9ice attends Fuji roundtable… Is he eyeing Fuji music?

Abolore Akande, indigenous Nigerian artiste popularly known as 9ice, was one of the guests at the first-ever Fuji roundtable in Nigeria.

9ice, alongside a host of stakeholders in the music industry, described Fuji music as a unifying factor for Yorubas living in the western part of Nigeria and beyond.

The hip-hop star has the roots of his music deeply enshrined in the Yoruba culture, but it remains unclear if the Mobo award winner will be turning to Fuji music, full time.

The maiden edition of the Fuji roundtable, powered by Goldberg Lager Beer, one of Nigerian Breweries Plc products, was held in Lagos on Monday at the corporate headquarters of Nigerian Breweries.

In his keynote address, Olawale Obadeyi, a published poet, writer and newspaper columnist, noted that Goldberg had appropriated Fuji music as a veritable platform through which cultural values could be used to validate the essence of Yorubas living in the region and beyond.

Obadeyi traced the origin of this genre of music to the period when Were, the local brand of music, was in vogue among the Muslim faithful.

He acknowledged that the music had grown astronomically over the years, featuring different artistes who have contributed in different dimensions to its development.

“Each Fuji artiste, evidently, is pushing the limits of creativity. The horizon of Fuji music has been astoundingly widened,” he said.

In his opening remarks, Emmanuel Agu, portfolio manager, Mainstream Lager and Stout brands, Nigerian Breweries Plc, said the importance of music to any country could not be over-emphasised.

“Music transcends all boundaries of communication. Music and its rhythm define our humanity considering the universality and essentiality beyond language barrier,” he said.