Adewale Ayuba (aka Mr. Johnson) is a Nigerian singer from Ikenne Remo, Ogun State. His band is popularly referred to as “Bonsue Fuji”. He is known for playing an evolved form of Were music or Ajisari called Fuji, which uses traditional percussive kettle and talking drums with an Islamic influence to call and response vocals.

 

At the age of three, many children are just beginning to learn ABC and counting 123 in their first formal lesson of life. Adewale Ayuba did more. He was also singing Do-Re-Mi. And at the age of seven, he was a professional musician, putting together other children to form a band. This was way back in the land of his birth-Ikenne in Remo Division of Ogun state. He was in Primary Two. Actually, he could be described as the band leader, holding the top spot for one Sunday who discovered the musical endowment in the young Adewale and sought to encourage his talent by investing in him. Mr. Sunday bought the equipment with which Ayuba started his trade in music.

At 44 years, Ayuba can look back on those heady days of his humble beginning and give thanks to God for giving him a talent that has taken him from grass to the height of the world stage. It has been a long, eventful road from Ikenne. His first stop on the way to stardom was in Lagos, which he arrived at for the first time in 1980. “Before I finally moved to Lagos, I normally came to Lagos every Sunday till I moved finally to Lagos in 1983. I am talking about when I had an accommodation and made my final move from Ikenne with my 20 band boys. It was difficult. My boys had no where to live in Lagos. I slept in a friends shop in Lagos Island. He was a fashion designer. My boys went around in the day, at night we slept in that my friend’s shop”.

 The business of music that they came into Lagos for didn’t exactly start happening the next day. For a long while, all they did to survive was play at child naming ceremonies, house warmings-you know the orientation of Fuji music. At one of those events, Akinlaja, owner of Success Records hit it off with Ayuba and there began a relationship that saw the birth of five albums, between 1985and 89.
In 1990, the tide of his life changed for good, when he joined CBS. It was also time for him to take a studious look at the music scene. He refused to be rushed into the studio to record any album. He was worried that fuji, his genre was not patronised by the university community and the elite.
 

 

Adewale Ayuba Discography
Bubble (LP; CBS [Lagos] CBS-N 1007, CD; Flame Tree [London]
FLTRCD 518)
[A] We Are Happy People / Newbreed / Bubble / My Desire / Osupa
Adinni / Cecil "G"
Eweso / Somi / Iyawo Elese Osun / Come and Dance
Bonsue / E Ma Ba Ori Yin Je / Sisi Olusan

1992
Adewale Ayuba
"Mr
Johnson" Play For Me (LP; Sony Music [Lagos] NLP 2002)(CD; Flame Tree [London]
FLTRCD 504)
[A] Bonsue Time / Hitech / "Mr Johnson" Play For Me / Mo Ti Foro
Mi Lo Agba / Mama Ose Paro / Bonsue is My Choice / Ma So Nipa Aids-Sora Nipa
Aids
Mo Ti Juba-Ise Ori Firan Mi / Africa Has The Richest Music /
Remember Six Feet / Mo Ri Iwe Ololufe Mi / Baby Keseke / Ope Pataki / Lameto
'Dewele We Want

1993
Chief Adewale Ayuba
Buggle D (Cassette;
Premier Music [Lagos] KMMC 014)
[A] 'Dewale is a Wonder Man / Bonsue Fuji
Very easy to Dance / American Experience-'Dewale o Burger / Ere Oge / Buggle
Dance / Ona Mi Si Jin / Ademole Adekogbe
Bo Je Rere Lo Wu E / Judi Ko O
Jo / Alare Associates (Appreciation) / Alale Corporate (Nigeria/America) /
Evereybody Dance On / Kewu Ti Mo Ko Ke / Alhaji (Chief) Nurudeen Olusoga
Ladejobi

1996
Adewale Ayuba & his Bonsue Fuji Organization
Fuji
Time (CD; Agogo/Qbadisc [New York City] AG9501)
Fuji Shuffle / Awede Orisa /
Fuji Music Any Time [Guest vocalist Red Fox] / Wonder Man / Move Around the
Clock / Bubble Fans U.S.A. / Fuji Shuffle
(Instrumental)

1997
Anonymous
Fuji Dub Lagos-Brooklyn-Brixton (CD;
Triple Earth [UK] TRECD 116)
Fun Nite Yam [Remixed by Godwin Logie] / Fuji
Dr. Ewon[Remixed by Triple Earth] / Fuji Chaman [Remixed by Fat Git] / Fuji Fe
Full [Remixed by Godwin Logie] / Fuji Orisa [Remixed by Triple Earth]

-
The liner notes state, "The artist wishes to remain anonymous. This is not a
'normal' remix album." This CD is, in fact, remixed versions of songs from "Fuji
Time."

