Babatunde Balogun, the first son of fuji music originator, Sikiru Ayinde (Barrister), has said his father only wanted him to take after him by pursuing a career in the military or para-military, rather than music.
In an interview with Saturday Beats on the sidelines of the ‘Sikiru Ayinde Barrister’s First Colloquium’, Balogun said, “He was a soldier, as well as a singer. When I was young, the only thing he wanted me to take from him was the uniform. And, I fulfilled his wishes. I used to be a customs officer. He (Barrister) never forced anybody to do anything. However, I became what he wanted me to be.
He told me that when he was in the army, he used to salute officers that were younger than him. He said he wanted people older than me to do the same thing (salute) for me. He was really passionate about being a soldier. As a matter of fact, it was Ebenezer Obey that advised him to leave the Nigerian Army and focus on his music career. He actually preferred being a ‘uniformed man’ to being a musician.
“In those days, after a musician has performed at an event, area boys (louts) would start fighting and looking for trouble. That was why people thought fuji music was for ruffians. However, that is not peculiar to fuji. Even if an artiste like Davido finishes performing somewhere, some louts would go there to disturb him and beg for money.”
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