Ayinde Barrister: Prophet without honour (2) - Newstrends
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Ayinde Barrister: Prophet without honour (2)

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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)
Facebook: @tunde odesola
Twitter: @tunde_odesola

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Regina Daniels Shares Emotional Message on Children’s Welfare Amid Custody Battle

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Nollywood actress Regina Daniels with her children
Nollywood actress Regina Daniels with her children

Regina Daniels Shares Emotional Message on Children’s Welfare Amid Custody Battle

Nollywood actress Regina Daniels has voiced deep concern about the safety and well-being of her children following her separation from estranged husband, Senator Ned Nwoko. The actress, who has been navigating a highly publicised family dispute, emphasised her ongoing commitment to ensuring her children are protected despite restricted access.

In a heartfelt message shared on her son’s school social media page, Daniels commended Lincoln American Academy for its role in her child’s upbringing and growth. She appealed to school authorities to continue caring for her children in her absence, describing them as the “blessed fruit of my womb.” Daniels reassured her son of her constant prayers and watchfulness, writing: “Oh my Moon! Blessed fruit of my womb! Mama is so proud! Grow in good health, my child! I will always watch and pray over you from afar. @LincolnAmericanAcademy I trust you to look after my babies well.”

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The actress’ message comes amid an ongoing custody and marital dispute with Senator Nwoko, with reports suggesting limited access to her children in recent months. Daniels’ emotional statements have drawn significant public attention, highlighting the challenges of protecting children’s welfare in high-profile separations.

Representatives of Nwoko’s camp have responded to Daniels’ claims, stating that court-ordered evaluations and social welfare assessments were required before full access to the children could be restored. They assured that the children are living in a stable environment and that their well-being remains a priority.

Despite the legal and personal challenges, Daniels continues to stress her role as a mother and her desire to be actively involved in her children’s lives. Her appeal underscores the importance of child welfare, emotional support, and parental involvement even amid complex family disputes.

The story has resonated widely on social media, with fans and followers urging respect for the family’s privacy and emphasising the need to prioritise the children’s interests during this sensitive period.

Regina Daniels Shares Emotional Message on Children’s Welfare Amid Custody Battle

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How Death Threats During #EndSARS Made Me Rethink Activism – Omotola

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Veteran Nollywood actress and filmmaker Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde
Veteran Nollywood actress and filmmaker Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde

How Death Threats During #EndSARS Made Me Rethink Activism – Omotola

Veteran Nollywood actress and filmmaker Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde has disclosed that her children received death threats during the 2020 #EndSARS protests, prompting her to rethink how she engages in activism and public advocacy. The revelation highlights the personal risks faced by public figures and their families when participating in social movements.

Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Rubbin’ Minds, the 48-year-old actress described the period as the most intense and threatening chapter of her life. “I am used to death threats; I have received them many times,” she said. “But I have never seen anything like what happened during #EndSARS. It was intense. My kids started getting death threats. That was when it became weird.”

Omotola said she had been actively involved in the decentralized nationwide movement, which demanded an end to police brutality and the abuses of the now-disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). Her activism included street protests, international advocacy, and media engagement, and she spoke with global outlets like CNN while liaising with international NGOs and embassies.

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However, as threats against her family escalated — including reports of people showing up at her home and workplace — Omotola said she had to shift away from street-level activism to strategic advocacy to protect her children. “When people started coming physically to my home and place of work to look for me, I knew I had to worry about other people and not just myself,” she said.

Omotola emphasized that, while she was willing to risk her own safety, she could not expose her children to danger. “I can’t control where they go, I can’t protect them as much, and I don’t want my children to become victims of choices that I have made,” she added.

The #EndSARS movement, which erupted in October 2020, saw millions of Nigerians protest against police brutality, extrajudicial killings, harassment, and extortion by SARS operatives. The protests gained global attention after alleged shootings at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos, a defining and controversial moment in Nigeria’s social activism history.

Despite the Federal Government’s decision to disband SARS and initiate reforms, many protester demands — including justice for victims, accountability for abuses, and comprehensive police reforms — remain unresolved years later. Human rights groups like Amnesty International have reported that some protesters continue to face detention or legal challenges, highlighting ongoing struggles in the fight against police brutality.

Omotola’s candid reflection underscores the lasting impact of #EndSARS on activists and illustrates how personal safety concerns can shape public advocacy strategies, even for high-profile figures. Her experience also reinforces the continued relevance of the movement in discussions about democracy, accountability, and civic activism in Nigeria.

How Death Threats During #EndSARS Made Me Rethink Activism – Omotola

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Nollywood Actress Fathia Balogun Mourns Mother a Day Before 55th Birthday

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Fathia Balogun

Nollywood Actress Fathia Balogun Mourns Mother a Day Before 55th Birthday

LAGOS — Veteran Nigerian actress Fathia Balogun is mourning the loss of her mother, who passed away just 24 hours before the actress’s 55th birthday celebration.

The news of her mother’s death was confirmed by family sources, who described the loss as a “devastating blow” to the actress and her family. The timing of the tragedy, coming a day before her milestone birthday, has left fans and colleagues in shock.

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Fathia Balogun, renowned for her contributions to Nollywood and Yoruba-language cinema, has shared moments of grief on social media, receiving an outpouring of condolences from fans, friends, and colleagues across the entertainment industry.

The actress, known for her resilience in both her personal and professional life, is expected to hold a private memorial in Lagos, as the family comes together to honour the life of her late mother.

Fans and well-wishers have taken to social media platforms to express sympathy, celebrate her mother’s life, and support Fathia during this difficult time.

Nollywood Actress Fathia Balogun Mourns Mother a Day Before 55th Birthday

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