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Author: Tope Adeboboye
Posted to the web: 10/6/2006 2:18:35 PM

Tope Adeboboye Celebrated singer, Adewale Ayuba, would scarcely strike you as the quitessential fuji crooner. Indeed, you will be pardoned if you mistake the multiple award-winning star for a youthful corporate executive. Devoid of the sleaze, street slang and arrogant swagger often flaunted by many practitioners of his chosen genre, Ayuba bears himself with an urbane air, charming you with a personality that exudes confidence, poise and panache. As you chat with him this Wednesday morning , you cannot but wonder how the Ikenne-born artiste, acclaimed by all as the corporate face of fuji music, has been able to veer from the mainstream, creating a brand acceptable to both the elite and the lowly far beyond Nigeria’s shores.“Honestly, I can’t explain it,” he tells this reporter, a smug little smile on his face. “I would just say that my orientation is a little different. These things have a lot to do with one’s background, you know.” Ayuba, who took two trophies at the last KORA awards in South Africa last December, breezed into New York in June this year. And since his arrival in the United States, he’s been traversing many American cities to celebrate the awards with his numerous fans. That however isn’t the only reason for this trip. “I’m also here to promote a personal project, but I’m still keeping that to my chest for now,” he says. “I did the same thing in Germany in 2003. When it materializes, you will definitely know.” He insists that the project which has taken him to a number of schools and colleges as well as many radio and television stations across the United States was made possible by his KORA awards. And the awards were made possible by the song, Fuji Satisfaction, a duet with Germany-based Nigerian artiste, Ade Bantu. This American trip, Ayuba says, is also a continuation of his self-imposed mission to internationalize fuji music and bring it at par with other notable forms of music enjoyed worldwide.“My dream is to achieve with fuji music what Bob Marley was able to achieve with Reggae. Bob Marley took Reggae from the streets of Kingston in Jamaica and turned it into a global form of music recognized and enjoyed by everyone all over the world. I will become a fulfilled person the day fuji music attains such a height.”And Ayuba is, in truth, not without some measure of success in his pursuit of a global niche for fuji music. At the 50th anniversary of the United Nations in New York a decade ago, Ayuba had thrilled the audience, dishing sumptuous songs to an array of notable world figures that included Dr Nelson Mandela and outgoing UN secretary-General, Kofi Annan. He was also the first fuji artiste ever to win a KORA. Did he expect that award? “No,” he replies. “In fact, when we received the nomination, I thought that was the best we could get, a nomination. I never expected to win. The song that won the award was done with Ade Bantu, a Nigerian artiste in Germany. When the nomination came, I felt that was enough for me. So I took it to several media houses in Nigeria. Because winning the nomination was a great achievement for me. It had never happened before for a fuji artiste to be nominated for such an international award. When we got to South Africa, I was surprised when they announced my name as winner. I was excited. I can’t even explain the feeling. I was so excited that I quickly went to a bathroom and called my wife, telling her that I had won. I called my mum, called some of my fans and friends. Unknown to me, while I was in the bathroom making calls, my name had been announced as winner of another award and everybody was looking for me. So when I came out of the bathroom, I didn’t even know what was going on. I was walking to my seat when Kenny Ogungbe of Kennis Music saw me and said, “Wale, where have you been? We’ve been looking for you. You’ve won another award”. I was dumfounded. It was an emotional thing for me.”And has anything changed since he took the prize? “Of course, a lot of things have changed. You can’t even imagine how much things have changed. That award has opened doors for me.”Yet, many years ago when he indicated a desire to pursue a career as a fuji artiste, Ayuba’s parents had been momentarily discomfited by the idea of their son becoming a musician. “It wasn’t that they didn’t want me to pursue my dreams”, explains the artiste. “The problem they had was that musicians of those days were seen as never-do wells in the society. And as soon as I assured them that music was not going to pose a threat to my education, they embraced the idea, offered their blessings and gave me 100 per cent support”. So did he fulfill that sacred promise to his parents? “Oh yes. As a matter of fact, I’m still studying. Naturally, I’m a person that loves to read. Already, I have a diploma from the Ogun State Polytechnic, an advanced diploma from the University of Lagos and an associate degree from the Queens Borough Community College in New York. And I’m not done yet. My goal actually is to obtain a Ph.D in any discipline. Maybe by then I will be satisfied.” You wonder why such an ambitious young man opted for fuji of all the available music genres. And he has an answer. “I took to fuji because it was the most cost effective form of music”, he says. “It was the least expensive. Highlife, juju and other ones would have required sophisticated and expensive instruments, like guitar, piano and drums. And again, I would need to be knowledgeable in a couple of those instruments. But with fuji, all that was needed was one or two cheap local drums and that even need to learn any.”Success, however, tarried in coming. For a guy who started singing at the tender age of seven, it took a while for this unassuming star to distinguish himself from the fuji crowd. After five albums, Ayuba still remained just another mere name on the musical landscape, dwarfed by the larger image of already established stars like Sikiru Ayinde Barrister, Kollington Ayinla and Wasiu Ayinde. Like those other fuji singers, he sang purely in Yoruba with a smattering of Arabic. Then in 1989, almost frustrated by his seeming stagnancy, Ayuba went back to the drawing board and decided to inject a little pep into his act.