Akeem Lasisi
It was excitement galore at the Agege Stadium on Monday evening when One Lagos Fiesta started on a very high note. Veteran fuji musician, Kollington Ayinla, as well as several other top acts, jammed with the crowd in a way that many people had not experienced for a long time. The opening show of the One Lagos Fiesta simultaneously happened in Ikorodu, Badagry, Victoria Island and Epe.
Since the explosion of hippy genres, old timers like Kollington have been more in the background. But each time they have an opportunity to reunite with limelight, they usually successfully reactivate their bond with fans. One Lagos Fiesta has particularly provided ground for this as it did in again in Agege. Many members of the audience were youths, as expected. Yet, they had a nice time with the ‘General’ who was also obviously set for the young crowd he faced.
But there were older folks too, those who subsisted on the music of Kollington and many of his other older colleagues. They went wild as the artiste mounted the stage and endlessly dished out songs that once ruled the waves from his tested repertory. Normally, Kollington hardly stays long on any theme or subject. At least, that is one difference between his style and the strength of his late contemporary, Sikiru Ayinde Barrister. From one album to the other, the Ilota, Kwara State-born singer treats a particular issue and soon moves on. On Monday night when he faced with an unpredictable young crowd, he very much fed fat on the same style as he rode from Lakukulala to Ijo Yoyo, Ijo n Be, Megastar, Swagger, Yuppy Daddy and several of his other songs. The ploy worked because it kept the audience at a very active pace.
The dressing of members of the troupe might seem a bit uncoordinated, compared to what the likes of Saheed Osuppa and Atawewe separately paraded on the opening day, the bata fuji king, who is also also called Kebe N Kwara, paraded his trademark instruments, especially the bata drum that he introduced into the music.
As the fiesta is holding on a stadium, it was good that Kollington remembered Sam Okwaraji, the then Green Eagles powerful striker who died at the National Stadium, Surulere, during a match. He took Lagos down the memory lane, singing, “Oh Okwaraji/ O Okwaraji/ Iwo nikan lowo baba iwo nikan lowo mama/ Bi’on ba n gba boolu lorun/ Ko ge won lege ara…”
Kollington has never been a great dancer; so, many people would not be surprised at his modest stage craft during the performance. But despite the fact that he has been singing for about five decades, his voice was still very loud, steady and commanding.
