HOW DID YOU MEET BARRISTER
I met him for the first time around 1978/79. I have skill in acrobatic and there was a show at NTV, the show is for Elders, its called Barbic show, I used to go there to performed acrobatic, it was there Barrister saw me and developed interest in me and asked me to be following him.
WHAT WAS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH BARRISTER
Hmmm! No musician like Barrister. When I was 8years old, as a said I have skill in acrobatic so also I can crown like a cook. I have a brother/promoter then, that usually carried me to different parties/shows to display my skill, it was at one of this shows that baba name me “Aguko” and he always called me anytime he have show.
There was a show at TBS around 1984 tagged musical jamboree, I was 14yrs old, the bouncers at the entrance didn’t allow me to enter but to my surprised, Barrister sent his manager outside to come and carry me.
I started vacation job in 1985 at Wharf and this makes me to lost contact with Barrister.
On my way coming from work one day, I heard Barrister album released title “fertilizer”, I don’t have money with me to buy the album, I have to steal my mother money to buy it. My mother have JBC Tape and that gives me the opportunity to always play the cassette, when my mother knew that I stole her money, she beat me.
HOW DID YOU MEET HIM AGAIN AFTER THE LOST OF CONTACT
It was in 1994, when I released my first record, I told some of my friends that I wish Barrister can bless the record, but they told me I should not, that anybody Barrister put his hand on his head will never be successful and will die of headache but I told them, I will go.
I heard of Barrister show at FASLAK HOTEL for Demola Yakubu wife birthday, there was a woman selling things at the gate of the hotel that I approached and begged her to allow me to see Barrister, she was the one that handed me over to Alhaja Yakubu that I wanted to see Barrister and she took me to his room upstair, when Barrister saw me he shouted my name “Aguko gagara” and I told him my mission, he asked the Alfas in the room with him to pray for me and he himself bless my cassette, he gave the Alfas unbelievable amount of money as “owo adura”, then one of the Alfas said my record will sell beyond my imagination but I should not forget that day and what Barrister did for me.
The party started around 7pm and Barrister was on stage before I entered the party ground, he was singing and quickly changed it when he saw me ………awon kan lomo ohun tose won ti won ko lati jo…….Daddy Showkey ma wole omo Baba, Daddy Showkey ma wole omo Ayinde, iwo na adagba lola Olohun Oba……” He then opened his brief case and sprayed me money, which I also did but he ordered his manager to give me back all the money, when i counted the money, it was #280,000.
After that day, I told my doubting friends that am alive with no headache and my record was selling fast.
ANY UNFORGETTABLE THINGS BARRISTER DID FOR YOU
Thank you! The same 1994 Raskimono took me to Abuja for a concert and the day happened to be Barrister birthday, I didn’t know he was at Abuja, we even lodged at the same hotel (Transcorp).
On that day as I wanted to open the entrance door, I don’t know it’s slidding door and I fell down, peoples there makes jest of me but immediately the door opened, I saw Barrister and he carried me up and said a day will come people making jest of me will praised me back.
He advised me that all the money Raskimono gave me for the concert should be spent wisely. The total money was #15000, as Ajegunle boy, I gave my mother #10,000 and took the remaining #5000 to Mandilas and buy some clothes and also buy beers for my friends.
It was my friends I bought beers that reported me to Ajegunle Police station, that am just spending money, that they don’t know how I got the money, the DPO at the station was Taiwo Olakanu and IPO was Baba Laso.
I was detained but there was a day the DPO cousin visited him and told him, there is a new musician in town that he played at a show at Abuja, that same day, they were planning to show me on TV as armed robber, the IPO brought me to DPO office and his cousin saw me and told the DPO that I am the musician. It was at the station they signed me for my second show for Unilag student.
After the show, I was released and I went to Barrister and explained everything to him, he then advised me to bank account. The account was opened with Citizen Bank, Barrister and Dr. Patrick Obubo served as my guarantors.
I was a guest artiste at a popular musician 40th birthday celebration in 1997, it was at the party that I was called that my wife was rushed to hospital for labour. On getting to the hospital, the Doctor told me to deposit some amount of money but that time I was financially down due to a promoter that refused to give me my foreign trip money.
A thought came to my mind to approach the musician I left his party, on getting there I was he is resting, I waited for long but to my surprised, two female visited the man and the security told them in Yoruba language, that the musician did not want to see me. The security didn’t know I can speak Yoruba.
I left there and decided to visit Alhaji Barrister since his house is not far to that musician house, on getting there, I was told Baba travelled to Ibadan but his manager help me called him and Baba started singing “…..moriwa, mori waya ni Isolo….the next thing baba asked his manager to give me #25000 for the baby, #25000 for the mother, #25000 as hospital bill etc the total money I collected that day was #250,000.
Infact I will never forget that day in my life.
On getting to the hospital, the Doctor told me to leave the money.
WHY ONLY BARRISTER
Thank you, Baba is extraordinary human being and I believe he is rightly behind God in heaven.
My first house at Ojodu, Barrister gave me 250bags of cement and 500pcs of blocks to start the work.
If Barrister is two in Nigeria, things will change. His music gave me wisdom and makes me different human being, even many people in Ibadan believe am his son.
His son Barry Showkey took his stage name from my name.
I am not a Fuji Musician but anybody that talk ill of Barrister Legacy will perish.
WHAT WAS YOUR MOTHER REACTION TO BARRISTER
Remember I told you the first musician album I bought was fertilizer and I stole my mother money to buy it.
I was at the naming ceremony of my good friend Pasuma child, my wife and Pasuma wife put to bed a day interval, on the naming ceremony day, when I reached there I saw only Malaika, Remi Aluko and Atawewe and I asked Pasuma why didn’t he invite Barrister but he told me baba will not come, I and my Lawyer (Abdul Kehinde) rushed down to Barrister house and I went straight to his bedroom and I told him Pasuma is celebrating his child naming but baba told me, nobody invited him, even he didn’t know but I told him, he is aware now and he must go, but he said he was engaged and gave me a reasonable amount of money to give Pasuma, which I will like Pasuma to disclosed by himself and I told him the following day is my own daughter naming as well, he gave me #250,000.
On getting back, I gave the money to Pasuma, he was surprised and he gave me #150,000 out of it.
On the day of my daughter naming, everybody was around and I told them, am waiting for Baba to give my child name but he later sent message that Iya Eko was sick and he need to visit her.
Around 7pm that day when we have finished party, I just saw a cooling van coming in front of a car, guessed who came out of the car? It was Baba, he apologized for coming late, party start all over again.
My mother was just crying that the man you stole my money to buy his record, now came to our house to visit you. Today my son, you have achieved.
YOUR ADVICE FOR FUJI MUSICIAN
Everything will be past, they must not let baba legacy to die, Fuji music will continue going backward until they all celebrate the founder.
I will honour Barry without calling any of them, if Barrister “takes English dey play music” the world will celebrate