“I thought of how to distinguish myself. I did some research and I discovered that fuji music appealed to a certain kind of people. I started thinking of how I could attract other people like business executives, students and people in the corporate world to fuji music in a way that traditional fuji lovers wouldn’t feel alienated. The first thing I did was to start injecting English into fuji. I then created my own unique beat and dancing style, making the tempo a little faster than before. My outlook also changed. I told my mum my plans and she encouraged me.”That experimentation paid off. Bubble, the album released by Ayuba in 1990 became a monumental hit that immediately catapulted the singer into national prominence. And since then, there has been no drab moment for Ayuba and his exciting career. “You know a lot of people now think I started my career with Bubble. Now I have to remind people that there were five albums before Bubble. They hardly remember that. After Bubble, I started getting invitations for concerts on university campuses. In fact, when Bubble came out, I was being invited to play in the universities virtually on daily basis. And because it’s very convenient for me to sing in English as well as in Yoruba, my music appeals to everybody irrespective of language.”With the new Ayuba also came a nickname, Mr Johnson. And he tells you that the story behind the sobriquet is very real. “In 1989, I traveled to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. While I was participating in a musical concert at the beach, I met a very pretty Brazilian girl. We got talking and I lied to her that my name was Mr Johnson, a university student from New York. Of course, I couldn’t tell her that my name was Adewale because she might not even be able to pronounce the name. I couldn’t also tell her that I am a musician because she might not like musicians. So I lied. One day she came visiting and unfortunately for me, an old video of my band’s live performance was on. She was angry that I had told her lies, and that led to the end of the brief relationship. When I returned to Nigeria, I wrote a song around that event. That was how “Mr Johnson” was born.” Fuji is said to have originated from Mushin, a sprawling slum in Lagos. That might explain why many still regard the genre as music reserved only for the hoi-polloi. In truth, at paraga joints, inside molue and danfo buses as well as in every motor park in Lagos and other cities and towns in Nigeria’s South-West, your ears are relentlessly traumatized by an endless drone of fuji din emanating from everywhere. And at many a fuji concert, all the singers spew forth is a motley mix of lewd lyrics, self-praise, outright expletives and a copious dose of street innuendoes eulogizing thugs and their trade. Here, chaos is one commodity that is never in short supply, consistently dispensed by a thriving throng of bottle-breaking, dagger-dangling, pot-puffing mobsters swarming around fuji artistes like flies atop a festering filth. But for Ayuba, the situation is remarkably different. His concerts are largely peaceful, shunned by such violence-prone miscreants. Is that a conscious attempt at defining his fan base?“Not really,’ he says, emitting a slight cough. “As I said, in this life, orientation matters a lot. Your background and your image also matter a lot. So when people say my concerts are always peaceful, they should consider my background. If you consider my lyrics, my music can’t really appeal to such people. My songs are evenly spread between English and Yoruba. I don’t sing saje. My songs have intense meaning and it’s for both adults and children. So that might explain why such people don’t make trouble at my concerts even though they enjoy the rhythm like other people.” He pauses for a second. “But having said that, let me make one thing clear. When we talk of these social miscreants, one thing I believe is that if our economy is good, they will not be as many as they are right now. There will still be people like that, because even here in America, you know they have people like that. But if things are OK, their number will go down drastically. So the government has a duty in this regard.”Among most fuji singers, there is an insatiable appetite for titles. Right from the founding figures of the fuji genre to today’s youthful practitioners, accumulation of titles is a goal pursued with remarkable fervour. In the past, ‘Alhaji Chief (Dr)’ was the most preferred phrase. These days, however, new dimensions have been added to the title craze. Acclaimed fuji creator, Dr Sikiru Ayinde Barrister is Mr Fuji, former “Professor Master,” Kollington Ayinla, is now Fuji Generalissimo, Wasiu Ayinde, formerly King Wasiu Ayinde Marshall (KWAM 1) has transformed to K1 The Ultimate, Obesere is Oodua of Fuji, Alabi Pasuma, Otunba of Fuji, Sunny T Adesokan is Actor Jordan, several crown princes wait in line, and a youthful Muri Thunder holds a rather curious title: Fuji Professor Emeritus! So where does Ayuba stand in this aggressive title chase? He breaks into a prolonged laughter.