Top Fuji musician, Abass Akande Obesere needs no introduction. MORAKINYO OLUGBIJI had a chat with the musician who hinted on his new style of Fuji music called Digital Fuji, some controversies around his name and his new appointment as People Democratic Party’s official indigenous musician in the south-west of Nigeria.
What have you been up to these days?
Firstly, I will appreciate God for making me among the living souls today, and at the same time thank Him for counting me worthy among the top music stars in the Nigerian Fuji music industry. Secondly, just as many people know about me that I always think on how to create new things and the latest about my music right now is to introduce new style in the Fuji music genre which I call Digital Fuji.
If you look at the Hip-Hop artistes, you will find out that all they do is to play on Digital, they don’t bother themselves going on stage to perform with 10 or 20 band boy like we Fuji artistes do. They will only mount the stage with a CD and ask the DJ to play track 3 or 4 and people dance to it, so why can’t we Fuji artistes do the same? It shouldn’t be all shows that you we should be going with the full band and that was why I thought about this new dimension and God has been pushing it forward already, I have released albums on it.
I did one titled “Issues Resolved”, another for former Oyo state governor Otunba Alao Akala called “Oyo Mesi” for his re-election as Oyo State Governor in 2015 and the third one is “Omo Aye” and people really like the new styles I introduced. People enjoyed it and they accepted it and by the grace of God, in the next 7months, the Digital Fuji music will take over the industry. This is the new way of enjoying Fuji music apart from going to shows with a full band.
What informed such idea, are most people not clamouring for live music?
Being the Paramount King of Fuji, I have always been operating at highest level, thinking of how to dish out my stuffs in a way that others haven’t thought about and I don’t wait for people to start telling me what next to do, I should be able to think of what to do next and that was why I thought of this and I said let me go on this. For those who have been following me for a very long time, you will remember that I can sing on any beat because I am a very creative person and that is why I could think to this extent. It’s not about ignoring live music, it’s by being versatile with my style. There is no rules that say Fuji music must be performed live alone.
Didn’t you also think of the other side of it that if you start it, it might not be accepted?
Whatever I want to do in music, I always think about the acceptance because I am also a music lover. So if they are going to accept or not I will know ahead, and since I have released about 4 album on it and they accepted it, then what am I waiting for again?
Where do you think this new dimension of fuji music will take you and the entire Fuji music industry to?
Well, all I know is that it’s going to give the industry another look because if you look at the pop singers as well, most of their lyrics are indigenous lyrics and it sometimes come with Fuji tune. For instance, LKT’s kind of pop is strictly Fuji style, even Wizkid and the rest. why then won’t we the known Fuji artistes who own the original style work on this and see how far we can go. You can be a crossover artiste and nothing stops you from singing the normal Fuji you are known for. I know for sure that my colleagues will join me later using the digital format.
After many years of silence, you bounced back big time performing at several shows virtually all the weekends, what happened?
I will attribute that to God’s grace and I thank Him for my star, and that was why I said I am a professional not an amateur and whatever I want to do I always ensure that I do it in the best way. The only thing I will say keeps me going is prayer. I needed to take a break for a while. Now I’m back fully.
You are now a duo citizen; can you tell us how it happened?
I can’t deny that fact that I am a duo citizen of Dublin and Nigeria, I worked for it and God crowned my effort with the green card.
Well, I based my family in Dublin and that is where my children school. My wife lives there and all the way from Nigerian, I am sponsoring them with God by my side. If I am not capable of doing that to my family in the country, there is no way I could get the Green card because before they can give you such citizenship, they must have done the needed research about you and they found that I haven’t been taking the benefit I and my family are supposed to be taking monthly. I take good care of my family myself and when I requested for the card it was given to me immediately after they went through my records. They check my profile on the internet and they got to know that I am a consistent artiste. My family has been living there for more than a decade.
Why didn’t you take the dues?