1998?
Adewale Ayuba
Move Up (CD; Home of Africa; no
reference number)
It's Time For Music Move Up / Back Head Bounce / Rumor
Mongers / Appreciation / Atewo Nsiwa / Asamarege / Super Eagle's For World Cup
(France 98) / Late Chief Saliu Oke-Ola Afodun (Baba Adinni of Ikenne Remo) /
European's Fans / Uncle Jimi Times Motors (Belgium) / Bobokoduro / Sulaiman
Oluwasina Alayande / Vincent Ayorinde Falodun / Adeleke Adebayo (Mr.
Fuji)

1999
Adewale Ayuba
Acceleration (CD; Aiyetoro/Dudu Heritage
B3002)
Recognition / Bonsue T'ajode / Miogbagbakugba / Remember (AIDS KILLS)
/ Acceleration / Happy Birthday (Chief Akanbi Owolana) / Ikene Ereke / Ase Oluwa
(Tribute to Late Chief MKO Abiola) / Okotoromi / Oye Ka Sore Oke / Omo Oshin /
Oro Nigeria Yi / Akpaoche (Apoche) / Mon Fe Bee / Gboyega Otufale / Governor
Bola Tinubu / Obiripo

1999?
Chief Adewale Ayuba (Mr. Johnson)
Live
In Europe (Cassette; Ajimututu Sound Studio ASS002)
[A] Live In London

Ileya Special / Holland, Belgium / Dublin (Ireland)

2000
Chief Adewale
Ayuba (Mr. Johnson)
Turn Me On (Cassette; Cooperate Pictures And Records
CPRLC 06)
[A] Se Eti Gbo / Turn Me On / Ijo Baba Ijo / Sin Mi Dele Baba / Owo
/ 'Gbenga Komalafe / Charles Okondu
Omo / Congraturation / Eyin L'ohun /
Atubotan Alabosi / Idan Sipo / Domittila Maalo

2001
Ayuba
Gunshot
(Cassette; Cooperate Pictures And Records CPRLC 08)
[A] Gunshot Featuring
X-Appeal / Destiny / T'agbara Ko / Durojaye / Come And Dance / Alo Mi Alo / Late
Chief Moshood Alade Adeshina (R.I.P)
Eko Monlo / Happy Birthday HRH Oba
Adeyinka Oyekan / Eko Onibaje / Asiwaju of Lagos Gov. Bola Ahmed Tinubu / Obobo
Ti Ri Bo / Sowo Fun Mi / Gov. Olusegun Osoba

2004?
Ayuba
Ijo Fuji
(CD; Jooat Recordds Company no suffix)
Untitled 4 tracks
-- Produced by
Laolu Akins

?
Adewale Ayuba
Formula (CD; label unknown; SW
2160)
?

2005
Bantu Featuring Adewale Ayuba
Fuji Satisfaction:
Soundclash in Lagos (CD; Piranha [Germany] PIR 1998)
Intro / Fuji
Satisfaction / Oya / Follow Your Road Go / Mt. Fuji / Where di Water, Where di
Lighter / Mama / How Real / Many Lessons / Rise Up to the Occasion / Listen
Attentively / Fuji Satisfaction (video)
--From the Piranha homepage:
"Brothers Keepers mastermind Ad? Bantu is one of the shaping figures of German
HipHop. Born and raised in Lagos/Nigeria, then relocated to Cologne/Germany, his
spicy AfroPean stew is a natural blend of both continents' traditions. Drawing
from his forefathers' heritage and his experience of the African diaspora alike,
he uses urban styles and sounds from R'n'B through HipHop to Ragga to contribute
to the soundtrack of a global Africa: rooted in Yoruba history yet ripe with
Western production, deeply sensual yet utterly spiritual, thoroughly individual
yet highly political. With "Fuji Satisfaction" feat. Adewale Ayuba, Ad? comes
out as the pace maker of the AfroGerman movement's next generation once
again."

2005
Ayuba
Mellow (CD cassette; BFB Nigeria Ltd. no
suffix)
[A] Get Up and Pray / Jeje in Nigeria / Mellow / Knock Knock / Glo
with Pride / Olaitan Fatima Balogun / I'm still Singing
Arawaju Korin
Korin / Oba Kabiru Adelaja / Chief Gbenga Komolafe JP / Labe Igi Anu / Chief
(Mrs.) Mercy Owolana