Adewale Ayuba at 60: Another Mr Johnson is a Counterfeit!

Music is more than just sound; it is a crucial pillar of culture, the thread that stitches memories to time, the echo of a people’s soul. It follows then that the true measure of a musician cannot merely be record sales or the number of sold-out venues; there must be more. Do they shape language? Do they birth new rhythms, new dances? Do they inspire? In Nigeria, where music is a living, breathing entity, Dr. Adewale Ayuba is on the list of musicians who checks these boxes.

On 25 March 2025, as Ayuba marked his 60th birthday, tributes poured in from across the globe. One of these tributes was from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who hailed him as a "cultural treasure." It is a fitting title for a man who has spent over five decades in the service of music, nearly forty years as a professional musician, and a lifetime as an artist devoted to the refinement of Fuji music.

Fuji, a raw and percussive sound born from the streets, traces its roots to the spiritual wails of Ajiwẹ́rẹ́, the traditional Islamic devotional chants sung during Ramadan to wake the faithful for sahur (pre-dawn meal). Over time, these chants evolved, incorporating more complex rhythms and influences from indigenous Yoruba musical styles.

In the 1970s, Sikiru Ayinde Barrister formalised Fuji as a distinct genre, shaping it into a dynamic fusion of àpàlà, juju, and Afrobeat, with the sákárá drum providing its signature percussive drive. The genre quickly gained traction, particularly in southwest Nigeria, where it resonated deeply with the Yoruba-speaking population. Fuji’s themes, often addressing social issues, spirituality, and everyday struggles, made it a powerful medium of expression among urban and working-class communities.

Ayuba dared to refine Fuji, to mould it into a thing both agile and elegant. Many Fuji musicians have come and gone, yet Ayuba remains, not just as a voice but a cultural force. What, then, one must ask, makes Mr Johnson so enduring?

Ìbẹ̀rẹ̀- The Beginning

Adewale Ayuba Saliu-Okeola was born on March 25, 1965. At eight years, he was already a singer and performer, aware of the rhythm that pulsed within him. He competed in local music contests, drawing admiration from most for his unique vocal range. His parents, however, were cautious of fame and its distractions. Whenever they sent him on errands, it was with a stern warning not to go off singing ‘Bonsue’.

Ayuba credits those moments as the etymology of the word that would later become the defining signature of his Fuji, his reimagining of the genre. Due to the popular perception of musicians at the time as mere buskers. Ayuba had some resistance to his choice to become a musician. Family and friends who urged him towards a more "respectable" career.

The first great sacrifice came with his decision to abandon a formal education in Architecture at Ogun State Polytechnic. Why trade the stability of a career in Architecture for the unpredictability of a musician's life? To Ayuba, the answer was simple: music was his architecture. It was in the melody that he built and in rhythm that he designed.

In 1986, he released his first album, Ìbèrè, which means “The Beginning.” But beginnings are rarely easy. The album brought its share of struggles, though earnest in its delivery. The premise of the album was Ayuba’s self-introduction to the world, and it was sung mainly in Yoruba. Typical of the Yoruba culture, Ayuba acknowledged the popular musicians of the time on the album: Chief Ebenezer Obey, King Sunny Ade, Sikiru Ayinde Barrister, Kolington Ayinla, Salawa Abeni. Another interesting name Ayuba acknowledges on the album is Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, who was popular for his Talazo Fuji at the time. Wasiu Ayinde belonged to the second generation of Fuji acts, most of whom learnt the craft directly from its progenitor, Sikiru Ayinde Barrister. Ayuba did not enjoy this privilege.

Ìbèrè was not a commercial success, and the reasons were not far-fetched. By the late 1980s, Fuji had fully taken root in Nigeria’s musical landscape. The streets were buzzing with the voices of new Fuji acts, each trying to carve out a space for themselves. Talent alone was no longer enough. The industry was shifting, and new elements, promotion, distribution, financial backing, and adaptability to audience preferences, were becoming the unspoken determinants of success. Differentiation sometimes meant creating variants of the Fuji sound. Ayuba’s type of fuji was Bonsue Fuji.

Getting in His Bubble

For Ayuba, the road to stardom was neither instant nor easy. It would take five years, four more albums, and signing with Sony Music before the tides turned. And when they did, it came in the form of an album that would redefine his career. If the early years of Ayuba’s career felt like a struggle to be heard, then 1991 was the year he finally stepped into the limelight or better still, into his Bubble.

