Fuji music

Fuji is a popular Nigerian musical genre. It arose from the improvisation Ajisari/were music tradition, which is a kind of music performed to wake muslims before dawn during the Ramadan fasting season. Were music/Ajisari itself was made popular by Alhaji Sikiru Ayiinde Barister.

History

Varying styles were beginning to evolve by this time, and it was not unusual for a few to play mouth organs (harmonica) between “ajiwere” interludes within their compositionsajiwere”” "rocked" Lagos and its environs.

The name, "Fuji," chosen for the new musical genre was conceived in a rather funny and unusual way. According to its founder aner]]: "I came up with it when I saw a poster at an airport, advertising the Mount Fuji, which is the highest peak in Japan." Fuji, in this context, should not be mistaken for the Yoruba word "fuja," or "faaji," which means leisure or enjoyment. "Onifuja" or "Onifaaji" is Yoruba for a socialite, or one who relishes in leisure or enjoyment.

Fuji music is an offshoot of were/ajisari musical genre. In one of his early LPs, which he used to chide the unreasonable critics who dubbed his creation "a local music," Alhaji Sikiru Ayinde Barrister explained that "Fuji music is a combination of music consisting of sakara, apala, juju, aaro, Afro and gudugudu, possibly highlife." Alhaji Sikiru Ayinde Barrister did a tremendous job of popularizing his craft by taking it...
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