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• My advice to upcoming artistes: Put God first, stay humble, and make history
By Oluseye Ojo
At 61, Alhaji Abass Akande Obesere stands as one of the most enduring and influential figures in Fuji music, a genre he has helped shape across generations.
In this interview, the celebrated musician opens up on his career, personal philosophy, and the legacy he continues to build beyond the stage.
Fresh from the release of his latest album, Humility/Oosha Nla, Obesere speaks candidly on his birthday celebrations, the long-running supremacy debates within Fuji music, and the discipline required to remain relevant in an ever-changing industry. He also sheds light on his philanthropic interventions, ranging from the unveiling of a new mansion to initiatives aimed at supporting students and uplifting the underprivileged.
What did you use to commemorate your 61st birthday?
I have just released an album. The record we are talking about is five in total. It is titled: ‘Humility ‘and ‘Oosha Nla’. . But Humility and Oosha Nla are what we have used to push the record forward. It is on every music platform for downloading.
I deliberately ensured that the release of the record coincided with my 61st birthday. I like to do something that is spectacular. This is why I planned it this way.
What are the tracks in the new release and what are the lessons that should resonate with people?
The lesson from Humility is that whatever God Almighty has given you, you don’t have to be arrogant with it. You should not look at other people that are less successful as nothing.
Then, you should listen to wise counsel, and do what is right. You should not be a person that does not have listening ears nobody. Whatever you want to do is what you would do without having a second thought in case what you are embarking on what would not augur well.
On many occasions, irrational behaviour has landed some people in big troubles. God does not like arrogant people. God wants you to humble yourself so that He can lift you up and for His people to lift you up on His behalf.
So, don’t tell the world that you are something. Let the world call you something by themselves.
On Oosha Nla, I slept and I had a dream, God told me in the dream that He wanted me to be bearing Oosha Nla. I told God in the dream that He is the only Oosha Nla that nobody could compete with. He told me that the reason He wants me to bear Oosha Nla, is that He has made me Oosha Nla among all musicians. This is why I am saying that I have become an Oosha Nla among all musicians. They can never understand. How would they understand when I myself do not understand?
Everything about life is in the album. How to live life, how to enjoy life, and wisdom nuggets are in the album. Humility is one of the titles and Oosha Nla is another title. If you are in a position today, always remember that some people were in the position before you, and you are not going to be the last to occupy the position.
We are using style to pass the messages in the album to society. In Nigeria today, if you are saying the truth and you do not apply wisdom, you will become the enemy of the powers that be. What they want you to be doing is to be telling lies because of N10 they want to distribute to deceive people.
But with wisdom, there is a way you can pass the message to them. You would do it in such a way that you won’t focus on anyone. But everyone that listens to your music would pick their own messages from it.
You celebrated your 61st birthday with a mansion, and the release of a new album. Can you also let us into how you marked your 60th birthday last year?
When I clocked 60 years last year, I did it in an unprecedented manner. I am not a person that celebrates birthdays. I like a quiet life. It is just that God has destined me to be a musician.
But it has come to a state, whereby some musicians that are far below my status are being rated above me because I don’t hype what I have been doing.
Then, this is showbiz. Whatever you have, show it to the world. There are some that live fake lives. Also, there are some as well that tell the truth.
I sat down and decided that if you are rating people higher than me because I don’t hype what I am doing, I will prove to you that what I used to surpass them is much.
This was why I showed some treasures when I did my 60th birthday last year. I did house warming for five buildings. I also gave my drummer one house. I gave my band members parcels of land.
It was in the same 2025 that I built a mosque for the secondary school that I attended, which is School Three, Iponri Grammar School, Jubril Martins. I also did students ‘ empowerment for that same year.
All these are for people to know that I am not joking, only that I don’t like to hype myself.
This one for 2026, I know that I just did something last year. But I want them to know that it is not for play. They should not compare me with people that are below me. They should not place me in a class below me. I should be put in the commensurate class. The one that I did in 2026, I didn’t inform anybody like the one of last year. I ensured that the ones of this year caught them unawares.
