Talented Ibadan, Oyo State-born fuji singer, Akeem Ayinde aka Atagungun, has disclosed that the internationally recognised Afrobeats genre has been heavily influenced by fuji music.
According to him, “Afrobeats has been highly influenced by fuji music. As you can see, many of today’s Afrobeats songs have flavours of fuji music. From the likes of Remedies, Olamide, Terry Apala, Q-Dot to Asake among others, most of their songs are laced with fuji vibes.”
The young musician is, however, poised to carve a place for himself with his brand of fuji music dubbed, ‘Fuji Classical’. His growing fan base is a testament to his popularity.
Speaking about his foray into fuji, Atagungun said he was driven by his love and passion for music, and that he settled for fuji because it speaks more about the philosophy of life.
Atagungun, who takes fuji maestro, King Wasiu Ayinde Marshall as his mentor, said what differentiates him from other artistes is the combination of his dancing and sonorous voice.
On challenges encountered while trying to climb the ladder of music, he stated: “It wasn’t easy starting out. People don’t really like to give new artistes the chance to exhibit their talents, but one just needs to keep pushing and not get discouraged. Another issue is funding, especially in renting or getting instruments. During shows, we always have challenges with area boys who drag us for money and if we don’t give them, they chase us with bottles.”
Meanwhile, Atagungun would soon embark on a musical tour of the United Kingdom, to thrill his fans with his unique style of ‘Fuji Classical’.