I have known this great fuji artiste all my life,we grew up in the same area,i can tell one or two things about him,a great fellow to be with,a philanthropist,interesting,religious and a gentleman,a great family man,you all need to see him perform and you know he's a real entertainer.
Full names?
My name is Sulaiman Alao Adekunle
Saka-Orunto.
Background?
From the Orunto family of
Ago-Owu, in Abeokuta. Owu, by the way is a quarter in the rock city. I am in my
late 30’s and I am a musician. I compose, arrange, sing as well as play the
drums- drumset, Gangan, Iya ilu, Sakara and so on.
How will you describe you kind of music?
My genre of music is Fuji, common
among the people of the South West part of Nigeria and especially Muslims. It
is educative, entertaining and informative.
What kind of music do you listened to when you are growing up?
Apala, Fuji, Sakara.
Do you play any instrument?
I play the drums and percussions.
Your first album MR WONDER was released in 1994,how have u evolved since then?
I've become more confident, i am a better singer, performer and musician. I improve everyday.
The album MR WONDER,is still one of my favorite album of all time,who
wrote the song?
I did just as i do write all my songs.
How was it like being the first music artiste among your peers to be
the first to travel to the USA?
It was a thing of joy that i blaze the trail. I was the first to travel outside Africa on a performance tour among my peers in any genre of music and i am grateful to God that almost everyone are doing that regularly now.
You have released up to 16 albums up to date,how has it being like?
It is actually 18 personal albums and they are as follows
MR WONDER (1994)
MASTERPIECE (1995)
LEGEND (1996)
MALAIKA (1997)
AMERICAN DREAM (1998)
CORRECTION (1999)
RECOMPENSE (2000)
CNN (2002)
UNSTOPPABLE (2003)
INTERLINK (2003)
PEACEMAKER (2004)
ALAYELUWA (2005)
EUROPEAN KNOCKOUT (2006)
DEDICATION (2007)
ELEVATOR & MOTIVATOR
(2009)
AFRICA LIKE EUROPE (2009)
PROPER MUSIC (2011)
SPECIAL DAY (2012)
Which of the albums is your favorites?
All of them are unique and tells a part of my story. From MR WONDER till date, I cherish all my albums.
Fuji artistes are looked at as a drop out,illiterates,what can you sat
about this?
It is not true. Education is not only what you go to a formal school to learn. Many of us are not illiterates as we do talk to and perform for whites.
What is your relationship with KING AYINDE WASIU?
Cordial, very cordial. We use to be in the same record label and he is like a musical father to me.
I know you have had some rough times with some of your colleagues
people like saheed osupa,pasuma wonder,what exactly has being the
problems?
I believe there understanding level was low. The sky is big enough for all of us to exist without harming each other. I dont have any problem with anyone.
The issue of titles that you fuji artistes are always attaching to
your names,where is that really from?
It is all branding, to make us appeal to our fans and the general public more. Sometimes people give you awards and titles and expect you to use them while performing.
And what can you say about the rumours of fighting in public with
other fuji artistes?
That is a thing of the past among all of us. It happenned to me once and that time too, i was attacked by another artiste and his boys.
Tell us about your greatest show you ever played?
Too many than i can recollect but my first show in the USA in 1997 still remain fresh in my memory
I know you have being to almost everywhere in the world,what countries
are you still looking forward to?
Fuji artiste are said to have so many wives,tell us how many you have?
I am married to two lovely women
What other talents do you have aside singing?
I am a sports person. I can play soccer, table tennis and so on
Writing and performing of fuji songs are very hard to do,how do you
pull this off?
It's like asking a cook how he/she do cook. It is my trade secret and I thank God for giving me the talent
What record label are you singed on to?
Babalaje Music. Though we dont have a formal contract, but we understand ourselves
Where do you get your inspiration from?
From people, from nature, from what God has done and is doing for me
Tell us about a typical day in your life?
I sleep, play games and relax with my family even if I have a performance
You have a lot of colabos,how was it like working with all this artistes?
It's fun working with and helping other artiste. It is no burden at all. I enjoy it.
Are you looking forward to discovering other talents just like you
were discovered too?
I do the best I can. I have helped many younger artiste get a footing through participating in there albums, sponsoring album, helping them travel out of the country on playing tours and featuring them in my shows or in their shows.
Your opinion about the naija music scene?
it's getting better. It has improved tremendously more than when we began almost 30 years ago. Though opportunities are limited now due to the economic situation, there are better chances for those who work hard enough with God behind such.
How do you relate with the other artistes from the hip hop scene?
We are all one. Some are my friends, others are just colleagues but if and when there is a need to relate, we do come together
How many cars do you drive?
I have two right now. I've gone past the time when i buy a lot of cars
How do you cope with your female fans?
They are necessary evils that we must live with. They remain my fans and I try as much as possible to make them happy as my fans.
How do you relax?
I play games on my PlayStation or just sleep
Married?
Sure
Awards?
Too many that i cant recollect all
Piracy.
We are calling on the government to help us tackle that problem. They are really killing us.
Words for your fans?
I love them all and I am promising that i won't ever disappoint them. They should continue to believe in me