“When it comes to titles, I am simply Ayuba,” he says finally. “You know, Tope, I’m yet to understand how adding titles to my name will boost my career. About four years ago, I removed Adewale from my stage name. So now, I’m simply Ayuba. Actually, I have more than 16 different chieftaincy titles as well as many awards. But I don‘t have to wear them like a tag just because I want to be respected. Can you imagine me adding 16 different titles before and after my name?”According to Ayuba, titles are good. But they stick better when they are earned. “When you wake up and begin to give yourself different titles, then people will start asking, what is the basis of those titles? You begin to call yourself king of this and queen of that, people will say, who made you king or queen? I think you should just allow your accomplishments to speak for you. That is when people will call you and honour you. Then you will know that you have really earned the title. After I released Bubble and some people started calling me rave of the moment, I told them no. If I was rave of that moment, then somebody else would have now become the new rave of the moment. For instance, why should I call myself Bonsue Fuji king when I’m the only one singing Bonsue? Who are my subjects? No, I don’t want to be king of anything. I am just Ayuba and I’m happy being just that.”Among fuji artistes, intense internal rivalry rules the air. Indeed, hardly could you find a fuji artiste who had never had a ‘beef’ with a fellow fuji star. From the seventies, the two pioneers, Sikiru Ayinde Barrister and Kollington Ayinla have engaged each other in an open battle for supremacy. Since then, younger talents have taken up the gauntlet, throwing verbal darts at one another in their albums and live performances. The most popular, in recent times, is the ‘battle’ between Obesere and Wasiu Ayinde. There have also been jibes between Obesere and Rasheed Ayinde, Obesere and Easy Kabaka, Fatai Akanbi Valentine and Pasuma, Pasuma and Saheed Osupa, Saheed Osupa and Muri Thunder, Sunny T Adesokan and Sunny T Zachaeus. But Ayuba is hardly conspicuous on this quarrelling queue. Is he scared of a good fight?“Why should I be fighting with anybody over titles or names,” he retorts. “I have never quarrelled with anyone and I don’t intend to. Don’t forget that my style is different from others’, so nobody will accuse me of stealing their songs. I’m not going to steal your title, and I don’t have one which you can steal. So, I don‘t see myself fighting with other people.”Ayuba however says that his seeming non-conformist stance with fuji ‘rules’ hasn’t dug a gulf between him and other fuji stars. Is he considered a snob, you ask. “No,” he says. “No artiste sees me as snobbish. There is no animosity. They respect me and I respect them. The respect is mutual and the relationship is cordial.”As an artiste, you would expect him to be a perpetual face at night clubs, bars and other fun spots. But you are shocked to learn that all through his life, Ayuba has never patronized any club. Well, almost never.“I’ve visited a club only once in my life,” he says. “That was at Fela’s Shrine in Ikeja. In fact, that day, I collapsed when the smoke filtered into my eyes. I can still remember Fela telling his people to take care of that Ajebota musician! That was the only time I ever went to a nightclub.”Watching Ayuba’s shows and video, you cannot but marvel at the fuji star’s incredible dance skills and unusual vivacity as he prances about on stage. Since most artistes are religiously devoted to the trinity of wine, weed and women, you wonder if Ayuba doesn’t sometimes take a little shot before mounting the stage. “I do not need to do that,” he says. “Those who know me closely know that I am very restless. In fact, I am hyper. I can hardly stay in one place. As for whether I rely on anything, I’m sure you know I don’t drink. I don’t drink and I don’t smoke. I cannot even stand tobacco smoke or stay near where people are smoking not to talk of smoking myself. In fact, that is one of the reasons why I don’t go to clubs. And again, I work very hard. We rehearse very rigorously four days in a week. And by the time I find myself on my stage with my band boys, I become something else. It is within me. This is not something that can be enhanced by the consumption of drinks or by drugs.” He also tells you that he’s always known how to manage his female fans. “The truth is, as an artiste, you cannot run away from women,” he admits. “In fact, my prayer has always been that most of my fans will be women, because if you are accepted by the women, then you can rest assured that you’ve been accepted by the men too. We all know the power of women. But I know where to draw the line. You know it takes two to tango. I am disciplined and that is why I’m free from scandals. I have one wife and a lovely family. So I manage my female fans very well. Stardom is of God and so one should use it wisely.” Ayuba might be a prominent face on the showbiz scene, but he shuns unnecessary show-offs like a plague. “I don’t like to advertise my lifestyle the way some people do,” he tells you. “You hear some telling the world that they have a house in London, they have a house in Canada, they drive so and so type of automobile. That’s not just my style. Whether I live in Lekki or not, that should be my personal worry. Since I’ve been singing, I’m yet to meet someone who would say, ah, Ayuba, what kind of car do you drive now? Or how many houses have you bought in London? They are always asking about my music, about my family, and so on.”He also says he’s been able to draw a line between Ayuba the artiste and Adewale, the