Entertainment

Ayinde Barrister: Prophet without honour (2)

Published

5 years ago

January 4, 2021

By Tunde Odesola

(Published in The PUNCH on Monday, January 4, 2021)

Barrister wasn’t a stark illiterate. He wasn’t an academic either. But he created Fuji, a music brand that has swallowed various pre-existing Yoruba music such as Sakara, Apala, Awurebe, and paralysed erstwhile top-of-the-chart music, Juju.

However, there are many ‘ifs and buts’ that could have changed the success story of Fuji since Barrister evolved the genre in the late 1960s from ‘Were’, an Islamic music used to wake Muslims up during Ramadan.

One if: Would Fuji have survived IF Ayinla Omowura aka Egunmogaji, a fiery Apala musician, who was much popular than Barrister at the time, hadn’t been stabbed to death on May 6, 1980 at a beer parlour in Abeokuta, Ogun State?

Another if: Would Fuji have survived IF another Apala chart-bursting legend, Alhaji Haruna Ishola aka Baba nGani Agba, hadn’t died on November 9, 1983, at the age of 64?

One but: BUT, today, Fuji is eclipsing Juju, which was much more popular than Apala and Sakara in the 1960s, 70s and part of the 80s.

Another but: BUT, apart from General Kollington Ayinla, who is today seen as the father of Fuji music after the demise of Barrister, Fuji is blessed with a succeeding generation of young, creative stars led by King Wasiu Ayinde aka K1 the Ultimate, and other Fuji greats such as Adewale Ayuba aka Mr Johnson, Abass Akande Obesere aka Omo Rapala, Wasiu Alabi Pasuma aka Oga Nla, and Saheed Osupa aka Olufimo Mat’agbamole, whose collective music is highly accepted by the masses – an advantage which both Juju and Apala lacked.

Apart from Sir Shina Peters, who temporarily shook the Juju music scene to its foundation between 1989 and 1992 with his Afro Juju series, no other younger-generation Juju musician has had as much popularity or shown enough conviction to reignite the torch of Juju lit on the global stage by Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey and King Sunny Ade.

Barrister is no saint. I shall soon come to his devilry. But in the meantime, I’ll examine the uniqueness of his music and the reason his albums and live plays remain the most selling within the Fuji genre, 10 years after his death.

After I was blooded into Barrister’s music at The PUNCH editorial meeting in 2017, two interconnected incidents happened that reopened my eyes to the in-betweenness of music to religion and culture.

The first incident was a postgraduate assignment that defogged my sight and shed the scales off my eyes. The other was a visit to renowned Ifa priest, Chief Ifayemi Elebuibon, the Araba of Osogbo, in furtherance of the aforesaid academic assignment.

Because of its pursuit for excellence and proximity to my workplace, I had applied to the School of Postgraduate Studies, Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, for a degree in English Literature.

A Professor of Gender Studies and African Oral Literature, Mobolanle Sotunsa, taught my part-time class African Oral Literature.

As part of the academic requirements for the class, students were mandated to conduct research on chants as an enactment of African orature experience.

The assignment took me to the shrine of Elebuibon in the Pepsi Cola area Ayetoro, Osogbo. At Elebuibon’s shrine, which I visited on consecutive days, I videoed the call-and-response spontaneity of chants as an oral technique in the expression of African religious beliefs.

Employing incantations (chants) to seek divine requests – on behalf of his various clients – Elebuibon communed with the gods, using the opele, a short string of divination made of cowries.

Singing unrehearsed and unrestrained Ifa divination verses, Elebuibon maintained an instinctive call-and-response communication with his acolytes who responded appropriately to his sudden change in songs, riddles, declarations etc.

The beauty of Elebuibon’s rich poetic rendition of Ifa panegyrics wasn’t lost on me despite not being an Ifa worshipper. Buried in the Ifa praise worship are ancient Yoruba histories of conquests, victories, harvests, deaths, famine, pestilence, treachery etc.

Although I’m a Christian, on one of my visits to Elebuibon’s shrine, I took my children along with a view to letting them have an insight into the trado-cultural heritage of the Yoruba.

At Elebuibon’s, my children seemed like fish out of water because they couldn’t understand the chants and songs, but I tried to explain their meanings to them in the hope that they would understand that the world is a continuous evolution of forms between the old and the new because before New York was created, there was an Old York; before Iyana Ipaja New Road, there was Iyana Ipaja Old Road, before New Bodija birthed, there was Old Bodija.

Although Barrister never got university education, much more than most foremost Yoruba musician of his era, Agbajelola exhibited a profound understanding of the invaluable place of history, culture and tradition as tools for personal actualisation and nation-building. This realisation is the heartbeat of his musical supremacy.

While a number of musicians in his era were becoming ‘born-again’ and abandoning Yoruba trado-cultural beliefs for western religions and teachings, Barusati maintained an intricate balance between Islamic and Yoruba religions in his music – at the risk of being tagged a hypocrite and an infidel by ardent Islamic faithful. This is the audacity of his art.

In his discography, Barrister explored the heroics of major deities of the Yoruba pantheon with a fluidity common to African oral chants.

Barrister’s amazing exposition of Yoruba tradition and culture flourishes in his December 1988 album, Fuji Garbage 2, wherein he traces the death of Oya, the River goddess, to Ira in Kwara State, the death of Sango, god of Thunder, to Oyo, and the death of Obalufon to Erin just as his nickname, Ayinde-Ogun, as encapsulated in Fuji Missile, released in 2001, is in reverence of Ogun, the god of Iron.

With this trajectory, Barrister scored four goals: he carried the large population of traditionalists along, retained his large Muslim following, courted listeners of good music and maintained a didactic edge to his preaching, using Yoruba histories, similes, metaphors, proverbs, pun, sarcasm, wit etc to explain confusable narratives.

