LOVERS of fuji music in the United Kingdom will have the time of their lives from August 18 to 28 when ‘Fuji: A Opera’, a multi-dimensional exhibition which tells the story of the fuji music genre, berths at The Africa Centre, London.
Having first held in Lagos, Nigeria, in 2020 to wide acclaim, the exhibition will allow those in the Diaspora and others interested in the genre popularised by the likes of the late Sikiru Ayinde Barrister and Kollington Ayinla to reconnect with their roots and improve their knowledge of the genre.
The London exhibition will feature rare archive footage and artefacts. It will explore the past of fuji music, highlight its founding footprints, and celebrate its rich subculture from the early 1960s to the present day.
Founder of ‘Fuji: A Opera’, Bobo Omotayo, added that fuji’s story will be told through fascinating archival footage of previous performances, audio installations and memorabilia across its 60-year history.
He added that the exhibition will look at the origins of fuji music in the Yoruba-Muslim communities of Nigeria’s South-West and the vision of pioneer Ayinde Barrister, who dubbed his sound “fuji” after seeing an airport ad for the famous Japanese mountain.
The UK exhibition will start with a soundscape homage to Ajiwere, folk music for Islamic worshippers at Ramadan and the roots of fuji music on Lagos Island.
Rare instruments from Nigeria that have been played since the beginning of fuji music over 50 years ago and donated by iconic fuji artists like the late Barrister and King Wasiu Ayinde Marshall will also be on display at the show.
Omotayo further disclosed, “Fuji music’s sheer energy will come alive with a listening gallery of archive recordings, a photography wall of album covers and live performances, and a collection of fashion pieces worn by fuji artists across its history.”
On why ‘Fuji: A Opera’ is moving to the UK, Omotayo explained, “Now feels like the perfect time to celebrate the phenomenal influence of fuji music, how it began and its lasting impact. Without fuji, there would be no Afrobeats. Artists such as King Wasiu Ayinde Marshall have given so much to music – it’s time we celebrate their legacy. With London’s huge Nigerian community and close links with Lagos, I’m proud to bring Fuji: A Opera to the Africa Centre this summer.”
The founder, who said tickets for the exhibition have gone on sale, noted that it is the right moment to bring it to the UK with the ascendancy of Nigerian Afrobeats musicians.
“With Nigerian artists Rema, Asake and Davido providing songs of the summer in the UK in 2023, Burna Boy becoming the first African artist to headline a stadium in the UK this year and Wizkid set to follow, now is a fitting time to look back on the country’s musical origins and witness its evolution and the international impact it has made on the music industry today,” Omotayo said.
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