I’m bedmate but can’t reside with two women in aforementioned abode –Prof. Y. K Ajao, Amulet musician

Yekini Kolawole Ajao, who is accepted as Professor Y.K Ajao in the music circle, absolutely has every acumen to be grateful. The Makosa Baron who began his music career in 1962 at the age of nine in his hometown Iseyin, Oyo State, went able in 1973. But then, anon he went professional, he accomplished a abatement in patronage.

“Immediately I went professional, I accomplished a abatement in the amount of humans that assassin me to play at their functions. This happened amid 1974 and 1975. But in 1976, I started blossom and my acclaim grew exponentially,” he said in a babble with TS Weekend at his Ikorodu, Lagos home.

However, as the recession was abating, addition one bad time hit the artist amid 1981 and 1982. For him, it was a sad acquaintance because aggregate he had crumbled. “There was no invitation, no advocacy and no individual appearance for me to perform. Aggregate I had crumbled. It was absolutely a sad experience. This lasted for a while and I prayed and approved admonish from my elders and brother in music, the backward Alhaji Ayinde Barrister. He counseled me, gave me banking abutment as able-bodied as agreeable equipment. Today, he charcoal my coach while Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey is my godfather.”

TS Weekend brings you added on Professor YK Ajao. Adore it.

How absolutely did you alpha music?

I started my agreeable career from my hometown, Iseyin, Oyo state. Later, I confused to Ibadan to access added ability in music. From Ibadan, I confused aback to Lagos. Lagos acclimated to be musically vibrant. There were added amusing activities and nightlife was agitation in Lagos than Ibadan. Even in hiring musicians to accomplish at events, Lagos was added forthcoming. I started as an abecedarian artist in 1962 at nine years old. And I went able in 1973 at the age of 23.

In 1973 if you angry able till date, how would you account development in amulet music?

We apparent the cast of music in 1990. We were arena amulet music in the chic of Chief Ebenezer Obey. We afterwards apparent that we were aperture the bazaar added for him even admitting he was a arch amulet musician. Owing to that, we were not accepted in the industry. And anniversary time we performed, a lot of humans mistook us for Ebenezer Obey. This was not allowance us because they couldn’t differentiate us from Ebenezer Obey. Later, Obey arrive me to his abode and like a ancestor and acceptable mentor, he said: ‘Y.K, you are my son. I wish you to alloy your music so that anytime anyone hears you on radio, television or stage, he could calmly say this is Y. K arena and not Ebenezer Obey’. I heeded his admonition and began to agreement on altered styles of music afore clearing for Amulet Makosa.

If you were not a artist what abroad could you accept done?

I accept to altered categories of music, starting from apala, highlife to hip hop so that I could innovate and be added creative. I aswell accept to my accomplished recordings to bare areas of mistake, with a appearance to acclimation and convalescent on them next time on stage. So, music is with me, I’m with music.

How would you analyze your era of alternation to the present bearing of computerized beat?

It is easier for an artisan to cut a individual or an anthology nowadays. Today, it could yield a minimum of two bodies to aftermath a work. In the past, it could yield about 36 humans to aftermath an anthology because an artisan bare to appoint affair men who were paid on every alarm day. Today, digitization has accustomed beginning bang to the industry. It was alternation during our time.

To some artistes, piracy has helped their popularity. What is the case with you?

Frankly speaking, I don’t anguish myself about piracy. Aback I started my agreeable career 43 years ago, I accept congenital my fan abject such that anytime I produced a work; my admirers lapped it up, even if it were 40,000 copies. So, there is no allowance for anybody to charlatan my plan because I apperceive my accommodation and I cannot aftermath works that are added than my fan base. I accept admirers in Lagos, America and London. And if I biking to America, I yield a abundance of plan that would be needed, advertise to my admirers there and aggregate my money in agglomeration sum. It is like that everywhere I biking to in the apple appropriately none of my works can be begin with artery hawkers. We don’t accord allowance for anyone to charlatan our plan because we accept a administration arrangement that doesn’t acquiesce it. Today, humans are requesting for my old works and any moment from now, four of my works would be in the market. It is traveling to be Makosa alternation and my admirers should watch out for them.

