Ace fuji artiste Adewale Ayuba had an early foray into music. At seven, he had made up his mind on a life-long career to be an entertainer, a struggle that later found him establishing a music band at 17. He became a force to be reckoned with when his hit album, ‘Bubble’, was released in 1991. Since then, he has not looked back. A few weeks ago, Ayuba clocked 50, and he was hosted by his fans in America. In this interview with Paul Ukpabio, the fuji artiste revisits the lifestyle that has sustained him in an industry that is full of uncertainty.
You were not in the country for some weeks. Why did you travel?
Yes, I was invited by some of my fans abroad to celebrate my 50th birthday. I was in some sates in America where my fans celebrated me. It was a time for me to thank God. There were different parties for me in New York and Chicago. Now I am back home to business in Nigeria. There was a party on May 22 in Houston, Texas. There was another one on May 24 in New York.v We also had another one on May 30 in Minneapolis. I am grateful for the reception I received over there.
How long were you out of the country?
I spent about three weeks abroad. Though I performed, the trip was specifically for my birthday celebration.
What can you say about your fans based abroad?
The people who had the parties for me abroad were mainly my Nigerian fans. I have a lot of fans who are not Nigerians. I have Jamaicans and Americans as fans, but it’s Nigerians that invited me.
So, 50 years has gone; what is your hope for the future?
I intend to continue to promote fuji to the world. That is actually my prayer. I want a situation where fuji music is discussed by Americans in America.
I also pray that God allows me to achieve a situation whereby people from foreign lands can come to Nigeria to look out for me and hear my music. It is better for that to happen than for me to be going there to play or do shows. 99% of Nigerians already know what is fuji. It is our music. People like the late Baba Agba Ayinde Barrister tried for fuji music, Kollington Ayinla too has tried. But it is better when foreigners come looking for us in Nigeria.
Why do you have hope that America will swallow fuji music like that?
America is ready for fuji music. The average American likes anything that is not American. Just as we over here appreciate hip hop music, they too love fuji music. Most individuals like what is foreign. Take for instance, makossa. It is not Nigerian, but Nigerians like the music and dance to it too.
As a matter of fact, at a time, it was all over the Nigerian airwaves. Also, you know today that Americans are celebrating Fela Anikulapo-Kuti because they appreciate the type of music that he played while he was alive. Whatever you cannot do, of course, you will likely appreciate it.
Do you have any regrets at 50?
I am happy that I am a Nigerian. More importantly, I am happy that God gave me the music talent. But the only regret I have is that I started music at a tender age of seven, which means that I have done music all my life, but as I am talking to you now, I do not have an album out there which I can say is generating income for me. I have done many albums, successful ones too, but not one to show that this is the one that has been generating income for me. But every now and then, I see my music selling in town, but no money is coming to me. And this is happening to many musicians here. It is sad that our country allows musicians to be so robbed by pirates.
How many albums have you made so far in your music career? And which ones did well?
I have done 25 albums so far, and all my albums are good. I thank God for that. The first and second albums are good. ‘Bubble’ actually brought me into the limelight. ‘Mr Johnson’ and ‘Ijo Fuji’ are there. ‘Fuji Music in America’ is there too.
At seven, that was quite early to go into music. How did you do it?
Music was God-sent to me. I realised that at that age and even earlier, anytime that my parents sent me on an errand, I went along the road singing. I was also usually attracted to the places where ceremonies were taking place in my neighbourhood in Ikene-Remo in Ogun State where I grew up. Once there, I would start singing without being contracted. I was singing for free.
What kind of music were you singing? it must have been deep indigenous music…
It was fuji music that I was singing. I chose fuji music because it was the music that I could start with little or no money. That is because all the instruments for fuji music are local. One didn’t need to have the knowledge of guitar, unlike juju music, for instance, where the knowledge of guitar and keyboard is needed. Fuji needs just your voice and locally made instruments.
At what time did public acceptance come from you?
Acceptance started in 1980. I was in Ikene, but my first album was in 1985. I was going around with no equipment, singing with three of my friends who held local items as instruments.
One day, a man named Sunday Olojuanu saw me at a party. He was a welder. He went to my parents, told them that he was going to form a band with me. But my parents declined. They told him that they wanted me to go to school. He promised them that the band would only play shows on weekends. They eventually allowed him and we came up with a band name the Sunny Ayuba Band. We were together for three years.
Were you making much money then?
