Tracing the history of fuji music is going headfirst into the history and music culture of Nigeria itself. It has its origins in the Yoruba-Muslim communities of Nigeria’s South-West, evolving from “were” played during the seasonal Ramadan festivals, and made its break with some clever sleight of hand by the legend Ayinde Barrister, dubbing his sound “fuji” after seeing an airport ad for Japan’s famous mountain. Over the years, between oil booms and military regimes, as the genre slowly introduced the harmonica, flute, keyboard and saxophone, many schools of fuji emerged, often with someone at the helm proclaiming themselves the next king, boss and overall fuji superstar. There were rivalries among purists and innovators, collaborations with Afrobeats and hip-hop, a mass of outrageous music videos full of retro-parties and fuji dance moves, all building fuji into what it is today; an international sensation. Follow us through the fantastic history of fuji music in three chapters for a full dose of fuji fever.
The fantastic history of fuji music
This is the story of Nigeria's fast and furious fuji music, from it's origins in Yoruba-Muslim culture to its modern hip-hop progenitors. Dive into the fanatic sound that sprung rivalries, caused mayhem and lit up dancefloors from its humble roots to the global stage.