World Music Day: Ayuba cautions up-and-coming musicians against hard drugs as influencers

Renowned Fuji Musician, Adewale Ayuba, on Sunday advised up-and-coming musicians against engaging in hard drugs to enhance their God-given talents.

Ayuba gave the advice in an interview with our reporter in Lagos, in commemoration of the World Music Day usually celebrated on every June 21.

He said a musician should always sing with ease devoid of any influence of hard drugs, urging those engaging in it to desist as they were only truncating their lives.

“Being able to sing is a blessing from God to an individual, it has to do with talent, so subjecting oneself to drugs to be able to sing well is not advisable.

“Music is like a calling from God because he deposits the talent in human being.”

“Like I hear some intending musicians who are carried away with life and want to be like: Davido, Ebenezer Obey, thel ate Ayinde Barrister, or any other renowned artists now embrace drugs to be able to sing.”

“I strongly advise against this, it is better to discover your talent and pursue it rather than engaging in drugs to be able to sing,” he said.

The ‘Bonsue’ exponent also urged artistes to embrace one of the indigenous genres of music such as: ‘Apala’, Highlife, ‘Sakara’, ‘Fuji’, ‘Juju’, ‘Waka’ and more rather than the American Hip-Hop, Raps, Rhymes and Blues.

He said that the Nigerian indigenous music should be given priority over the Western ones as these indigenous music still needed to be well embraced and marketed for global acceptance.

He also encouraged the rising musicians to prioritise their education over music as education is paramount to being successful in their musical career.

“I advise intending musicians to acquire sound education first before pursuing their career in music. That will help in the long run to make such individual successful as a musician.

“Our indigenous music such as: ‘Apala’, ‘Fuji’, ‘Waka’, ‘Juju’ and all should be the focus for the intending musicians, let us grow our own local music here in Nigeria.

“I also want Nigerians,generally, to embrace our indigenous music such that most of the known musicians can attract International awards.”

“We have not enjoyed that over the years except for a few of us: the late Fela Anikulapo Kuti who was twice nominated for the Grammy Awards and myself, who received the KORA awards in South Africa.”

“We need more of these international awards and it can only be possible when we begin to appreciate more of our indigenous music, embrace and market them,” he said.

On his assessment of the Nigerian music industry, Ayuba rated Nigerian musicians as among the best, considering their zeal and resilience to be successful in the face of several challenges.

“I can tell you authoritatively that Nigerian artists are among the best, they do a lot by themselves, things that the other artists in foreign lands cannot do.”

“Can you imagine an artist managing himself, writing his song, looking for money to produce his album, it’s not like that abroad where everything that is needed comes from the management.”

“Nigerian musicians are really trying their best to project Nigeria as the global hub for entertainment,” he said.