Fuji music, Sikiru Ayinde Barrister and the place of Wasiu Ayinde, by Gani Balogun

I finally watched the K1’s interview to the end this morning.

There are many takeaways from the almost three hour long interview.

The first is the fact that at 68, Alhaji Wasiu Ayinde is not going to change either his style or his beliefs.

He is like crayfish, he is already bent.

Reminds me of the Ayinla Omowura song about a deaf man repeating the last song he heard before going deaf to his grave.

On Fuji music, as a Lagos Island born myself, I understand his attachment to his Agarawu area.

But I am a Koilo lane boy, an Isalegangan boy, an Onola alum.

When it comes to areas, Agarawu is in the backwaters, compared to Onola, the center of it all.

Fujilawa is an area Ajisari group, which has absolutely nothing to do with Fuji music as a genre.

I listened as he twisted and turned, hiding behind elementary sophistry ,to turn water to wine, but water is water, wine is wine.

Fuji, the genre in its present form, was created by his benefactor.

No amount of revisionist tendencies would change that.

Second, the Liberty Stadium showdown with Sawaba, which led to the Oshogbo prostration for Barry Wonder, was not as straightforward as he presented it.

When he said he was not with Barrister to learn how to play Fuji, he was right.

He was a domestic staff, not a member of the band.

But he was a great mimic, who copied Barry in every shape and form. From his lifestyle to his musical career.

I feel bad the way he strip his senior colleague, Alhaji Kollinton Ayinla, bare in public.

No matter what he felt in private, he should not have spoken about bank rolling Kebe’s mother’s burial. He should not.

There are certain favours that should remain private. It is not every garment we dry outside.

I agree that Alhaji Kollinton Ayinla should have paid him a visit, to commensurate on his mother’s death.

But I also agree that the feedback from K1,or lack of it, is enough reason for Baba Kebe to stay away, to avoid unnecessary humiliation.

Either way, Baba Kebe is the elder, our people say if a child is behaving like a child, an elder must also behave like an adult.

I have my own opinions about the man at Alagbado, but he does not deserve that public humiliation , not for one minute.

On the registration of Fuji Musicians association’s registration. The huffing and puffing is really not important.

Barrister was of the earliest beneficiaries of the Copyright Society of Nigeria’s battle for royalties.

I know that at a point in time, Barry Wonder was getting residual checks from as far away as Australia.

I remember that he joked that if Fuji garbage was that popular down under, maybe he should record an Australian version.

On his relationship with Barrister, I could write a book on that.

Generally it was a very good interaction. A lot of back patting, and some questions were parried,

Nevertheless the Agbaletu guy did a fantastic job drawing K1 out of his shell, especially on the Kollinton issue.

I score it seven over ten.