according to himself, 35 chieftaincy titles. Among the titles were Agbaakin Bobagunwa of Ibadanland and Otun Baala of Lagos both in 1986. In 1991, his Otun Baala was upgraded to Baala of Lagos which he sang about in his 1991's Fantasia Fuji. He was also honored in 1988 by the Kano Emirate, under Ado Bayero, as the Sarkin Waka (King of Music).
38. BarryJhay, a popular hip-hop singer is his lookalike biological son, and based his most successful track/album "Aye" on his father's 1980 album with same title.
39. He defined Fuji in Fuji Reggae Series II released in 1979 as "a combination of music consisting of Sakara, Apala, Juju, Afro, Gudugudu, Highlife, and Disco (today's hip-hop). Incidentally, all Fuji musicians of today have continued to sing along that line no matter the innovation they add of their own.
40. The legend, late Isaiah Kehinde Dairo, popularly known as I.K Dairo once advised all active Yoruba traditional musicians in the early 1970s of the coming of Sikiru Ayinde Barrister... "His emergence may be a threat to all", he was reported to have warned.
41. The development of Barry Wonder as a musician, generated so much hue and cry that, towards the end of 1978, the central point of discussion at the meeting of all performing musicians of Yoruba descent held in Ibadan was Barrister, his strange music, and allegations of not attending meetings (no one earlier sang a combination of all music genres). The vast majority of the musicians called for him and his music to be banned. However, the President of the Yoruba music Art in Nigeria, and chairman of the meeting, Pa Yusuff Olatunji, (Baba Legba), asked the warring musicians to present the invitation letters they sent to the then 30 year-old Fuji crooner. When none could be presented, he called for all to let the young man be. The debate was so heated that Baba Legba fell ill and when he was to be rushed to the hospital, he instead asked to be taken home. Baba Legba died on his way to Abeokuta, his home base.
42. The vast majority of biological indigenes aged 50 and above of Iwo town; Mushin and Lagos Island; Ilorin, and whole of Kwara State, apart from Ibadan his home town in Oyo State accord the late Barrister in his life time and demise as their own son.
43. He was known by several stage names such as Sikiru Ayinde, Barrister, Agbajelola, Alhaji Agba, Mr Fuji, Exponente, Dokky, Sikky Oluyole, Barry Wonder, etc.
44. His mentor was Chief Ebenezer Obey who was 6 years-older than him. Obey said in an interview, "I often woke up in the night to watch him perform "Were" in Lagos, and later advised him to see music, rather than military as his career.
45. He and K1 shared an indescribable father-son relationship and bond that was so deep that, even, his biological children often thought was stronger than the one he had for them.
46. He shared a strong bond with Daddy Showkey, who called him "his daddy." According to the Galala musician, "Barrister's households felt he was his biological son." His son, Adewale Akanji, "Barry Showkey" took his stage name from Daddy Showkey. Daddy Showkey also said "his best selling album, " Ta lo ni moto" was blessed by Barrister."
47. Reports had it that Chief Bola Tinubu once, as a youth, chose to be one of his band boys, but he advised him to be fully educated since he had a family to sponsor him. "You can come back for training after graduation if you still want to be a musician," he said.
At the return of the current Fourth Republic, the Alliance for Democracy (later Action Congress) under the influence of Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, thought of using Barrister politically as NPN did in the Second Republic. He was asked to be the official musician of the party. However, he refused saying his name and stature were too good for joining partisan politics.
On the persistence of the Jagaban, he later handed his musical son over. This reportedly happened during the funeral ceremony of his mother, Alhaja Odee Sifawu, in 2001. "He is younger than you, and you will be able to instruct him as you deemed fit", he was reported to have said.
48. In an interview by His Imperial Majesty, Alaafin Oyo, Lamidi Adeyemi III, while analysing the nature of music, musical talents and strength of top Yoruba musicians, Iku Baba Yeye, while talking about Barrister, said, "Only him could sing without the back-up, yet the back-up would not be missed".
49. The Oyo State House of Assembly held a motion to honour and immortalize him in 2021 by naming the Oyo State Cultural Centre, Mokola, Ibadan, a popular road in Ibadan, the music department of a higher institution in the state after him, and have his statue or bust in a popular roundabout.
50. He was the captain of Ayinla Omowura Fans Club, an enigmatic Apala musician who died young in 1980, while General Kollington Ayinla was his closest rival and best friend while alive.
People are of the opinion that he was largely underrated
These revelation about Barrister, added to the giant strides attained by the likes of Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Obey Commander, King Sunny Ade, Majek Fashek, IK Dairo, Victor Olaiya, Victor Uwaifo, etc, showed how blessed Nigeria is in terms of human and material resources. We just have to have a rethink about the manner in which we lead ourselves.
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