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It was on my 61st birthday on January 28, 2026, that we unveiled the new mansion that I am using to commemorate the celebrations. I am just letting them know that it is not child play. For my 60th birthday last year, I also did empowerment for students with school bags and notebooks, called Obesere school bag and Obesere exercise book.
What is the monetary value of the new mansion?
I don’t need to say how much I spent on building the mansion. Let them guess. They should put it on the scale.
When you started your musical career, did you ever envisage that God would take you this far?
I don’t see myself. I just do my own and go straightforward. I did not even know the way. But God showed me the way. He did not allow me to fall into the pitch. This work that I am doing, I met it at home. I came from a family of drummers and singers. I did not jump into music because I wanted to be like somebody. I can only respect the elders that I met in Fuji music. This brand of Fuji that I sing, God deliberately gave it to me. Therefore, If I build 100 houses it is not a mistake.
My mother told me that the first day I took the first step to walk in life, I walked towards one plastic material. I picked it up and started beating it like a drum. My mother told me that she said within herself then that this boy would be a musician. I was a toddler then.
Can you tell us some of the challenges that you have faced in your musical career and how did you overcome them?
Challenges are parts of life. You face it everyday. But one thing is sure, the challenges would come and go. This is the reality of life. It cannot be rosy all the time with somebody. You are the one that must stand with your God. Once you have a clean mind towards your fellow, God will always vindicate you. As long as you don’t have an evil mind against another person, you will stand. It may seem as if you want to fall, but you will not fall. Nevertheless, you must be on the side of Almighty God.
What are the remarkable achievements that you have recorded as a musician?
God is the one doing everything. I never told God that this is what I wanted. God has only been supporting us. It is God that has been having mercy on me. What do I need from God? Everything that I need, God has been providing it all for me. What I am praying to God for is long life.
There is an insinuation that Fuji music is dying. What is your take on this?
Fuji Music can never die, as long as we are still speaking Yoruba. We sing Fuji in Yoruba language. If we mix it with English, it should not be more than one to 10 per cent.
The Fuji music space is fraught with supremacy battles among gladiators. What should be the way forward?
I am not competing for supremacy battle with anyone. I am Number One, where God has put me. We have not seen anyone singing like Abass Akande. We have not seen anyone drumming like Abass Akande. In my Fuji level, I am Number One. Those that God used to originate Fuji music, and that we met in the Fuji music are the late Alhaji Sikiru Ayinde and Alhaji Killington Ayinla. We shall continue to pay glowing tributes to them.
I am not competing for number one, two or three with anyone. I am number one. The only exception is for you to bring out somebody that has been singing and drumming like me before I came into Fuji music.
What is your advice for youngsters that are planning to be like you?
They should try to be unique. They should do something different This is the only way they can shoot out. If not, they will just be like followers. And whoever you are singing and drumming like, the best you can be in that pattern is number two because people would say you are singing or drumming like somebody. You are promoting the person. The person will still be number one.
So, you must stand out. Why can’t you be on your own? We know it is not easy. If you know this is what you want to do and you want the world to know you with it, then try to make the history, such that your name will live forever.
We know that Fela Anikulapo-Kuti was the owner of his system. Alhaji Sikiru Ayinde Barrister was the owner of his system. Alhaji Killington Ayinla is the owner of his system. It is also so with me because I am the owner of my system.
If one of your biological children want to take after you as a musician, would you give your approval?
Why won’t I allow him or her? The people that gave birth to me did not disturb me. I will allow him or her to sing. If that is the way of God for him or her, I will give the necessary backing.
It has been observed that you have always put God first in everything. How come?
We must always put God first. As we are talking now, it is the mercy of God that is enabling us to talk. Some people want to talk but they cannot say anything and they are praying to God to help them so that they can talk.
There are some people that could not defecate on their own. It is the mercy of God that has kept us. I know there is God, even if people don’t believe that God exists.
God has shown himself to me many times. First, I got to know there is God from rats. There was a house I lived in many years ago. Anytime I travelled then, rats would have defecated everywhere before my return. But the amazing thing is that the rats never defecated on my praying mat