Dwelling on expert use of evocation, Barusati never held rehearsals with his band members when going to the studio – according to the testimonies of his band members that included his band captain and lead drummer, Aderoju Yekinni aka Aderoju Onilu, and his close associates like Alhaji Adisa Onifade, Chief Buhari Oloto, Alhaji Murhi Gbadeyanka, Alhaji Adisa Osiefa, Asiwaju Tunde Khamis Badmus, Chief Abiola Ogundokun, Chief Oyasola Oyadeji, Alhaji Adebayo Azeez (Azz Motors) and Alhaji Ayinde Abeeb.

Because of the limitless elasticity of his voice and the depth of his message, Dedegbo would not so much worry about setting his poetry to music as he would worry about passing his message across unambiguously.

This is why he didn’t engage in rehearsals with his band members because he knew that he could do all the singing and chorusing as he occasionally left his band members stranded during studio recordings or live plays.

Aderoju said, “We never ever did any rehearsals while going to record an album. Never. We did live plays during the week, Barrister could pick some beats I played during the week and set music to them.

“He would just say, we’re going to the studio tomorrow or the day after. As the band leader, I would get some beats ready using proverbs or jokes. So, while at the studio, he would tell you to give him a beat. You must be ready.

“I learned how to research from him because whenever he wanted to sleep, he would put a pen, jotter and tape recorder by his pillow so that whenever he receives inspiration while sleeping, he would write it down.

This no-rehearsal latitude that Barrister exhibited cannot, however, be executed by Juju musicians because, unlike Fuji, the guitar and other string instruments form the template upon which Juju rests, and it’s not possible to go into the studio to record Juju music without rehearsals.

(To be concluded next week)

Email: tundeodes2003@yahoo.com

Facebook: @tunde odesola

Twitter: @tunde_odesola

Related Topics:Ayinde Barrister Fuji music Tunde Odesola

Up Next

Ali Baba: COVID is real, many people died in my isolation centre

Don't Miss

Dangote broke my heart in 1000 pieces, says lady who claimed dating him

Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Entertainment

Iyabo Ojo Quits Mediation Between Funke Akindele, Toyin Abraham

Published

8 hours ago

March 31, 2026

Trends Admin

Toyin Abraham, Iyabo Ojo and Funke Akindele

Iyabo Ojo Quits Mediation Between Funke Akindele, Toyin Abraham

Nollywood actress and filmmaker Iyabo Ojo has announced that she will no longer act as a mediator in the ongoing dispute between fellow stars Funke Akindele and Toyin Abraham, citing her inability to resolve the tensions despite her best efforts. She made the disclosure in a detailed post on her Instagram page on Tuesday, addressing criticisms of her involvement and clarifying her past efforts to reconcile the actresses.

Ojo explained that her friendship with Akindele spans several years and has had ups and downs. She admitted to previously publicly criticising Akindele over a movie issue, which she later regretted, but the two reconciled. She then took deliberate steps to broker peace between Akindele and Abraham, at times pleading with both to embrace harmony, which they reportedly did for a period.

Awkward Moment At Iyabo Ojo Premiere As Funke Akindele Appears To Snub Toyin Abraham

The actress noted that the reconciliation came with an agreement that any future disputes should be resolved privately and off social media. However, she said the arrangement fell apart last December after Abraham raised complaints about alleged sabotage affecting her movie, which sparked renewed tensions and fan speculation against Akindele.

Iyabo Ojo Quits Mediation Between Funke Akindele, Toyin Abraham

Entertainment

Céline Dion Announces Stage Comeback After Four-Year Health Battle

Published

9 hours ago

March 31, 2026

Trends Admin

Global music icon Céline Dion

Céline Dion Announces Stage Comeback After Four-Year Health Battle

Global music icon Céline Dion has officially announced her return to singing and live performances, four years after stepping away from the stage due to a rare neurological condition.

In a heartfelt video shared on her Instagram page on Monday to mark her 58th birthday, the Grammy-winning singer told fans she is recovering steadily and ready to reconnect with audiences.

“I want to let you know that I’m doing great, managing my health, I’m feeling good, I’m singing again, even doing a little bit of dancing,” she said, expressing gratitude for the overwhelming support she received during her health struggles.

She also confirmed a major comeback project titled ‘Celine Dion Paris 2026’, a 10-show concert residency scheduled to begin in September in Paris, with presale tickets opening on April 7. The shows are expected to take place at the Paris La Défense Arena, marking her first full-scale return to the stage since 2022.

Céline Dion Announces Stage Comeback After Four-Year Health Battle

Entertainment

Funke Akindele, Toyin Abraham Spark Reactions Over Alleged Snub at Iyabo Ojo’s Premiere

Published

1 day ago

March 30, 2026

Trends Admin

Funke Akindele, Toyin Abraham Spark Reactions Over Alleged Snub at Iyabo Ojo’s Premiere

Nollywood heavyweights Funke Akindele and Toyin Abraham have ignited widespread conversation online following an alleged snub at a star-studded movie premiere hosted by Iyabo Ojo in Lagos.

The viral video from the event shows Abraham approaching a table where Akindele sat with Ojo and other guests. While some attendees acknowledged her greeting, Akindele appeared not to respond, maintaining a calm and composed expression throughout the brief interaction.

The clip quickly gained traction across social media platforms, with many viewers interpreting the moment as a snub, while others argued it may have been a misunderstanding in a crowded and busy environment.

Reactions have remained sharply divided. Some critics described the perceived action as unnecessary at a public event, while supporters insisted that such moments can easily be misread, especially during high-profile gatherings.