King Ayinde Wasiu Marshal I first started singing as a young nine-year-old boy in were groups. By the time he reached the age of 18, he had left secondary school to pursue a career with the most popular fuji musician at the time, Sikiru Ayinde Barrister. Following a short working stint with Barrister, Wasiu decided to launch his own group, Wasiu Ayinde and his Fuji Revolution.
Wasiu released his first album in 1980, introducing the Talazo beat to the dance- floors. Once the new dance craze caught on, Wasiu earned the nickname, ‘Talazo’, as decided by the fans. ‘Talazo in London’ and ‘Jo Fun Mi’ were a couple of hits that helped to further Wasiu’s status and popularity.
Although the style of fuji music was established in the 1960s, it still pulsates throughout the ‘90s. The name is derived from the Japanese Mount Fuji. While the style assimilates elements of apala (praise-song core) with sakara, the result provides a new recreational dance style. Described as a wall of sound, driven by wailing Muslim vocals, only Hawaiian guitar and percussive instruments are heard in true fuji music.
To fans, Wasiu is considered the undisputed champion of the Nigerian fuji music genre. Also called fuji ‘garbage’ music, the facetious name was first used to show contempt to the local media. Now the term is also used in response to unappreciative adults that refer to the musical form as “garbage”.
Talazo fuji music is big music, made by many drummers. Big messages. Big confidence. Dense, throbbing rhythms that carry the pulse of West Africa. This is Nigeria’s most popular style of modern music and King Waisu Ayinde Marshal is its brightest star.