I was collecting whatever he gave me. But when I became 17, I then formed my band. I called my friends together. I started coming to Lagos to perform at Canary Hotel in Surulere, after which I returned to Ikene- Remo. I was coming for a weekly jump every Thursday evening. In 1985, I moved to Lagos Island where I got accommodation with a friend with my band boys. Then after my first album where I sang about Dele Giwa, people started knowing me.
What was the motivating factor for you?
For me it wasn’t about money. It was about making musical albums and being well known like the fuji mentors such as Alhaji Ayinla Barrister. At that time, any contract that was put before me, I would have accepted because it wasn’t about money. It was about being popular with what I was doing.
How did you get a breakthrough in Lagos?
From Canary Hotel where I was playing at the night club, I moved to Ariya Night Club which was owned by King Sunny Ade. I was playing there and my popularity was building. Not long, I got a breakthrough album, ‘Bubble’, in 1991.
How did you manage your fame then?
My parents were particular about me. They wanted me to go to school, and I was well cautioned from home about women.They told me that I could only marry one wife because in my family, we are not allowed to marry more than one wife. That made me to sit up and I saw the female fans as my sisters.
At what point did you get married and what attracted you to her?
I got married over twenty years ago. I was in Queens Borough Community College in New York when I met her. The moment I saw her, I told the person that was sitting next to me that she was my wife. I didn’t even know whether she was Jamaican, American or Nigerian. But she turned out to be a Nigerian, an Ibo lady.
How did her parents react to her choice of a musician?
It was initially tough because her parents already had their impression of who a musician was. They believed that musicians were womanisers who lived on alcohol and so on.
How did you feel about the reaction from her parents?
Well, I would perhaps have reacted in like manner. That is because 22 years ago, the lifestyle of musicians then was completely different from what we have now. You know, then Fela Anikulapo was reigning, and he was an image of a musician of that time.
So how were you able to convince them?
She was the one that eventually convinced me that I was the only one that she wanted to marry. At that time, I could not defend myself because there was nothing that I had to say.
So many years after, what can you say about your marriage?
I thank God. Marriage is like being in the university. We keep learning. Now, we have beautiful children and living happily. There is no way I could marry another woman because it is an abomination in my family. And I am the last child of my parents. So despite being a musician, I could not marry a second wife. Moreover, I do not even think that I need a second wife. After all, I wouldn’t want my wife to marry two men.
What do you like most about her?
I cannot say that there is a particular thing that I like about her. Till date, I have not been able to identify what I love about her. I just know that I am in love with her and that love keeps flowing.
Is your wife into music too?
She is not. Yes, she loves my music, but does not go to shows with me. The truth is that she is a housewife; she takes care of the home for us.
Has your style changed?
I love wearing white. It shows that one is clean. I like a tidy look and I wear other colours too, but at least 70% of my clothes are white.
You keep looking younger than your age; what is the secret?
It is rest of mind. For instance, we just talked about my wife. Marriage to the right person is very important. It helps a man to be organised, but when you are married to many women or to many girlfriends, your health and the health of your business will be affected, and that, of course, will lead to stress which would allow someone to grow old quick. I thank God that my home is settled.
Apart from music, what other thing appeals to you?
I love soccer ; I love football. Whenever I return from the office, I sit down in front of the television and watch football. I do not hang out like that because I am always at parties and shows. I am always like running home afterwards, so that I can get there and relax.
What if a female fan walks up to you and tells you that she loves you, what do you do at that point?
Well, when they say that, it invariably means that she loves my music. It is not really an expression directed at affections. It is the music that brought the fan and I together, so when she relates with me on that platform, it is the music that she loves not me as a person.
At the same time, if she actually means to relate to me affectionately on a higher level, then it will be up to me to accept or not. It takes two to tangle. If she does not see me, then no affair will take place. If I do not take her to a hotel, for instance, I will not get to make love to her. So, I must make sure that I am not available for such affair.
As a musician, has a fan ever embarrassed you?
Yes, I met a lady one day while I was playing. She stood in front of me romantically and accused me that I was always frowning. She said I should relax and be cheerful and free with her. She was looking for something that she couldn’t get.
We hear that you identify with COSON, do you think that the body is a solution to musicians?
I am a Director with COSON. They are doing well. I must say. They are collecting money and sharing among artistes, but I still believe that they can do better. Collecting money is part of it, but the major one is to let the music pay. That is, let us be able to receive money for all the albums that we have done. Let us make piracy a thing of the past.
