Happy 50th Birthday Dr Adewale Ayuba.. MEET HIM.

AYUBA was born March 25th 1965 in Ikenne Remo, Ogun State Nigeria. He grew up as a child singer. By the age of eight, he started singing at Local Musical Competitions and fiestas in Ikenne.

This consequently led to his option for music as a career after his secondary school education at Remo, Secondary School, Sagamu, Ogun State.

Although he gained admission to read Architecture at the Ogun State Polytechnic, Abeokuta, his music career took center-stage and in a bid to curve a niche for himself,he made his first album, IBERE {Beginning} at the age of 17. His rise on the Fuji Music scene was rapid. He managed to attract a lot of attention to himself. His image soared with each release and he soon became a household name in Nigeria. In early 1990, Ayuba was signed on by Sony Music (Nigerian) to record an album, Bubble. Bubble released in 1991, brought Ayuba into international prominence.
For the first time in history, a Fuji Music album dominated the scene, topping musical charts for six consecutive months, winning multiple awards at the Nigerian Music Awards, (NMA). It bagged Ayuba the coveted Artiste of the Year Awards, Including the Album of the Year Award, Song of the Year Award and Best Fuji Album of the Year Award-four in all. It sold beyond expectations and made Ayuba a mega-star artiste.

With the success of Bubble, it become obvious that Ayuba had hit the pinnacle of his career in Nigeria. Ayuba’s hi-tech instrumentation and distinct voice changed the face of Fuji Music. For the first time in History, Fuji Music which was hitherto ignored by the Nigerian Elite was embraced by all and sundry. After the success of Bubble Ayuba released a follow-up album, Mr. Johnson Play For Me (also on Sony Music Nigeria label) and this also became an instant success in 1992. In 1993,Ayuba was signed on the PREMIER MUSIC(NIGERIA) before embarking on his first West Africa coast tour,perfoming in several African countries.

The tremendous success of this tour led to his first United States of America Tour also in 1993. Ayuba performed in over ten states in America during this tour, a feat rarely achieved. He made Nigerians at home and abroad proud by successfully performing at the World renowned New Orleans Jazz Festival. After two successful concerts in Providence, Rhode Island, he was promptly awarded the key to the city by the mayor of Rhode Island.

His Los Angeles debut consequently recorded a huge success and C.C. Smith of Los Angeles(LA) Weekly magazine succinctly Ayubas style of music as follows: Ayuba bases his Fuji on two elemental forces-rhythms and the human voice-to Create Compelling,entranching and powerful sound,Expect frenzied dancing Style And colourful Costumes,exultant fans and enough talking drums and percussions To remedy even a Terminal case of sensory deprivation.

After his return in 1993, he released another chart topping album, Buggle D on Premier Music (Nigeria) label. If Bubble was tremendous success, Buggle D’ was a run-way success. It instantly became a hit, winning multiple awards at the Fame Music Awards (FMA) and topping the music chart for several months. In 1994, Ayuba took a bold step with a vision to “Internationalizing Fuji Music” and embarked on the sojourn of the United Kingdom and the United States of America with his band.

While he was in America in 1995, he recorded different feats, performing at various international concerts including the 1996 Summer State Concerts in New York, the African Mondo Concerts of 1996 and 1997, the New Orleans Jazz Festival of 1997, the 1997 International Festival in Houston, Texas, the Black Entertainment Television(BET Jazz), U.S.A. Concert. He was signed on by Q-disc Record Company of U.S.A for a year contract and he released Fuji Time on the company’s label in 1996. In 1997, he released Fuji Dub on Agogo Music Label in London, England.

In 1998, he came back to Nigeria and released yet another successful album, Acceleration on the Corporate Music label. In 2000, he released a mega-hit Album, Turn Me On. Turn Me on broke music records in Nigeria and emerged as the Best Fuji Album of the Year at the Awards for Musical Excellence in Nigeria (AMEN) and as the Best Song of The Year at the Nigerian Song Festival (NISOFEST) 2000.

In the same year, he toured several European countries including England, Ireland, Holland and Belgium. He was awarded as a Distinguished Son of Ikenne Remo,his birth place,in 2001 in a colourful ceremony at the Ikenne Local Government,Ikenne, Ogun State. Also in 2001,Ayuba had a spectacular performance at the Eko Le Meridien Hotel Banquet hall:Lagos in a concert tagged THE RETURN OF AYUBA.The Return of Ayuba concert made history in Nigeria as it had Executive Governor of Lagos and Ogun state,vFederal and State Legislators and several commissioners,among other dignitaries,in attendance.With this,vAyuba took Fuji Music to another level as rave reviews by the media followed suit,proclaiming Ayuba as the most corporate Fuji Musician ever.

He embarked on a tour of Austria with his band in 2001, performing in Graz and Vienna. In 2002, he once again took Europe by storm for four months performing at concerts in England, France, Belgium, Austria and Holland. He recorded a new album, Formula in England while on this tour. Formula in 2002 emerged as the Best Fuji Album of the Year at the Awards for Musical Excellence in Nigeria (AMEN). The Music Advertisers Association of Nigeria (MAAN) also in the same year, named Ayuba the Best Artiste of the Millennium. In 2003, Ayuba again embarked on a tour of Europe, performing in various concerts in Düsseldorf, Cologne, Hamburg, Berlin, Essen and Krefeld, all in Germany and in Paris, France, Antwerp in Belgium, Amsterdam in Holland and in Bologna, Napoli, Torin, Genova in Italy.
While on this tour, he did a joint Album, FUJI SATISFACTION, with a German-based Afro centric Music group in Germany-the Bantu has many collaborated efforts with international artistes, including UB40.