This is because I didn’t want anything to disrupt my future or that of my kids which could be used as an excuse, it is not as if I can’t get it but I just want them to know that I am capable of taking good care of my family because I work not for anything but them, and they come first in whatever I do. I feel good about everything because now if I want to see my family, I don’t need to go the embassy for visa again, I am now a person who can just pick up his passport and travel out of Nigeria at my convenient time.
What will impact will the citizenship make in your life considering the fact that you are a man of high substance yourself?
Even before I picked up the green card, there is something I hate most which is the so called embassy. I hate going there because of the way they treat we Nigerians and with me having the green card, I think God has done one of the things I wanted from God. White men won’t give you regards when you get to their embassies and that’s bad.
I heard you were recently appointed the main indigenous artiste for PDP in the South West, how true?
I really appreciate the fact that the People Democratic Party recognises and appreciates me. I am an artiste and they believe I can pass any information they wants me to pass via my crowd.
How did you get appointment?
It was God’s grace, I never lobby for it but they did that simply because they have the believe in me and the appointment letter was given to me. They see me as someone who is capable and I have much followers in the south west of Nigeria. PDP is the papa of political parties and I am also Papa of Fuji music.
Were you a member before the appointment?
I wasn’t a member of any political party before and I play for anyone of them that wanted my service but now I realized that PDP really have me in mind and I appreciate them as well. By the grace of God, if any of my colleagues is ready to do anything with PDP, they should try to contact me because there is a way to go about it, I will make sure I do them whatever favour they want from me. If you have any job you have done for PDP, there is nothing stopping me from taking you to the right people to meet.
What is your relationship with Musiliu Obanikoro and Bode George?
Those people you mention stalwarts in PDP, especially our big daddy, Chief Olabode George, I have a lot of respects for him because he is trying all his best and he is very accommodating. Senator Musiliu Obanikoro is a big brother to me and I can as well call him a big father because when someone has been doing well for you and giving you recognition wherever he is, that person is a good father indeed to you because God will never come down to this life to render help unto you. He will definitely send someone, so I see these people as God sent because there is no way they are having any program that they won’t remember me. They believe that I am one of them except if I am not around. President Jonathan himself signed the letter of my appointment.
You, K1 De Ultimate and others were rumoured to have defrauded your fans via the K1 Unusual Concert, what’s your reaction to this?
I don’t know why people love to link my name with controversies. All I know is that in Nigeria, we don’t know our rights and if some people tries to claim their rights some persons will deny them. That is why it is good for you to remain silent since you don’t want bad tales to fly around you. Many people may not understand. This show you are talking about, I didn’t hear about the show because I left Nigeria on the 5th of November for a tour in Dublin and when this show was announced all over the place with the advert on bill boards with my photos people kept calling me that they saw me and K1 and others on the billboards and I told them that haven’t heard about the show, so I was expecting Wasiu Ayinde a.k.a K1 to call me or my manager which would have been done even before placing the advert. I kept asking my manager each time I call him to know if he has been contacted over the said concert. He would have contacted me first before using my face and on the advert of the show. I expected him to make it official because you don’t expect me to go to that show and perform for free, there must be someone sponsoring the show because I know the worth of Eko Hotel. I must have my own charges before coming to the show but it is rather unfortunate that the show was publicized without me being aware of it.
I returned from the Dublin tour on the 19th of November which was 2 days to the show and fans were still calling me to confirm if I will still be part of the show and I gave my response that I won’t be there because I haven’t been invited officially. Now, the show was held but rumour is flying that I disappointed my fans while some said I defrauded them.
For crying out loud, I am not the organizer of the show. I am saying this to my fans that I wasn’t part of the show; I can never defraud you, for what? One can’t say because you are the owner of your wedding and put an artiste’s name on IV without informing him first, if you haven’t gotten across to him, you can’t put his/her name because you don’t their schedules.
After seeing the damage story in the news, what is now your plan over it?
I don’t have any plan than to use this medium to tell my fans that I never defrauded them, I wasn’t aware of the show before it was publicized.
