All Hail Wasiu Ayinde, the Mayegun of Yorubaland ‘with a Midas touch’.
Our culture reflects men of all kinds. They can be virtuous or vile, kind or cruel, intellectual or dim-witted, goal-oriented or unaccomplished.
Too bad our culture doesn’t incentivize men to become. Our culture, instead, celebrates one-time acts. No one seems to recognize the man who quietly goes about his life doing good and noble things.
No one pays any mind to the family man, the man of few words, the man who is courageous but doesn’t necessarily have to rescue people in slow motion to prove it.
There’s a difference between being noble and doing noble things.
We confuse the one-time act of nobility with the character trait of being noble.
For a man to truly live a noble life and be a noble person, he must leave his mark on humanity in small, consistent ways that demonstrate and define his character over time.
He must be selfless, stand up consistently for what’s good and right even when it’s unseen or unpopular, and never yield his integrity to what’s convenient or common.
The Fuji Maestro, Chief Wasiu Adewale Omogbolahan Anifofowoshe, a.k.a KWAM1, cares more about others than himself. He adapts to the needs of those around him.
He builds successful relationships, flourishing families, and a prosperous career; not for the glory of those things themselves, but simply because everything he touches becomes infused with his integrity and good intent.
KWAM 1 recognizes his influence in this world and strives to make that influence memorable and positive.
He plays music with sound and substance, Olasunkanmi Wasiu Ishola Anifowoshe, popularly known as Wasiu Ayinde, K1 De Ultimate is one musical act that is bestriding the Fuji music and entertainment scene like a colossus.
With his works such as Talaso, Ile Kun Ayo, Fun Fusion, Orin D’owo, Let the Music Flow, Oluaye in Berlin, Ara Edide and others, no doubt, the Fuji maestro has paid his due in the Fuji music genre.
It is a known fact that he popularised the fuji genre based on the work of the fuji creator Ayinde Barrister known as Talazo fuji that appeals to all age groups, combining juju, apala, Yoruba blues, and other styles and genres.
Incontrovertibly, this music icon has phenomenally developed the fuji music style.
Little wonder that considering his contribution to the media and entertainment in general and diligence in Fuji music specifically, Wasiu Ayinde was able to stand before the most influential Paramount Ruler in Yorubaland , Iku Baba Yeye, Oba (Dr.) Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi 111.
Not only that, he was honoured with one of the traditional titles in the Oduduwa enclave, the first MAYEGUN of Yorubaland on the 13th of January, 2020.
In his epoch address at the installation ceremony, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi 111 said the honour was in recognition of the artiste’s tremendous contribution to the media and entertainment industry.
The Royal Father emphasised that gone were the days when Yoruba people were silent about the exploits of their own while they were being honoured in other lands.
He made reference to the late but leading artists such as IK Dairo, Haruna Ishola and many others who left with great impact without commensurate honours.
He said, “As we all know, there are three tiers of government. We have the executive, the judiciary and the legislature. The media is regarded as the fourth estate of the realm, and musicians are a vital part of the media.
“Through music, some of them criticised government excesses. A king who wants progress for his people should listen to good words of music that are deliberately picked to correct societal problems.
” I looked round and acknowledged the efforts of some of our musicians who are not just singing for the sake of it.
“For a long time, I have been documenting some of the works of our good musicians in Yorubaland. IK Dairo of blessed memory was honoured in the United Kingdom many years ago.
“Then, Sunny Ade was discovered. They called him King of Juju music. What we have done is to discover our own talents. The music of Wasiu is philosophical”.
The highly respected Yoruba traditional monarch, the Alaafin went further, ‘the chieftaincy title he conferred on Alhaji Wasiu Ayinde was in recognition of some his inspirational songs which he said are targeted at uniting the Yoruba race and correcting societal ills.
“Right from the days of the late Yusuf Olatunji, Haruna Ishola, Ayinla Omo Wura till date, it is a public knowledge that some of our musicians have always been very instrumental to the unity and development of our society, but I have observed with keen interest that they hardly get recognition especially from the royal fathers. So, I felt the urge to make a difference by recognising one of them.”
The Alaafin of Oyo continued, “I have been observing Wasiu Ayinde for decades, and I realised that most of his songs are inspirational and targeted at uniting the Yoruba race and correcting the societal ills. So, I am convinced beyond reasonable doubt that he is the most qualified especially considering the positive impact his music and personality has on the society. It is time we honoured our own”.
Late Oba Adeyemi 111 further revealed that Wasiu Ayinde had made a request for the title 11 years ago during his visit to his palace in the company of his friends and associates.
He disclosed that he turned him down having made spiritual and physical consultations, all of which guided him against approving the title, saying, he only approved of it when the coast was clear, adding that there was no reason to waste time over it.
However, the chieftaincy title of MAYEGUN of Yorubaland is not just ordinary as many thought it is, but a strategic title as revealed by the late Alaafin .
What does MAYEGUN mean?
M -Maestro of Fuji
A -Affluent
Y -Yoke breaker
E -Excellent
G -Generous
U -Ultimate
N -Nobility
Similarly, many do not know that Chief Wasiu Ayinde discovered his interest in music at the tender age of eight. This interest was not initially accepted by his parents but he continued to pursue his passion.
At the age of 15, he won several local musical competitions. In 1975, Wasiu Ayinde became a member of Ayinde Barrister’s band, the Supreme Fuji Commanders.
In 1984, his most successful album Talazo 84 was released and this album became an instant hit, introducing a new, turbo-charged style of music that became widely popular as the Talazo system.
The same year, Chief Wasiu Ayinde Marshal made a global tour around North America and Europe. In 1994, K1 De Ultimate was crowned the King of Fuji music.
Chief Wasiu Ayinde has so far recorded over 50 Fuji albums including some international releases. He has also won several awards including FAME Musician of the Year, Best Fuji Artiste at the Nigerian Music Awards,
Best African Artiste at the WOMAD Festival in Reading 1996 and The ‘Headies Hall Of Fame’ award in 2013.
Also lately, President Muhammadu Buhari conferred on the prestigious National Award of Member of the Order of Niger (MON).
*Bode Durojaiye, is the Director of Media and Publicity to the late Alaafin of Oyo.