What were the a lot of awkward adventures you’ve had with women on stage?

I consistently adore the aggregation of women because they advice my career a lot. A lot of times if anyone capital to appoint my bandage for any occasion, it was consistently women that recommended me to the celebrant. They are like ‘why not alarm Y.K? Try him and you wouldn’t affliction it’. So, women had been the pillars of my success in music. Nonetheless, it’s accepted for them to hug, kiss and romantically action to me on stage. Yes, I accept had lots of these from women.

How would you amount your cast of music, Amulet Makosa, in the country?

Juju music has been about afore I was born, and at 64, it still charcoal able and pulsating. Any added cast of music in Yoruba is an adjunct of amulet including, fuji, apala and sakara. I accept no abjure about my accommodation to stick to Makosa because on stage, I consistently apperceive advanced of time what I am traveling to bowl out to the fans. I aswell try and appraise the admirers while on stage. I acclimated to acquaint my manager, Taju Abiola, to aswell analysis out on our fans’ acknowledgment off the stage, to see whether or not they are adequate what we are alms them. I feel blessed seeing how humans ball and convulse their waists to my cast of music. My joy is complete if admirers are applauding my performance.

Musicians are not accepted to be monogamous. What is the case with you?

I’m a polygamist. I accept wives. But I cannot reside with two women in the aforementioned house. If I reside with one and she afterwards says she is not accept with me and she wants to leave, I will acquiesce her to go, and again I’ll ally addition one. That was how I concluded up a polygamist. I cannot abandon the aboriginal and additional wives. I see myself as a ancestor to all of them. And the one that lives with me, I’m both a ancestor and bedmate to her. I don’t adjudge anyone of them. They can appear and appointment me anytime. To leave them absolutely is not an ideal affair to do. I do accomplish arrange for them to reside on their own. We are still affiliated in hearts but active with them in the aforementioned abode is like putting the abode on blaze and it is dangerous.

What are you accomplishing about adopting added Makosa exponents?

One of my sons Abdulateef Owolabi Ajao, contrarily alleged Makosa 2, is demography afterwards me. He has his own band. He has been arena aback 2002 and he is accomplishing well. Sometimes if he plays at a affair and I ask humans about his performance, the acknowledgment has been encouraging. If he accompanies me to a show, and I am tired, I allure him to angle in for me. And if he starts playing, the admirers wouldn’t wish me to go aback on date anymore, they would adopt he continues to absorb while I rest. I consistently feel blessed to see such things happen.

How did you become a Professor in music?

It was a miracle. Amid 1973 and 74, I acclimated to play at the bar bank in Lagos. The appearance was alleged ‘Weekend Bar Bank Show’ and organised by Nigerian Television Authority (NTA). The backward music maestro, Art Alade accommodating it. We were four musicians arrive to play at the show. Some added musicians had taken their turn. If it got to my turn, I army the stage. And as I began to entertain, anyone aside that they would not wish any added artist to arise the date afterwards me. They started chanting ‘Y.K! Y.K! Y.K!’ I was just 23 years old then. Again Art Alade said: ‘Y.K, you this baby boy, you are traveling to become a Professor. As from today, you are a Professor in music. I acme you Professor because you outperformed added musicians’.

What are some of your awards and recognitions locally and internationally?

I accept won several awards and recognitions. But the one that put me on the map was the Civic Amulet Baron award. It was organized by Poatson Promotions and had me aggressive with the brand of Baron Sunny Ade and Commander Ebenezer Obey. The organisers advertised the accolade on radio and television stations, adage they were searching for the third civic amulet king, afar from Baron Sunny Ade and Ebenezer Obey. They alleged on Nigerians to forward in their nominations in writing, which was the adjustment at that time, as there was no adaptable buzz to do SMS.

Entries came from altered locations of the country, and at the end of the day, I won the contest, accepting pulled the accomplished amount of votes.