By Olasunkanmi Sobowale
Things got so bad in 1984 that King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal (K1 The Uktimate) thought he was being targeted by overzealous Islamic scholars that tagged his style of fuji “anti-islamic”. Then, Wasiu Ayinde Barrister almost suffered career derailment but whoever is called by God can never be derailed by mere mortals.
When he released Tala’ 84 in 1984, from his epic Talazo Series, some Islamic scholars said Talazo was pronounced ‘Talahzọ’ which means one of the seven hell fires in Islam.
Many Muslim almost abandoned Wasiu Ayinde Barrister’s music. But the intensity of that fast-paced style of fuji was too endearing, too ‘fanimorous’ to be ignored by the then young generation of youth looking for a brand of their own away from the duopolistic fuji industry dominated by Chief Sikiru Ayinde Barrister and Chief Ayinla Kollington.
There was no internet then to confirm the veracity of the claims of those overzealous alfas that feared their Islamic school students were being swayed away by the Wasiu Ayinde Barrister’s Talazo Fuji music. A mere Google search today will give you the seven levels of ‘Hell Fires in Islam namely: Jahannam, Al-Laza, Al-Hutama, Al-Sa’ir, Al-Saqar, Al-Jahim, and Al-Hawiya.
There is nothing like Talazo being a hell fire’s name or song!!! It was hogwash created by Southwest alfas to cause fear and retribution among Muslim faithfuls that embraced secular music.
Who didn’t submit himself or herself to Talazo then? It was so rampaging that it overtook all the night parties in the entire Southwest of Nigeria and beyond. While the fuji music industry was still wondering what happened to it with the coming of Talazo’s wave, Wasiu released Talazo Disco and it became booooooooooom and eventually broke the table!
Ìwọ ọ̀rẹ́ mi Talazo disco yí
O dun láti jó ó.
To bá fẹ́ jo Talazo disco
All you have to do, is to dance face your babe
If you don’t have a babe, please don’t fọk around
So you won’t be a mọrafọka….
Èmi ó má jo o, Talazo disco…
Èmi ó má jó ó, Talazo disco…
Life play cassettes became prized assets for young bachelors then. Wasiu Ayinde became a must-called for events, no matter how small your party is, if you didn’t call Wasiu Ayinde, you haven’t had a party. His anthem to his fans is everlasting. It’s not really surprising many still wished to be praised by this legend including me. Isn’t it worthy of praise that no artist in Nigeria today can boast of his schedule!
From now till December 2024, K1 is already booked for events. To get a date from him now, you must be half human-half god!
I could remember when he released ‘Sunsplash’, it took me just a day to memorize both sides of the cassette I stole maami’s money to buy. There was a particular line in that album that is stuck with me till today…
“wọn dọgbọ́n ńlá tí tí lati gbé bàbà ga
Nigbati ó kọ gíga silẹ báwọ ni yio ṣé ga
Ẹ lọ y”ọ̀gbẹ́ni sínú photo ẹ lẹ ń polówó ó
Ṣe é lè tún ọpọlọ orí wọn ṣe kó dabi tí wá
Eni Ọlọ́run dá Wasiu kò ṣe farawé
Alhaji commander….
If I didn’t dey, it didn’t dey. K1 said it first 🤣
His relentless effort in taking fuji music beyond what he met and challenged to reform took him to the zenith of his career when he was crowned the King of Fiji Music worldwide by the PMAN Western Zone in Ibadan.
Like his leaders and role models in music industry, Wasiu Ayinde has suffered countless attacks from young fuji artists and many fans of other musicians who repudiated his kingship and authority as the Undisputed King of Fuji Music. Until the god of Fiji himself, Seekay Exponent, Agbájélọlá Barrusati Bàbá Ọba affirmed and confirmed him and sang his submission to Wasiu Ayinde as “our leader”…
Àgbìgbò lọba ẹyẹ, àgbìgbò lọba ẹyẹ
Olórí wá yeeee
Olórí wá jọ̀wọ́ ó
Ayinde olórí wàá yeeee
Olórí wá jọ̀wọ́ ó
Ìwọ là wá gbójú lè
Ìwọ là wá fehinti
O bá dákun kò má má dá wa ó
Ọmọgbọláhàn, àgbìgbò lọba ẹyẹ.
If Alhaji Agba could call K1 his leader and undisputed king of Fuji music, who are you to say otherwise? Ẹ má yọnu si wa….
K1 Dé Ultimate, as he’s fondly called, life is full of ups and not many downs. Should I say he never allowed his downs pushed him down. He rose above his adversities to cement his status as the King of fuji music, now and forever. To cite one of his refined lines in Talazo series…
Eni to bá dubu mi ò, má bá wọn jà o
Bó ṣ’ọmọde lọ bá dubu mi ò, má bá wọn jà ó
Bó ṣ’àgbà ló bá dubu mi ò, má bá wọn jà ó
Ṣùgbọ́n ayé ìsìnyín, Ayinde ade mi ò, mi ò lè bá wọn jà
N ṣe l’agba ń gba, mo ti gba aìbínú ó
Talazo la ó má….
Talazo là ó má jó
Ọmọ kékeré àdúgbò, Talazo là ó má jó
That boy of yesterday is now 67 years old today. The Olúọmọ of Lagos, Mayegun of Yoruba land, Olórí Ọmọbá Akilẹ Ìjẹ̀bú, the Capo de Tutti of Fuji…long may you live in good health and abundant blessings of God.
Happy Birthday to you ọmọ ojúṣagbọ́là ọgọ́ji, ọmọ okobi fún osika, kò fẹnu ẹ súre. Ogbó a tọ ẹ Ayinde.
* Shobowale, a fan of K1, first published this article on Facebook
