Here’s a little backstory: Fuji legend Ayinla Kollington made this claim during an interview with Agbaletu TV, which was posted on their YouTube channel on 7 March.
However, it didn’t make the rounds until his junior colleague, Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, Kwam 1, clarified his role in developing and structuring Fuji as a musical genre in Nigeria a month later.
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PREMIUM TIMES reported on Thursday that Kwam 1, during an interview with the same platform, said he registered Fuji as a genre and single-handedly authored its constitution.
Kwam 1 didn’t claim Fuji’s leadership during the interview. However, 75-year-old Kollington, in the video circulating online, declared himself the father of Fuji music in Nigeria.
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He also emphasised that he and the late Ayinde Barrister were the genre’s pioneers.
Fuji leadership
Speaking on his position as the leader, rather than Kwam 1, Kollington, who began recording for Nigerian EMI in 1974, said: “Regarding Kwam 1’s mother’s death, I called him, but he didn’t pick up or return my calls, nor did he take any steps. After calling him repeatedly, I gave up. If he’s claiming that because he’s the head of the princes, he is the head of Fuji, that’s incorrect. He’s the head of the princes in his household in Ijebu, Ogun State, but not for me as the head of Fuji, both at home and abroad.
“He (Kwam 1) may be the head of the princes in his household, but if he wants to be the head of Fuji, he should just kill me. Without that, he can’t become the head of Fuji. It’s impossible, and he won’t achieve it even if he tries. I, Alhaji General Kollington Ayinla, unless the death decreed by God comes — especially the kind of sickness that happened to me before when I didn’t die — no one can kill me again unless God takes me.”
Declaration
Additionally, Kollington, also known as Baba Alatika, addressed rumours suggesting that the late Barrister declared 68-year-old Kwam 1 as the head of Fuji.
He further stated that Kwam 1 was simply someone seeking a network to connect with, which, according to Kollington, he found and leveraged to his advantage.
“If anyone is talking about who the head of Fuji is, both at home and abroad, they will say General Kollington Ayinla. Barrister didn’t make Kwam 1 the head of Fuji. That’s just a rumour and rebellion. If Barrister had done such a thing, he would have announced publicly to all Fuji musicians that he had handed over the title to Kwam 1, but that’s impossible while I’m alive and still in the industry. We all should know what is possible and what is not.
“Barrister made it clear when he was alive that God helped and gave us the opportunity. He sang, ‘Ayinla, Ayinde, God gave us grace and opportunity; we’re the ones who lifted Fuji and made it popular.’ Why didn’t he mention other musicians’ names in that song? Barrister and I started Fuji. I speak the truth and don’t beat around the bush. I am the authority of Fuji, both in Nigeria and abroad. He can’t claim to be the pioneer of Fuji in Nigeria”, said Kollington.
Supremacy battle
Since Fuji music gained popularity and widespread acceptance, controversies over supremacy among its artistes have persisted. They continue to make headlines and evolve in new forms without signs of ending.
One notable recent controversy in this regard has been the ongoing supremacy dispute between Taye Currency, Pasuma, Abass Obesere and Saheed Osupa.
Interestingly, Pasuma and Taye Currency recently settled their differences over industry dominance following several discussions with Kwam 1 and Kollington.
The latter two, known for their efforts to resolve such supremacy issues, now find themselves at the heart of a similar battle for supremacy.
In the interview, Kollington further revealed that he had attempted to resolve the supremacy issues among Fuji musicians as a leader and would not relent until he achieved this.
He said, “Last month (February), I called all Fuji singers to resolve the differences in the industry, but if LTV 8 had not been closed, the issue would have been resolved. I want the issues settled and will call them together soon. I told them I didn’t want anyone fighting one another. God has blessed everyone, and there’s no need for any more fighting.”
Enter Barrister
Furthermore, Kollington revealed the circumstances that led to the dispute between him and the late Barrister.
“Sikiru Barrister and I established Fuji. Fuji has been around for some time, and others have sung it, but they were older musicians and didn’t sing it the way Barrister and I did. They sang it like Sakara music. The conflict between the Barrister and me started when the late Olowoyo told the Barrister I was behind the late Ayinla Omo Wura. What the Barrister should have done was to remember that I’m his friend and should have called and spoken to me.
READ ALSO: How I registered Fuji, authored its constitution- Kwam 1 reveals in new video
“He didn’t do that; instead, he backed the late Olowoyo, where our fight started. There was nothing else between us. The fight was only about music, not personal matters. We sang to insult each other. Our fight was normal because the musicians before us also fought, and that’s the same thing that happened between my friend Barrister and me.”
The dispute between the two Fuji singers comes just four months after they reunited at Pasuma’s 40 Years on Stage concert, held at the Sheraton Balmoral Hall, Ikeja, in December 2024.
This newspaper reported that at the event hosted by singer Alariwo of Africa, Kollington and Kwam 1 were seen sharing lighthearted moments, chatting, laughing, and posing for photographs.
