Chief Sikiru Ayinde Barrister refined the Fuji music we all enjoy today. The Fuji icon was born on February 9, 1948 in Mushin, Lagos, his mother, Salawu Balogun was a trader at Oju-woye market in Mushin, and his father was a butcher. Ayinde fought on the side of Nigeria during the Nigerian civil war. After the war, he was posted to the Army Signals Headquarters, Apapa and later to the Army Resettlement Centre, Oshodi. He left the army to become a full-time musician.
His Fuji Music is a blend of earlier traditional musical genres of Apala, Sakara, Awurebe and others. With Fuji Music, Barrister revolutionized traditional Yoruba music while still projecting traditional values of good behaviour, respect for elders and the struggles against life’s forces. He often used his music as a tool of commentary on issues of national concern, especially politics. He was blessed in the art of praising the enigmatic.
President Olusegun Obasanjo conferred on him the honor of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR) in 2006. In 1983, he was awarded an honorary PhD in Music at the City University of Los Angeles. He held several traditional title, including ; Agba-akin of Ibadan,
Bobagunwa of Isolo, Amuludun of Idimu, Òtún Báálá Of Lagos. He was also refer to as Alhaji Agba, Eskay, Baba Oba, Baba Bàbá and so on.
Ayinde died on December 16, 2010 at St. Mary’s Hospital, London, United Kingdom. He was 62. #HistoryLand