Bubble was more than just a Fuji album; it was a reinvention of the genre. Ayuba had found his formula, a delicate fusion of Fuji’s characteristic percussion with the smooth, refined touch of funk and contemporary pop. He altered his rhythm, and, perhaps most daringly, infused more English into his lyrics, making Fuji suddenly more accessible to a younger and more elite audience. He opens the album with an audacious demand,

"Listen attentively, I’m going to Bonsue Fuji chamber…"

The experiment was a resounding success. The audience listened. Bubble was not only a commercial hit but a cultural phenomenon. It expanded Fuji’s reach beyond its traditional fan base, drawing in university students, corporate elites, and international listeners.

The Emergence of Mr Johnson

Following Ayuba’s discography over time reveals several things. One is that Ayuba’s music has never been just about melody and rhythm. It has been a crusade, a lifelong mission to dignify music as a career and prove that artistry is as noble as any other vocation. His music is filled with moments of defiance, where he challenged the doubts of naysayers and the limitations of societal expectations of a career in music.

From the very branding of his Bonsue Fuji to the elaborate narrative arcs that define his storytelling, Ayuba has always used music as both a tool of expression and a statement of intent. Nowhere is this more evident than in the legend of Mr Johnson.

Dr. Ayuba insists that the Mr. Johnson story is rooted in truth, even though different versions have found their way into the public imagination. But in an interview, he recounts the original tale. While on vacation in Brazil, Ayuba met a woman named Sonia. She was drawn to him, enamoured by his presence. She approached him, and in the whirlwind of the moment, Ayuba, quick-witted and mischievous, introduced himself not as the Fuji star he was but as Mr. Johnson, a native.

The charade was perfect, for a while. Mr Johnson and Sonia flourished in their illusion of romance until the moment of reckoning. She followed him back to his flat and, to Ayuba’s dismay, his face lit up the television screen. Sonia watched in disbelief as the man standing before her transformed into Adewale Ayuba, the musician. The game was up, and the tale would become the birthing plot of a legendary persona. We hear this story in the setting of Bar Beach, where Mr Johnson is a student at the University of Lagos in Bubble Side A. There is a version of the story with a tweaked setting and altered characters on Ayuba’s Happy People Remix featuring TM9ja and Vector, released in 2016.

The Mr. Johnson story is more than a tale of youthful mischief. It is also a testament to Ayuba’s unwavering commitment to music. The song's final resolution shows Ayuba choosing his career over romance, telling the ultimate truth of the story, that Mr. Johnson and Adewale Ayuba are the same.

This theme of dedication echoes throughout his career. On Side B of Bubble, he presents another moment of musical defiance. This time, it is against the stereotype of musicians as financially unstable. In a playful yet biting tone, Ayuba taunts a woman who has rejected him based on this belief.

" Ìwọ laní ko wá ṣaya olórin

O loun o se Iyawo Alágbe.O loun o se Iyawo Ọlorin..."

(We asked you to come be the musician’s wife

She says she can’t be a busker’s wife,

she can’t be a singer’s wife.)

But Ayuba delivers a comeback:

"À ti ri tà jù pàdì ẹ lọ."

(We have become more successful than your bloke.)

It is more than a personal clapback. It is a declaration of the legitimacy of music as a career, a theme that Ayuba revisits repeatedly throughout his expansive discography. In Jekarira (2017), he retells the story in a modern context, citing figures like Don Jazzy, King Sunny Ade, and Femi Kuti to reinforce the viability of a musical career.

Ayuba’s most recent advocacy appears in his 2023 hit single, Koloba Koloba. In the song, he pleads on behalf of a young musician who is denied a relationship with his love interest due to the stereotype that musicians are promiscuous.

Beneath these defiant anthems of perseverance, a question lingers. Does the musician ever wonder what life outside music might have been? Had he listened to the voices urging him toward convention and chosen architecture over music, would he still have carved a path as illustrious as the one he now walks? We may never know. But one thing is sure. The world would have missed Mr Johnson.

Activism, Exile, and Homecoming

With Bubble, Ayuba had lowered the barriers of Fuji, letting the genre breathe in new air and courting an audience that once dismissed it as crude and unrefined. His trajectory seemed unstoppable, and his subsequent albums, Mr Johnson Play for Me and Buggle D, were worthy follow-ups. In 1995, his journey took an unexpected turn.

While on tour in America, Ayuba found himself a wanted man. The iron-fisted Sani Abacha regime, notorious for silencing dissenting voices, had turned its gaze toward him. His crime? A protest song demanding the release of political detainees.

