The Ayinde Barrister/Ayinla Omowura Saga: Between the Rock and the Hard Place, By Gani Kayode Balogun

This is purely an academic exercise, since the two enigmatic musicians had left this world –Ayinla Omowura for forty years, and Ayinde Barrister for ten.

But at a particular point in the musical topography of the Yoruba nation, these two Alpha Bulls were presumed to have locked horns.

Presumably, because Barry Wonder (Ayinde Barrister) claimed till the very end that such a scenario was the figment of fans’ imagination, while those close to Egunmogaji (Ayinla Omowura) believed Ayinde Barrister (then), was too junior musically for Ayinla to be at beef with, not to talk of engaging him in a heated rivalry.

Books, articles and documentaries, not to mention dedicated social media face offs, are legion on the subject matter, so adding to that literature would be antithetical.

While still working around my schedule to accommodate as many Barrycentric events marking the 10th year remembrance of his transition as possible within the next few months on three continents, my friend, brother and fellow indigenous music aficionado, Dr. Festus Adedayo, lawyer, researcher, journalist and historian, hit me, and other aworosasas, with his pet theory.

Not only did he mention my name in his syndicated article, he also dared some of us to contradict his thesis.

And this I shall.

He asserted, with self conviction that without the death of Ayinla Omowura in 1980, Ayinde Barrister would not have attained the heights he reached as a musician, performer and composer.

Please note that he is not saying Ayinde Barrister would still not have attained greatness, but that he would not have become the Master of all he surveyed in the Yoruba music pantheon, especially from 1980 till he died in 2010.

While none has put that aspect of Barry’s relationship with Igijegede in such stark existential finality before, it is to Dr. Adedayo’s credit that he realized it himself that those who sow the wind will reap the whirlwind.

In the spirit of full disclosure, let me state that I am an ardent Ayinla Omowura fan, as well as that of Yusuf Olatunji, Lefty
Salami, Haruna Ishola, Odolaye Aremu, Tatalo Àlàmú, Amusa Agboluaje , Orlando Owoh,Nosiru Ajunwo, Ligali Mukaiba, Óseni Ejire, and all the old masters of that era.

I am also a generic fan of Fuji music, irrespective of the musician, as well as the young urns who sing in Yoruba. You know the usual suspects.

In the first place, Dr. Adedayo’s assertion is flawed on so many levels: thematically , in absolute relativity terms and in situational contextuality.

In the beginning, while there are about two stages of Ayinla Omowura’s musical career, the Olalomi years and the Apala era, Ayinde Barrister’s is one long unbroken musical oddsey.

From his Were and Ajisari days to his early Fuji experimentation and full musical career, Barry (Ayinde Barrister) faced many adversaries, from Ojindo in Mushin to Ayinla Kollington.

But these are the direct-in-your-face rivals, there were many other adversaries whose battle with Ayinde Barrister was more subtle than open, especially when his ascendancy was becoming unstoppable.

But even then, Barry was a huge Ayinla fan. He was also an executive in Ayinla Omowura fans club in Mushin.

Because this article is not about whys and wherefores of their ‘feud’, we will skip that aspect to concentrate on where both artistes were when Ayinla Omowura died.

Like I stated earlier, Ayinla Omowura and Ayinde Barrister belonged to different generations, but their fame within the Yoruba Country was on the ascendancy almost at the same time.

Because of the introduction of the 18″ vinyl introduced in 1970/71, they, along with the recording artistes of that era, began releasing albums of that size roughly around the same time, jettisoning the Singles and Extended play format for the LP Cadre.

What this means is that while they both enjoyed relative fame and burgeoning fan base, they were on different musical trajectories. Ayinde Barrister as the rising star, and Ayinla Omowura peaking around the same time.

So, if Ayinla alive did not dim Ayinde’s rise, why then would his death be a big factor?

Ayinde’s rise was not only a source of concern for Igijegede, but for all musicians reigning at that period.

I am sure that Dr Adedayo is aware that the last meeting of the Musicians Union in Ibadan attended by the irreplacable Yusuf Olatunji where he collapsed before he later died, was called solely to discuss that young man, Ayinde Barrister?

And guess who was pleading to other musicians to let him be? Bába Legba Yusuf Olatunji himself!

By the time the “beef” started in 78/79, Ayinde Barrister was already a household name. He had taken his craft abroad, including to the UK!

So, where in that trajectory would Ayinla’s death play a major role?

Granted that some artistes used Ayinla’s death as a stepping stone to gain popularity by attacking Ayinde Barrister within the context of the “beef”, it still did not change the rolling stone career path of Agbajelola, who went on to demolish or diminish other genres whose major exponents are still alive, or recently died.

Whatever happened, or did not happen between Omo Wuramotu and Ọmọ Odee was just another obstacle that Barry surmounted, not bigger, certainly more popular and more mythical, than those other presumed “beefs” with Saka Olayigbade, Ojindo, Orlando Owoh, Kollington Ayinla, Bisi Ajala, his original band boys, Juju as a genre, Apala and Sakara as stepping stones to achieve eternal greatness.

Even those with younger artistes, either as a group or individuals, the Osupa kingship drama, the fake mother story, the murder accusation, the World Bank story, the numerous death rumors, and others too numerous to mention. He either forced them to renovate or perish musically.

Waidi Ayinla Omowura was destined to reign for 10 years and live forever, Ayinde Barrister was destined to create a musical genre that would subsume all others and outlive him.

Both rose to fulfill their destinies, both are now ancestors, not because one died so that the other can shine. Both men became what they were destined to become.

Sikiru Ayinde Barrister is that man who stared adversity in the face and conquered, and by that became an ancestor.

That was his destiny. That was his karma.