Edited by Azizi Powell
This pancocojams post presents information about Nigeria's Fuji music as well as information about that music's founder, Alhaji Sikiru Ayinde Barrister.
This post also showcases one YouTube sound file and three YouTube videos of Sikiru Ayinde Barrister. Selected comments from the discussion thread for that showcase sound file are also included in this post.
The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to Alhaji Sikiru Ayinde Barrister for his musical legacy. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to all others who are featured in these videos. Thanks also to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.
-snip-
This post replaces a previous pancocojams post that was published in 2016, in part because several of the YouTube examples that were embedded in that post are no longer available.
****
INFORMATION ABOUT FUJI MUSIC
https://theculturetrip.com/africa/nigeria/articles/the-music-lovers-guide-to-fuji-music/ The Music-Lover’s Guide to Fuji Music by Anne Adams, updated 3 September 2018
"Fuji music: meditative, philosophical and, to some, peculiar. The genre began as a modification of a traditional Islamic style of music used to wake Muslims up during the Ramadan fast in Nigeria.
Formerly known as Ajisari or Were music, the integration of Quranic references and allusions in the lyrics, combined with the use of the Yoruba language and traditional musical instruments, means the genre has been popularly tagged as the ‘Yoruba sound’. Fuji music has gained a reputable fan-base where it originated in south-western Nigeria, as well as in other regions and countries across Africa, Europe, North America, and the Caribbean. Today it’s common to find Fuji artists touring all over the world.
The origins of Fuji music
The story of the origins of Fuji is not one you’ll come by often, as it came into existence in a rather unusual way. According to creator of Fuji music, Alhaji Sikiru Ayinde Barrister, the name for the genre came from a poster of Japan’s Mount Fuji Barrister came across in an airport. At the time, he was a student of Jibowu Barrister, a well-known Ajiwere musician.
Fuji music was highly disparaged when it was first broadcast, dubbed by critics as “local music”. However, Barrister explained that Fuji music is in fact a combination of Apala, Sakara, Juju, Aro, Afro, Gudugudu and Highlife. In addition to being inspired by these different genres, Barrister also mixed in beats from a Yoruba musical instrument called the Sakara drum. Foreign musical instruments used by Juju and Highlife musicians were also incorporated in order to create a unique style of music."...
****
INFORMATION ABOUT SIKIRU AYINDE BARRISTER
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayinde_Barrister
"Sikiru Ololade Ayinde Balogun, MFR, (February 9, 1948 – December 16, 2010) better known by his stage name Ayinde Barrister was a Nigerian-born Yoruba singer-songwriter and music performer.[1] He is regarded as a pioneer of Fuji and Wéré music.[2][3] After his first break into music in 1965, Ayinde Barrister went on to release over 70 studio albums.[4]"...
****
From https://medium.com/@cloudsofopinion/sikiru-ayinde-barrister-through-the-lens-of-a-journalist-59dcea8ae7c4 Sikiru Ayinde Barrister: Through the lens of a Journalist by My Random Thoughts (Moruff Adeneka), Feb 9, 2018
"Today would have marked the 70th birthday of Alhaji Sikiru Ayinde Barrister, who was … arguably one of Nigeria’s best-known singer-songwriters who played an essential role in the evolution of the music of his homeland. The man who led a 25-piece band at a time you needed not more than six to seven people to form a band....
But God knows best, Olanbiwonninu Ayinde Muhammedu-Sikiru Balogun is no more. Sun’re Omo Agbaje Salami La’Yeye ni’badan.
Ayinde, as I will refer to him or Barry Agba in this piece was much more than a musician; he was an institution in all ramifications. He was a journalist and social commentator well ahead of his time.
At the tender age of ten, Olabinwonninu had mastered the Yoruba vocal style along with the complexities with which he was performing the ‘Were’ during the holy month of Ramadan. He attended a Muslim School and later Yaba Polytechnic, in 1961 but he couldn’t continue due to financial difficulties. He later trained as a stenographer (typist). His typewriter is still in Fuji Chambers.
Ayinde was the creator of Fuji Music (no contest!), he was an exciting musician with great dancing skills, he was blessed with the powerful delivery skills and voice which he often attest to in his some of his albums “Emi l’Olohun fun Ayinde…”
Just to rest the unnecessary controversy about the founder of Fuji Music, it is important to state clearly that the word “Fuji” describing a genre of music in Yorubaland first emerged in Ayinde’s album titled “Alayinde Nki yin” released around 1974.
The lot confusing that fact were misled by Barry’s concession of seniority to the likes of Ajadi Ganiu, Jolly Lawa, Saka Olaigbade, Baba Raliatu, Kawu Aminu, Ayinde Muniru Mayegun, aka General Captain etc in Yoruba Ajiwere....
