Akeem Lasisi
Fans of prominent fuji artistes, Saheed Osupa and Alabi Pasuma, on a silver platter got an opportunity to renew the rivalry between them on Saturday when a Facebook opinion moulder, Mr Ayo Ojeniyi, desired to know who the greatest is among the two and Alao Malaika.
This has been a recurrent question since Osupa and Pasuma emerged on the scene about the same time in the early 1990s, when the late Sikiru Ayinde and Kollington Ayinla were still largely in form – alongside the likes of Wasiu Ayinde, Abas Akande Obesere, Adewale Ayuba and Sefiu Alao. It was interesting on Saturday to see even members of the ‘elite’ queue behind Osupa and Pasuma while a few anointed Malaika.
Interestingly, the issues raised bordered on what many observers had earlier noted about the careers of the two. While Osupa is believed to be a compelling composer with an enviable depth, Pasuma is celebrated for being an ‘entertainer’. Some also believe that he (Paso) got branding right early enough, giving him an opportunity to mingle more with the hip hop and corporate world. Yet, Osupa’s usually philosophical songs have always made him relevant.
Well, a lot of the Facebook judges who commented believe one is greater than the other. If the Ojeniyi’s post were thus a poll, one of the contestants definitely had an edge, although Phenomenal.com.ng is not out to announce such here.
Rather, the following two comments, among those that greeted the post, are worthy of note: “Osupa and Pasuma are on the same pedestal of popularity and fame. Malaika is more of a Lagos Island and environ superstar. Unlike the duo earlier mentioned who do not need introduction throughout Nigeria where fuji music is loved and enjoyed.”
“They are both independent kings in their musical domains. When it comes to sensible lyrics, king of music (Osupa) is the best, while Otunba (Pasuma) is an entertainer.”
What keen followers of fuji music will also find instructive is that Osupa and Pasuma – as well as Malaika – have proved their worth in terms of the impact they have made in the country’s music industry. They have stayed top for about three decades, in in a clime where many artistes have come and gone – not just in terms of death but also in prematurely falling off stardom.
That Osupa and Pasuma came at the same time has also benefited fuji. Theirs is a generation needed to give the genre life especially when hip hop and other less traditional forms usurped the space. They have combined well with the likes of Wasiu Ayinde and Adewale Ayuba to sustain fuji in the hearts of millions of its fans.
Their rivalry too has helped the music – the way the one between Barrister and Kollington also did, often pushing them to do better, and sparking the kind of sensation that Ojeniyi just caused on Facebook.
