Sikiru Ayinde Barrister

Sikiru Ololade Ayinde Balogun, MFR, better known by his stage name Ayinde Barrister was a Nigerian-born Yoruba singer-songwriter, song producer and music performer.

Sikiru Ayinde

The death of Ayinde Barrister came as a shock for many Fuji singers and lovers as many believe that he could stay longer and the world enjoy more of his great songs.

In remembering the great music icon who died 11 years ago, there are some 15 unknown facts about Barrister we are sharing with you.

10 Facts About Late Ayinde Barrister

Sikiru Ayinde Barrister

1. Ayinde Barrister was born on 9 February 1948, to the family of Salawu Balogun who was a trader from Ibadan, and his father was a butcher.

2. He had his primary education at Muslim Mission School and secondary education at the Model School, Mushin, Lagos State.

3. He studied typing and other commercial related classes at Yaba Polytechnic.

4. Prolific Ayinde Barrister had 16 wives and 62 children.

5. He was a military officer, he served in the 10th Brigade of the 2nd Division of the Nigerian Army under Col Adeniran before he started singing.

Sikiru Ayinde

6. He was the official musician at Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s birthday parties held at Ikenne.

7. He was decorated as the best traditional musician in Nigeria in 1988 by Tony Okoroji-led PMAN, on the back of his chart-topping Fuji Garbage Series.

8. BarryJhay, a popular hip-hop singer is his lookalike biological son and based his most successful track/album “Aye” on his father’s 1980 album with the same title.

9. He was known by several stage names such as Sikiru Ayinde, Barrister, Agbajelola, Alhaji Agba, Mr Fuji, Exponente, Dokky, Siky Oluyole, Barry Wonder, etc.

10. Fuji Garbage Series II is rated and believed by the music producer association to be the greatest Fuji album as well as one of the greatest music albums made in Nigeria to date.

Ayinde Barrister

11. His mentor was Chief Ebenezer Obey who was 6 years older than him. Obey said in an interview, “I often woke up in the night to watch him perform “Were” in Lagos, and later advised him to see music, rather than the military as his career.

12. He and K1 shared an indescribable father-son relationship and bond that was so deep that, even, his biological children often thought was stronger than the one he had for them.

13. He was the captain of Ayinla Omowura Fans Club, an enigmatic Apala musician who died young in 1980, while General Kollington Ayinla was his closest rival and best friend while alive.

14. He died on the 16th of December 2010, at St Mary’s Hospital, London, United Kingdom.

15. He was buried at his house in Isolo, Lagos State, Nigeria.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here