He is one of Nigeria’s Islamic Gospel Act with track records of
great success in Music. Alhaji Qamardeen Odunlami a.k.a Ayeloyun is
currently in Canada with his family . In this interview, he bares it all, the
beginning of his musical career and what he intends to do alongside music.
Excerpt :
What is happening to Alhaji Qamaradeen Odunlami Ayeloyun?
AYELOYUN is currently in
Canada and very soon, he will be exploring The United State of America and the
entire universe.
Your sojourn overseas will
take how long?
I have never been out of
Nigeria this long, presently I am in Canada with my family. I will be in
Nigeria soon; my fans should be rest assured that I am a globe trotter now with
the grace of Almighty Allah.
From your perspective, Islamic music in Nigeria 10 to15 years back,
how would you compare that to its status now?
Islamic music in my
opinion these days is waddling compare to a decade and a half before, but it
will gain its ground if we the artistes relent not.
Venturing into Islamic music then with your maiden album; did you
think the stardom would go this far?
I used to be very shy
from the onset, and this was well known to everybody around me. I never thought
I will become musician let alone attain stardom, that’s the irony of my story.
If it wasn’t Islamic music, what would have been Ayeloyun’s
professional call today?
I would have been a
lawyer. It is a profession I love so much and I have got plan to become one so
that I can have something to fall back on aside music.
What were the challenges
you experienced as an upcoming artiste then?
I came across a lot but
I never saw any of it as a challenge but as an eye opener to the future ahead.
What could you describe as
your breakthrough?
In anything you are
doing the acceptability from the populace determines your breakthrough.
The issue of collaboration
amongst artistes, what good has it done to the profession?
Collaborations should
have been a great advantage to Islamic music but we abuse it, nonetheless we
can still adjust.
Who is your role model?
Rosulullah salallahu
alaihi wasallam is my foremost role model then Sheikh Adam Al-Ilori and every
artisan in the art of publication with wisdom and genuine information; all
these are what I considered as great source of emulation; which is also seen as
role model.
What is your advice for
the upcoming ones that are looking up to you?
My advice for the
upcoming ones is to stay focus and endure the tedious routine to stardom, never
be in haste.
How many albums do you
have to your name?
The new release is
titled Ojo kan nbo and that made my total albums as 48
Which amongst your albums
brought you to limelight?
Baba iyawo did the
stardom magic AYELOYUN is learned both Western and Arabic. I am very fluent
in Arabic oratory and versed in Yoruba idioms, these are what make different!
Any regret so far?
I regret not knowing who
the good friends are, it hurts a lot.
What are the gains so far
as an established musician and how do you cope with female fans?
Being famous is the
biggest gain; with fame all other things follows.
I love them as fans and
that’s it.
