Tragedy hit the fuji house on Sunday as Joel Ajayi, saxophonist of star musician, Wasiu Ayinde K1 de Ultimate, passed on.
Family source said Ajayi died after a yet-to-be-disclosed illness.
He was, however, said to have been in a coma for some time.
Described as a focused and friendly artiste, Joel, as his friends and associates popularly called him, mastered the sax art early.
He was said to have become the choice of several artistes since as far back as the late 1990’s, after which he
encountered Wasiu Ayinde, who soon developed strong interest in him.
“When the story of the transformation that K1 brought into fuji will be told, there is no way Joel’s role will not be aknowledged,” says a follower of the genre, Gbola Oyewole.
Also, a contemporary of the deceased, Edaoto Agbeniyi, believes that Joel’s impact is real in the fuji world generally.
Stressing the need for proper health insurance system for artistes, Edaoto says, “He was one of the people that made the saxophone popular in fuji. He was able to blend sax with fuji. So, he helped in selling the musical brand to new audiences.
“It is true that the likes of Barrister had introduced trumpet into the genre, but they were not that consistent in its use. For Joel and Wasiu, however, sax became a permanent feature to the point that other artistes fell in love with it. So, to me, Joel played a major role in the development of fuji. May his soul rest in peace.”
