#SIKIRU AYINDE BARRISTER MFR.
(by Soa Olaribigbe )
The legendary Ayinde Barrister MFR lived and breathed music. The man who found singing more convenient than talking. He spent his early life experimenting with different types of music, he later used the exploration to originate a genre of music known as Fuji today.
Thirteen years after his death millions are still craving for his songs. Even though Ayinde died at the age of 62, his death was classified as a music talent gone too soon. His songs remain evergreen from generation to generation.
The fifth of six children, Sikiru Ayinde Barrister was born at Oke Street in the Salawe compound on Lagos Island on the 9th of February 1948.
His passion for music started at a very young age because his father Alamu Salawu despite being the leader of the Butchers at Itafaji Lagos, was also a part-time singer in Ibadan, but his popularity was just within his Opoyiosa province in Ibadan. His father’s musical background largely influenced his attraction to music at a very early age. However, his number one inspiration was S Aka Baba Oni Wahidi a top Sakara musician who rivaled Yusufu Olatunji. It could be said that Barrister probably dabbled into music because of S Aka as he was fond of singing all his songs from start to finish at a very young age.
His father Alamu a polygamist died in 1958 at the age of 45 when Barrister was just 10 and his mother became a single mother with six children to look after. The same year, he joined the Muraino Ajao Ajisari group in the Masewele area of Mushin and became the group frontman because of his ability to recite the Quran and he had a sweet and echoing youthful voice. He would participate in competition and always emerged as the winner.
To support his mother, young Sikiru had to take up menial jobs such as deputy bus conductor, a motor boy with the Nigerian brewery, a service at a Bakery, etc.
‘I did not want to beg or steal, I was sleeping at Awolowo market during this time’ he said in an interview. He went through these hardships while he was still a student at Muslim Mission School and Mainland Model School Mushin. One Mama Sheri a Ghanaian was sponsoring his education until when both Nigeria and Ghana ordered the deportations of their citizens from their respective countries. Mama Sheri wanted Barrister to follow her to Ghana but he declined.
He joined the Nigerian Army in 1968 during the Nigerian Civil War a move greatly influenced by his friends Ayinla Kollington and Mojidi Mayabikan who were already in the military before Barrister joined. He was immediately sent to the war front and retired in 1976 as a substantive sergeant to focus fully on music after immense pressure from Ebenezer Obey who later became his life adviser and musical godfather. Even whilst in the military, Barrister never put his music interest on hold as he continued to release outstanding songs to top up his first album which was released in 1966. It was the time when great artists such as Alhaji Haruna Ishola, Yusufu Olatunji, Tunde Nightingale, Ayinde Bakare, I K Dairo, and later Sunny Ade, Ebenezer Obey and many more were still actively playing music. The intimidating presence of these great senior and geriatric artists did not deter his ambition of taking up music as a career. He was busy working on how he could also make an impact in the highly competitive music industry. He once attempted suicide and landed on the bonnet of Alhaji Muniru Gbadamosi Mercedes Benz in the early 70s, he found favor in the sight of the wealthy man who sponsored his first pilgrimage to Mecca in 1972 and became a father figure to him.
Barrister would later give accolades to Alhaji Muniru Gbadamosi in his Suru album, he sings,
🎵 Bimo lowo lowo Aremu
Bimo kole mole Aremu o!
Muniru mi Aremu
Gbadamosi mi Aremu o
Bimo kole mole Aremu o
Titi ni o mase dupe oo!
The impactful role Alhaji Ganiu Orimadegun which Barrister once lived with at Igbarere played in his life cannot be overemphasised. Orimadegun wife Alhaja Abeje would later nicknamed Anjorin Aomoriolowo. Alhaji Buhari Oloto was another unforgettable mentor.
An incident came about in 1974 when Barrister was mistakenly accused of stabbing to death an Egungun devotee. He was later found to be innocent. Barrister thereafter released his volume 6 album titled ‘Orimi Ewo ni nse’ in 1975 which instantly thrust him into the limelight. He went on to record up to 120 albums before his demise. He recorded many chart-bursting songs and his Fuji Gabagge series were phenomental hits. Barrister could easily be described as one of the greatest thinkers of all time, he practically sang about many topics that influenced almost every area of modern thought.
Barrister recognized and valued his seniors in music and would always pay tribute to them at any given opportunity. In 1985 he released another hit song Fertiliser where he paid tribute to many senior Ajisari singers who were hitherto unheard of before that song’s release.
The restlessness brought about by the constant demand for his service later took its toll and he became ill. But he was determined not to let his fans down and continued to play music regardless. In his last album, he seemed to have struggled in the studio and one could have predicted the end was near. He later performed for an Ibadan-based radio broadcaster and that would be his last performance in Nigeria.
Despite his humble background, Barrister went on to become one of the greatest musicians that ever came from Nigeria with many honors and many Chieftaincy titles. He bagged an honorary Doctorate from City University Los Angeles in 1986 and also became an honorary citizen of Rhodes Island.
🎵 Ni Rhodes Island l’America
Honorary citizen nofi funmi
Key to the city of Providence
Mayor Jose Paulina lofi funmi
Barrister noted in his album American Special.
Nigerian Millennium publication 1999/2000 Ayinde Barrister was named as one of the 100 most influential Nigerians that ever lived. In recognition of his contribution to music, the Nigerian government conferred on him the national honor of MFR in 2006.
He died in London on the 16th of December 2010, his body was flown to Nigeria and was laid to rest in his house in Fuji Chamber Isolo Lagos.
Many Nigerian artists from diverse backgrounds drew inspiration from him. He not only created Fuji, but he also demonstrated how to relentlessly pursue your passion in life.
May Allah continue to grant him Aljanna Fridaus.
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