There was no need for Barry to hide the fact that he drew inspiration from earlier musicians like Abibu Oluwa, Lefty Salami, Olatunji Yusuf, S Aka, Haruna Ishola and few others. Many wondered by he didn’t concede seniority to Ayinla Omowura. That is a story for another day...
Barry released several pieces of insightful works in his lifetime, a total of 127 LPs. One his greatest work was Aye (This Life), which was released in 1979.
He attempted an explanation of WHO GOD IS, the theory of creation; philosophy of good and bad, fate, different races and the truth. He dwelled on the differences between the white and black races and what could be responsible for success in white people’s endeavours. He wondered if the black race had been doomed, giving several anecdotes such as the fertiliser, which is a product of waste products, translated into wealth (Waste to Wealth). He was a philosopher!
Side two of the album was destination-marketing work for Disney World, where he vividly reported his tourist visit to Orlando, Florida, USA. He subtly tongue-lashed the black race for not developing its own tourist attractions instead of travelling in droves to the foreign lands. Sikiru Ayinde Balogun gave an eyewitness account of the euphoria and anxiety that surrounded his trip with his bosom friend, a fan, adviser and sponsor Alhaji Buhari Oloto (as SAB referred to Omo Oloto Buhari in about 60% of his works) in early 1980s...
The impact of the album was huge as the city -especially Disney World- recorded a high number of visits from Africa, Nigeria in particular. This earned him the ‘Key to the State of Florida” and honorary citizenship of the state by Mayor of Florida. Interestingly, Baba didn’t do it for money or financial gain; he was simply a musician telling stories of his experience. It turned out to a world famous piece of marketing for Disney World and Florida.
He was also a political commentator, releasing several works with focus on politics and current affairs. In the album titled Nigeria (released in 1983 ahead of a tension soaked general election), the master storyteller gave a good account of himself by narrating the political history of Nigeria.
[...]
It is interesting to know that at any time AYINDE chose to sing about an issue of public interest, Sikiru Ayinde Barrister never wasted his time by just singing about it, took his time to provide the temporal dimension as well as the background information that would help any good listener to trace the history of the issue he sang about.
He used his Fuji music to shape his audience’s opinions about life, death, music, government, business and employment, to mention but few."...
-snip-
"SAB" = Sikiru Ayinde Barrister
****
SHOWCASE YOUTUBE EXAMPLES
Example #1: Sikiru Ayinde Barrister Fuji Extravaganza Part 1
walexmi
Published on Nov 25, 2011
**
Example #2: Sikiru Ayinde Barrister Fuji Extravaganza Part 2
walexmi, Published on Nov 25, 2011
****
Example #3: Sikiru Ayinde Barrister - Reality
Golden Eyes, Published on Oct 30, 2014
-snip-
Here are some comments from this sound file's discussion thread (with numbers added for referencing purposes only)
1. kootea ednut, 2016
"using music as means of passing inspirational messages rip baba"
**
2. kIss KHISS, 2016
"I could remember when I use to visit my mum at her selling place she always play this song...I love it, I listen to it everyday"
**
3. Yahaya Abdulmumini, 2016
"Barry songs are full of impactful lyrics,,,frankly we may not see anything near him again thru the turn of this generation.,,his talents transcend the realm of this world...may his soul rest in bosom of ALLAH SWT,,we pray to SWT to let his singing soul permeates someone's soul..amen"
**
4. bolaji yusuf, 2016
"Most of ur music gives inspiration to move on wit life and tell the reality of life...rest in peace alhaji agbalagba"
**
5. A. Olatunji Sanni, 2017
"The Legend lives on Barry Wonder.
Fuji music lives forever to uphold Nigeria culture anywhere on this planet."
**
6. Bamidele Akinola, 2018
"music with meaning,it teaches good moral value.RIP beloved"
**
7. friesiaman s, 2018
"i love youtube for providing us with music we otherwise would never get to know - i am german and i never heard of this man before - although i don´t understand one single word of what he is singing, the energy that comes across is overwhelming - love it!!! uplifting and straight forward....
love and greetings from Germany"
**
REPLY
8. Lanre Philip, 2019
"I'm glad you enjoy the music. He's a legend in Africa .I listen to this music everyday becit motivates me."
**
REPLY
9. Lanre Philip, 2019
"I'm a Nigerian living in Germany"
**
10. abd rahmon zubayr, 2019
"The first thing that my mother requested from me when she visited me in Lagos in early 90s was, (Oya wa mumi lo sile Barisita) Take me to Baristers house, I said: Mama even if I take you there, we can't enter, and she said: Will I see the gate and my answer is yes, that's how she visited Fuji Chamber's gate by fire by force.
