THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE FUJI LORD DR. SIKIRU AYINDE BARRISTER

Sikiru Ololade Ayinde Balogun, MFR, (February 9, 1948 – December 16, 2010) better known by his stage name Ayinde Barrister was a Nigerian born Yoruba singer songwriter and music performer. He is regarded as one of the pioneers and revolutioneers of Fuji and Were music. After his first break into music in 1965, Ayinde Barrister went on to release over 146 studio albums. Ayinde Barrister was born to the family of Salawu Balogun of Ibadan, his

father was a butcher, and while his mother Alhaja Shifau Odee Oshodi Was a trader. He had his early education at Muslim Mission School and the Model School, Mushin, Lagos. He later studied typing and other commercial related classes at Yaba Polytechnic. Ayinde Barrister started playing music at a young age as an Ajiwere singer during the period of Ramadan; he continued playing music in between various jobs. He worked as a typist for Nigerian Breweries and was later enlisted as a clerk in the Nigerian Army during the Nigeria Civil War. He served in the 10th Brigade of the 2nd Division of the Nigerian Army under.

Col. Adeniran and fought in Awka, Abagana and Onitsha. On his return from 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 and proceeded to start a full fledged band of 34 percussionists and vocalists called the "Supreme Fuji Commanders". In 1966, Ayinde Barrister released his first LP record. During the time, he usually played with his band at events around Ebutte Meta and Lagos mostly to Muslim clients. He released further records under the label African Songs Ltd before starting his own label Siky-Oluyole Records. Among the LP's released under African songs is

Bisimilahi (1977) 

Ile Aiye Dun Pupo

Love In Tokyo (India Sound) (1976).

By the early 1980s, Ayinde Barrister and Fuji music had become accepted by all religious in the country. He went on to record various albums including

Vol.1: Waya Rabi

Vol.2: Alayinde Ma De O

Vol.3: Mecca Special

Vol.4: Itan Anobi Rasao

Vol.5: E Sa Ma Mi Lengbe

Vol.6: Ori Mi Ewo Ninse / Majority Boy (1975)

Vol.7: Ile Aiye Dun Pupo / Love In Tokyo (India Sound) (1975)

Vol.8: Fuji Exponent (1976)

Vol.9 Eje kayinde gbaye

Vol. 10 (African Songs, 1977)

Bisimilai (African Songs, 1977)

Omo Nigeria (African Songs, 1977)

Olojo Eni Mojuba (Siky Oluyole, 1978)

Our Late Artistes (Siky Oluyole, 1978)

London Special (Siky Oluyole, 1979)

Fuji Reggae Series 2 (Siky Oluyole, 1979)

Eyo Nbo Anobi (Siky Oluyole, 1979)

Awa O Ja (Siky Oluyole, 1979)

Fuji Disco (Siky Oluyole, 1980)

Oke Agba (Siky Oluyole, 1980)

Aiye (Siky Oluyole, 1980)

Family Planning (Siky Oluyole, 1981)

Suru Baba Iwa (Siky Oluyole, 1981)

Ore Lope (Siky Oluyole, 1981)

E Sinmi Rascality (Siky Oluyole, 1982)

Iwa (Siky Oluyole, 1982)

Ise Logun Ise (No More War) (Siky Oluyole, 1982)

Eku Odun (Siky Oluyole, 1982)

Ijo Olomo (Siky Oluyole, 1983)

Nigeria (Siky Oluyole, 1983)

Love (Siky Oluyole, 1983)

Barry Special (Siky Oluyole, 1983)

Military (Siky Oluyole, 1984)

Appreciation (Siky Oluyole, 1984)

Fuji Vibration 84/85 (Siky Oluyole, 1984)

Destiny (Siky Oluyole, 1985)

Superiority (Siky Oluyole, 1985)

Fertiliser (Siky Oluyole, 1985)

Okiki (Siky Oluyole, 1986)

America Special (Siky Oluyole, 1986)

Ile Aye Ogun (Siky Oluyole, 1987)

Maturity (Siky Oluyole, 1987)

Barry Wonder (Siky Oluyole, 1987)

Wonders At 40 (Siky Oluyole, 1988)

Fuji Garbage (Siky Oluyole, 1988)

Fuji Garbage Series II (Siky Oluyole, 1988)

Current Affairs (Siky Oluyole, 1989)

Fuji Garbage Series III (Siky Oluyole, 1989)

Music Extravaganza (Siky Oluyole, 1990)

Fuji Waves (Siky Oluyole, 1991)

Fantasia Fuji (Siky Oluyole, 1991)

Fuji Explosion (Siky Oluyole, 1992)

Dimensional Fuji (Siky Oluyole, 1993)

New Fuji Garbage (Siky Oluyole, 1993)

The Truth (Siky Oluyole, 1994)

Precaution (Siky Oluyole, 1995)

Olympics Atlanta ’96 cassette (Siky Oluyole, 1996)

Olympics ’96 London Version cassette (Zmirage Productions, 1997)

with Queen Salawa Abeni Evening Of Sound cassette (Zmirage Productions, 1997)

Barry On Stage cassette (Siky Oluyole, 1997)

Mr. Fuji (Barry Black, 1998)

 Iwa (1982), Nigeria (1983), Fuji Garbage (1988) and New Fuji Garbage (1993) under his imprint. He had a bitter feud with another Fuji singer, Kollington Ayinla in 1982. Ayinde Barrister had a couple of successful shows in London in 1990 and 1993 performing what later became known as the good musician. Honour is due to the man who spent his entire life giving us the best of the best songs of our time.

May The Almighty Allah grant Alhaji Ayinde Al-Jaanat fridaos. He truly created Fuji music. He natured it, lived it and made a success of it, while hugely successful himself. A one off mega star and a true legend of our time whose understanding, good grasp and excellent ability to use Yoruba language cleverly made Fuji genre seem easy to sing and pleasure to listen to. (The more reason why there are more many Fuji singers than any other type of Nigerian or African traditional music). He passed well for an Islamic scholar through the use of his music to lecture his listeners especially about being good and subsequent debt of death. We have really lost a true Nigerian.

Adieu Barrister!!!