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 slight 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…