Faced with the reality of persecution, Ayuba made a choice. He would not return to Nigeria. What was initially a tour transformed into a three-year exile. Yet, even in forced distance, his spirit remained unbroken. If anything, exile became a new stage. He reinvented himself beyond the boundaries of home. Ayuba went to school, released three albums, and performed at international stages, including the 50th Anniversary of the United Nations.

Then came 1998. Abacha was gone, and Ayuba returned home. According to the act, he was on the verge of moving on from music, exploring prospects in academia, and had started to garner required qualifications, including a Doctor of Arts degree in music from Bradley University. He met his wife, Azukaego Kwentoh, in one of his academic ventures.

His homecoming was far from quiet. That same year, he released Back Head Bound, his 14th studio album, proving that his artistry had only sharpened in exile. But the true mark of his return came in December 1998, at the Benson & Hedges Concert at Tafawa Balewa Square. Ayuba has affirmed the brand's vital role in his decision to return at the time. He was the star performer at that concert, and when Ayuba took the stage, with each beat of the drum and note of his voice, he reminded Nigeria of the magic that he was.

In the years that followed, Ayuba remained prolific, releasing multiple albums between 1998 and 2007. But the landscape had changed. Hip-hop was on the rise, and Fuji was being edged into the background. The pulse of the streets was shifting, and Ayuba was listening. He adapted, refined, and even collaborated. His duet with Jazzman Olofin proved his ability to remain relevant in an ever-changing musical world.

Yet, through it all, something lingered in the air: the shadow of Bubble. Would he ever create another moment as defining, another work that would reshape the soundscape in the way Bubble had? Then came Ijo Fuji.

Ijo Fuji: The Resurgence

In 2004, Adewale Ayuba released Ijo Fuji. With Ijo Fuji, he proved that Fuji was far from a relic. The album resonated instantly, literally translating to "Fuji Dance." It was more than just a collection of songs; it was a movement, an invitation to a younger generation that had grown distant from Fuji’s roots. The album's essence comes alive in its first part., where Ayuba’s signature Bonsue Fuji percussion meets the finesse of carefully curated storytelling, keeping listeners entranced from start to finish.

Like any Fuji album worth its salt, Ijo Fuji carried its tributes. One was a rite of passage, an ode to Oba Akiolu of Lagos. The other was a song of remembrance, a tribute to the late socialite Ademola Adekogbe. In paying homage, Ayuba did what Fuji and other forms of praise music had always done: keeping names alive through song and turning memory into melody.

A Legacy Cemented

Over three decades after Bubble, Ayuba remains one of Fuji’s most sampled and referenced artists. His sound has transcended its time, weaving into new music generations.

In 2023, his song Koloba Koloba became a viral sensation on TikTok and Instagram. The world had changed, and the way people discovered music had evolved, but the appeal of Ayuba’s Fuji remained unwavering. Koloba Koloba wasn’t just a revival; it was proof of Ayuba’s timelessness.

Before social media algorithms dictated virality, Ayuba’s legacy was deeply rooted in the Nigerian music scene. One only needs to listen carefully to hear echoes of Bubble in later works across genres. A prime example? Olumuyiwa Olofinkuade Olajide, popularly known as Jazzman Olofin, built his 2004 hit Raise Da Roof on the foundations of Bubble.

Adewale Ayuba’s imprint on pop culture is enduring, a testament to his timeless influence across generations. Like an unextinguished flame, his music finds its way into the present, flickering in new forms and reborn in unexpected places. One of the most striking instances is Asake’s "Active", where Ayuba’s voice resurfaces, an unmistakable chant lifted from his classic with Jazzman “Raise Da Roof”. But Ayuba’s cultural relevance isn’t just in music. It spills onto other elements of the media, including Nollywood. In Mercy Aigbe’s 2023 film Ada Omo Daddy, Ayuba makes a memorable cameo. Here, the Fuji maestro isn’t just a guest appearance; he is a cultural bridge, a living legend whose presence alone invokes nostalgia while affirming his place in the present.

Across decades, Ayuba has amassed countless awards and accolades. His win at the Kora Awards in 2005 was a defining moment. At the time, the Kora Awards were one of the most significant recognitions in African music. The awards were referred to in some corners as the African Grammys. Adewale Ayuba was the first Fuji artist to win the award. His honour of receiving the Key to the City in Providence, Rhode Island was a testament to his international reach. But beyond the trophies and plaques, his true triumph is in his persistence, ability to evolve, and staying relevant.