Actor Yinka Quadri has paid tribute to the late fuji legend Ayinde Barrister, describing him as the “foundation and lintel” of the genre.
Quadri on Thursday shared a throwback photo of himself with Barrister on Instagram, praising the musician’s impact on Nigerian culture.
He wrote: “Throwback with the Fuji pioneer. The late Dr Sikiru Ayinde Barrister’s impact was so profound and revolutionary that his legacy left a lasting and complex impression on the cultural landscape… Barrister was a legend and he was the foundation and lintel of Fuji music.”
Born in 1948, Barrister is credited with creating fuji from wéré and ajisari Islamic wake-up music. He went on to blend other Yoruba traditional sounds such as apala, sakara and awurebe, carving out a new genre that became one of Nigeria’s biggest cultural exports.
The singer, fondly called Barry Wonder, released more than 60 albums and was honoured with the national award of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR) in 2006. He died on December 16, 2010 in London.
In 2024, he was celebrated in The Fuji Documentary, which dedicated its opening episode to his life and career.
