What is the origin of fuji music?

Fuji music is the fusion of some genres of music including were which was usually sung by Muslims during the Ramadan period. However, it was the late Barrister that created the brand called fuji because he fused several genres together and created a unique sound, calling it fuji.

What are your thoughts on K1 de Ultimate’s claim that Barrister wasn’t the originator of Fuji music?

During his lifetime, Barrister boldly said it that he is the creator of fuji and I think the only person that is qualified to have disagreed with him is Kollington Ayinla, and since he hasn’t said that  Barrister is not the originator of fuji music, who amongst us, the younger generation, has the right to say otherwise?



The only thing Kollington said was that God should bless the work of our hands that it is not all about titles. Even K1 said so himself in his first album released in the 80s that Barrister is the creator of fuji music.

Why is it after the death of Barrister that he is now saying something different? It is a pity that this has to come from someone like K1. Barrister picked him from the gutter, washed him clean and gave him opportunities. Barrister trained him and what other fuji acts did not enjoy from Barrister, K1 got.

Barrister never took offence with K1 even in instances where he should have; rather he handled issues diplomatically because he didn’t want to be seen as an elder who was envious of a younger one. Wasiu Ayinde should go and think deeply.

Why is it that he always rubbishes everybody who appreciates him? That is why I can never associate with him because he always messes people up. Anybody that God wants to keep away from disgrace wouldn’t go near K1.

When I said I didn’t want to get close to him, people thought I was a bad person but now they know better. In spite of how Malaika used to respect K1, he eventually abused him with a whole album. Even though Saheed Osupa acknowledged K1 in the US, and people thought they had settled their differences, Saheed later abused him again because K1 tried to mess him up. When Barrister proclaimed Saheed Osupa as the king of music, K1 was annoyed that why should anyone else be named king instead of him. Meanwhile, all these titles are just to appreciate ourselves. There is no musician that wouldn’t call himself the best so it’s all normal. Why is it that K1 is always having issues with people? He is envious of the people behind him, he is jealous of the people ahead of him and now, he is fighting with the dead. Why hasn’t anyone come out to abuse me? It is because I always give people their due respect and I’m constantly working to improve myself.

K1’s name was initially Wasiu Ishola but he adopted the name Wasiu Ayinde Barrister to promote himself as a protégé of Barrister. K1 is just an ungrateful and unappreciative person. When Barrister was alive, K1 used to treat him like a god. But those of us who know how to interpret music know that K1 used to abuse Barrister stylishly with his songs. When he was alive, I once told Barrister not to tolerate nonsense from K1 but he said he didn’t want it to seem like he was envious of his protégé. But can you see the result now? Even though I’m not up to Barrister’s level, I am sure that K1 can never disrespect me. Barrister was supposed to perform at the inauguration ceremony of Oba Rilwan Akiolu years ago but because of K1’s closeness to Tinubu, he managed to corner the deal for himself. Even then, Barrister wasn’t offended.

Now, K1 is saying that all those who have been disagreeing with him on his latest claim are uninformed. So, is he the only wise person? He feels he has gotten to a height where no one else has gotten to. Meanwhile, all what he has is nothing in the sight of God. He is only known among the Yoruba people, not the Igbos or foreigners.

K1 Insulted His Master, Barrister – Saheed Osupa


What is your real name?

My real name is Akorede Babatunde Okunola. However, I am popularly known as Saheed Osupa, the creator of Saridon P fuji music. I was born in Lagos but I was brought to Ibadan as a boy. I stayed with my mother at Mosafejo and later, Ajegunle area of Lagos and I will say that those environments triggered my career in fuji music.

Who was your fuji hero at that time?

I listened to the music of the late Sikiru Ayinde Barrister and Kollington Ayinla. Wasiu Ayinde was just coming up then. As a youth, I associated myself with lower-class people, so I felt their pulse. A guy named Razak led a group of five boys to play fuji music. When I joined them, people preferred my voice and as a result, I started leading the chorus. Razak’s parents discouraged him from singing, so he pulled out while I continued as the group leader.

What do you consider to be the origin of fuji music?

