Ayinde Barrister ‘resurrects’

Hundreds of guests who attended a social function at the Tafawa Balewa Square on Lagos Island, penultimate Thursday got more than they bargained for when an image depicting the late Dr Sikiru Ayinde Barrister mounted the stage and thrilled them.

Apparently shocked by the frame and voice of Barrister that rented the air, the guests struggled to get to the stage to ascertain the true identity of the musician.

There they met somebody called Bessy Wonder, an Ilorin-based Fuji musician who has been in the trade for more than four decades and has dominated the social space in Kwara State.

While the late Barrister was alive, he had acknowledged the talent of Bessy Wonder and encouraged him to concentrate on his unique style with assurance of future reward.

Barrister’s prophecy seems to be coming to a reality as the act, also known as Besco Azeez, is fast breaking into the social circle in Lagos and other South-west states. In the past three years of his association with the London-based Ade Otolowo Promotion, he had performed in Oyo Osun States and left a lasting impression in the audience.

“I have to give the glory of this development to God. I know I have a good product to sell to the people because the late Barrister was a good product and still is after his death. I cannot really explain how it happened but I am grateful to God for making it easy for me. I also thank Ade Otolowo Promotion for helping the work of God in me. Our next work is being recorded hoping to release it to the market when we are through,” he stated.

The Chief Executive Officer of Ade Otolowo Promotion, Alhaji Ademola Otolowo said Besco Azeez was a revelation he needed when it mattered most, while expressing gratitude to lovers of Fuji music who have accepted him.

“We came together at the right time and we are all seeing the result now. My mission is to keep Barrister’s legacy and Besco is one of the legacies. I have also produced others who follow the pattern of Alhaji (Barrister). I am not tired of doing so because that was my promise to Alhaji (Barrister). I will always work to promote what Alhaji symbolised in Fuji music. Here is a man who created the genre from nothing. Doesn’t he deserve respect?,” he said.