It took us more than a month before we broke the sad news of Music Legend to her, She wept and asked us how old is he, we even add more to his age, we said 69 years, And mama said (Omo kekere niiiii) He is too small now.
ﺍﻟﻠﻬُـﻢِّ ﺍﻏْﻔِـﺮْ ﻟِ د. ذكر ايندى برست- ﻭَﺍﺭْﻓَﻊْ ﺩَﺭَﺟَﺘَـﻪُ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﻤَﻬْـﺪِﻳﻴـﻦ ، ﻭَﺍﺧْـﻠُﻔْـﻪُ ﻓﻲ ﻋَﻘِـﺒِﻪِ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﻐﺎﺑِـﺮﻳﻦ، ﻭَﺍﻏْﻔِـﺮْ ﻟَﻨـﺎ ﻭَﻟَـﻪُ ﻳﺎ ﺭَﺏَّ ﺍﻟﻌـﺎﻟَﻤـﻴﻦ، ﻭَﺍﻓْﺴَـﺢْ ﻟَﻪُ ﻓﻲ ﻗَﺒْـﺮِﻩِ ﻭَﻧَـﻮِّﺭْ ﻟَﻪُ ﻓﻴﻪ
O Allah, forgive Dr Sikiru Ayinde Barister and elevate his station among those who are guided. Send him along the path or those who came before, and forgive us and him,O Lord of the worlds. Enlarge for him his grave and shed light upon him in it.
My Mother is 98 years old now, Ma Allah bless us to take care of her more
-snip-
Google translate from Yoruba to English [to compare the results with the commenter's translation which is probably more accurate) - "Omo kekere niiiii" = "A little boy is right"
Google translate from Arabic to English:
"O Allah, forgive. He said to him, "O Lord of the Worlds, and let him in his grave and light in him."
**
11. Tayoodee Tayoodee, 2018
"I always shared tears anytime I listen to this music. SAB,is a genius there is no one like him in fuji music .May his soul continue rest in the bosom of almighty Allah."
**
12. P Law, 2018
"....any fuji artist that could perform a composition of this nature should come out......i'll wait"
**
REPLY
13. Mobolaji Joseph, 2019
"P Law don’t even imagine such. The imagination alone is disrespectful to Alh. Dr. Sikiru Ayinde Barrister and to us his fans"
**
14. Dewosky Aliuoladipupo, 2019
"The beat and the words that suit my situation at this moment. Rest on Baba Barry Sikiru Ayinde. Your legacy is evergreen. This world misses you😥😥😥😡"
**
15. kelechi Williams, 2019
"The beating na World Class, we die here, every day I dey listen to this music, I love it, Omo Igbo"
**
16. Ojedokun samuel olumuyiwa, 2019
"No Barry, no Fuji. Fuji minus(-) Barry = were
Were + Barry=Fuji
Therefore , Ans = Barry is Mr Fuji."
**
REPLY
17. Mobolaji Joseph, 2019
"Ojedokun samuel olumuyiwa nice one 👍🏼"
**
18. Oluwasegun Awosanya, 2019
"As a young man in my 20's, I remember then when i was much more younger my Dad do play this song then but i never liked it, but now that I have grown up, am begining to appreciate the lyrics, the rhythym and the groove of this song.. at least am glad we still have matured songs from our Dads like this and not the trash the youngsters are singing now."
**
19. Hon Pennyk Omoodoagba, 2019
"Return back baba if possible we miss you"
**
20. Sunmonu-Adedeji Olawale, 2019
"Mad Jam Yo!!!"
**
21. Abayomi Okanlawon, 2019
"I hv known barrister song as far back 1986..but then i used to think fuji was for bus conductor ...but after his death and i listen to this, i cried within me....this song is d best..full of message and life riddles"
**
22. Tope Ojo, 2019
"God should just send this man back to this world"
**
23. evelyn alagoa, 2019
"Great Composer, Adept knowledge of Yoruba language, Articulate delivery, Wonderful poet, Scintillating usage of youruba words, Mesmerising performance. Wise words from the wise one. Barrister Ayinde is the best song writer/performer to even come out of Southwest Nigeria. R.I.P Agbajelola Alhaji Agba."
**
REPLY
24. Mobolaji Joseph, 2019
"evelyn alagoa just like that 👍🏼"
****
Example #4: Sikiru Ayinde Barrister Fuji Explosion
hitmann83, Published on Nov 3, 2016
Sikiru Ayinde Barrister Fuji Explosion Video 1992.
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
No comments:
Post a Comment