When I began singing fuji music, I was not aware of the fact that my father was once a musician because I did not stay with him. When I began to record albums, I met my father who asked me if I was really interested in the music. I answered yes, so he sat me down to tell me the story behind what is today called fuji music.

He told me about himself, Epo Akara, Gani Kuti and Wasiu Anifowose (not Wasiu Ayinde). My father told me that the origin of fuji music is kiriboto, which were the songs of the masquerade in Yoruba traditional system. He also told me that the occultic part of the kiriboto lyrics was removed so that it would appeal to other religious faithful.

The music extracted from kiriboto was called etiyeri. Part of it was also called seli. After etiyeri and seli were extracted from kiriboto, they thought of how to make the new types of music appeal to the Muslims and that led to the creation of were music which is used to wake Muslims during the month of Ramadan.

Were music became popular in Yorubaland over the years but the were music in Ibadan changed at a time to awurebe through the creative ability of Gani Kuti. He did this so that the song could be rendered at social functions since were had its own season.

My father and his peers created the etiyeri genre but they did not join Kuti in singing awurebe. My father said while he was working on how to adapt the etiyeri kind of were to another type of music, awurebe gained prominence in Ibadan.

The late Dauda Epo Akara later modernised awurebe and made it more popular. That is why people think Epo Akara was the creator of awurebe music.

 What was the role of Barrister in all these?

The late Ayinde Barrister was an Ibadan man who lived in Ibadan and Lagos at the time of all the creations. In Lagos, part of were music was adapted to sakara music. Because he was familiar with awurebe in Ibadan and sakara in Lagos, Barrister then thought of a way to modernise awurebe and sakara. It was from there that he created fuji music.

Barrister is the progenitor of fuji music. After he started fuji music, Lagos and Yoruba people accepted it and it became the most popular music.

You must have heard the statement of Wasiu Ayinde, K1 d Ultimate, that Barrister did not create fuji. What is your opinion?

When I heard about the statement credited to Wasiu Ayinde, I contacted him and told him that after watching the interview, I was not happy with his utterances about Barrister. I told him that he (Ultimate) once told me that he was a servant of the fuji creator. I asked him why he would be profaning the personality of his master. I also told him that what he had done amounted to sacrilege.

If you are debasing your oracle, that is sacrilege. Barrister is still too important to be disrespected in fuji music. I made attempt to tell him the real history of fuji music as told by my father. I also told him how important Barrister was in the creation of fuji music. The people he was quoting as the creators of fuji only sang were.

But when it got to a level where the conversation was degenerating to an argument, I backed off because he is an elderly person that I respect. I had to be mature about it but I was able to express my mind.

If Wasiu Ayinde is saying that Barrister did not start fuji, he is probably saying so because fuji is an adaptation of several kinds of music genres that began a long time ago. But the name fuji and the combination of series of music adapted from several types of music were the initiative of Barrister. If anyone says he did not create fuji, that person is wrong.

 From the story you have told, Barrister created fuji from some music genres and others did the same from other music, starting from kiriboto. Why has no one created a new music from fuji instead of singing same old fuji?

That is what has been causing the controversy in the fuji music industry. Kuti started awurebe while Epo Akara modernised it. People have forgotten that Kuti was the creator but they gave Epo Akara the credit.

Wasiu Ayinde (Ultimate) tried to do the same by introducing classical system into it but people still prefer to call his music fuji. He even tried to call it Talazo but people called it Talazo fuji, meaning that whatever name you give it, it remains fuji music.

My music is Saridon P fuji, Alabi Pasuma calls his own Pasuma fuji, Shina Akanni calls his own Skopido fuji while Adewale Ayuba’s own is called Bubble fuji. Abass Akande Obesere says his own music is Omorapala fuji but we are all singing fuji music.

Wasiu Ayinde (Ultimate) did a lot of alteration to fuji but the name has not changed. He modernised it in such a way that anyone can wake up and sing his own kind of fuji music but I brought back the original flavour of fuji music.

Despite the fact that I am not using the old voice, I brought back the old content which includes moral messages. Fuji must preach moral and good messages. This is what is causing problems among fuji musicians.

Punch