loving family man. “There is a clear difference,” he says. “In fact, when you enter my house, there’s nothing to show that you are in the house of a musician. My kids are always amazed whenever I release an album because there’s usually nothing to suggest that I’m going to release an album. When I’m home, my time is for my family. But as soon as I get on stage or I’m rehearsing with my band boys, the inspiration begins to flow.”You want to know what Ayuba would consider his happiest moments and he tells you they are many. “I’ve been blessed as an artiste,” he admits. “Since I released Bubble, I have won several awards within and outside Nigeria. I have been named Artiste of the Year in Nigeria, I have won the KORA, I have played for the United Nations, I have traveled extensively in Africa, Europe and North America. So I would say I’ve had a number of happy moments.”And sad moments? “Oh, I’ve had quite a few,” he says, nodding his head for emphasis. “In life, you can’t have good moments all the time without having bad times. Like when I lost my car to armed robbers at gun point. And in 2001, I was shot at by some policemen who didn’t know I was in the car. Those are, quite naturally, sad moments. And again, whenever I travel outside Nigeria and I see what other countries are doing, and what we could be doing with our vast natural and human resources but are not doing, I’m naturally sad.”In 1995, Ayuba had traveled to the United States hoping to spend a couple of weeks. But hardly had he arrived in New York than word came from home that Abacha’s goons were on his trail, apparently for releasing an album where he appealed to the late tyrant to release Chief MKO Abiola and other political prisoners. The artiste ended up staying in America for three years. “That was a sad moment, not being able to be with my family and my fans. But that also gave me an opportunity to study. But I missed my home so much and that was why I hurried home in June 1998 on the second day that Abacha died.” Like many others on the entertainment scene, Ayuba is not impressed with the government’s seeming apathy to the industry. “You see, we are all complaining about piracy. When people engage in bunkering and other illegal activities within the oil industry, government always knows how to disperse soldiers to stop their activities. But when some robbers begin to pirate artistes’ works, government appears so helpless. You see the way artistes are protected here in America? Why is our situation so different? In Nigeria, anyone can just go to the studio and record a CD. There is no organization checking the quality or the content. There are no guidelines. It’s an all comer’s affair. That is the problem.”But one thing that is not a problem with this handsome star, whose paternal grandmother was an Ilesha princess, is being very creative fashion-wise. Indeed, Ayuba would easily blow your mind with his several exquisitely cut designer wears. He however tells you that being stylish comes to him naturally. “I’ve never sat down to say, OK, this is the way I want to dress. What I do is to invite my designer over and then tell him what I need. That’s it. It’s just natural.”Who would he consider Nigeria’s greatest musician? He hesitates a little. “That’s difficult for me to say because they are many. A man like Fela remains a legend and one of the greatest African musicians of all time. Then there is King Sunny Ade who has taken Nigerian music far beyond our shores. There is late Sir I.K. Dairo who was honoured by the Queen of England. These are all great human beings. And there are many more. So it’s kind of hard for me to say who the greatest musician is.”It’s not hard for him however to reveal who his role models are. And he says they are plenty. “All the names I mentioned, like Fela, King Sunny Ade, I.K. Dairo, Ebenezer Obey, Sikiru Ayinde Barrister, Kollington Ayinla, Wasiu Ayinde, Haruna Ishola, Orlando Owoh and many more, they are my role models. They are so many. These are very creative people. When these people started their music, they didn’t have access to all the technology that we have today. They did everything manually. Yet, if you listen to their songs, you will marvel at their creativity, arrangement and substance. A lot of this is lacking today. So, I doff my hat for these elders. And on the foreign scene, Bob Marley and Celine Dion are two artistes that I hold in high regard.”Since Ayuba doesn’t patronize clubs, you wonder how he unwinds. “I’m not really an outdoor person,” he confesses. “Whenever I’m not playing, I love to spend time at home with my family. And I watch television a lot. I have a weakness for news. If you meet me at home, that’s what you will most likely find me doing, watching local or foreign news channels.”Ask Ayuba what he would have been doing if he wasn’t into music, and the answer seeps straight out of his lips. “I would have been a teacher,” he says. A teacher? “Yes, a teacher,” he repeats. “It could be in an elementary school, high school or university, but I would have been teaching. To me, teachers come second after God. Imagine what the world would have been like without teachers. It is very unfortunate that they are not accorded their due recognition in our society. You see the way teachers are treated here in America? They are like God”And what does the future hold for this unassuming artiste? “Only God knows tomorrow,” he tells you, a faraway look on his face. “But the future is great. I’m striving hard, Tope. Like I wrote in Bubble, it’s my desire to move higher, higher. That is my desire. I’m working hard towards it. And with prayers and continuous hard work, by the grace of God, I will be there.”