An array of academics, lawyers, Fuji musicians and other professionals gathered in Ibadan last Saturday to honour the memory of the late Chief (Dr) Sikiru Ayinde Balogun, popularly known as Barrister.
Ilaji Hotel and Resorts, Akanran, Ibadan hosted a community of fans at the BarryFest 2024 to honour the memory world-famous late fuji musician and what he stood for when he was alive.
It was a two-day event that held between 9 and 10 February as the fans converged on Ibadan, the hometown of Barrister.
The fans celebrated the legacies of the legendary Fuji creator in a colourful ceremony, featuring live performances by musicians.
Jumat Service was observed on Day One of the event at the Mufutau Olanihun Mosque, along Iwo Road. Prayers were offered for Barrister who turned 76 years posthumously on the day, 9 February.
The prayer was followed by the unveiling of the Barrister Cenotaph at the Ibadan end of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
Two bosom friends of Barrister, Otunba Adisa Osiefa and Chief Kola Oyadeji, jointly performed the unveiling ceremony.
The colourful BarryFest 2024 was rounded off the following day with a
Gala Night at the Ilaji Hotel and Resorts.
At the Gala Night, all fans groups formed in the name of the late Alhaji Agba mixed with one another in a convivial atmosphere and danced to different tracks of Barrister.
A famous Ibadan-based On Air Personality (AOP), Alhaji Gboyega Lawal, joined the fans at the Gala Night where he paid glowing tribute to Barrister.
Lawal recalled an incident at a party where he would have died but for the prompt intervention of the late Fuji musician. “For this, I will never forget Alhaji,” he added.
The grand finale, which held on Saturday, featured presentation of awards to deserving individuals and organisation.
It also featured the premier of “Mr Fuji Barry Wonder”, a documentary produced by Saheed Aderinto, an Ibadan-born, US-based professor of History.
Professor Aderinto thrilled the large audience with exclusive memorable images of Barrister, his band members, family and fans.
He revealed that he commenced shootings of the documentary in 2021 at different locations in Nigeria and the US where he is a lecturer.
Aderinto said the documentary was not made for commercial purpose but to preserve the role Barrister played in carving out an unknown genre among Nigerian indigenous brands of music.
The History scholar also said the documentary was produced with a view to telling critical knowledge that is close to the heart of the people who use the medium of documentary filmmaking.
He said the documentary was “To preserve the legacies of Barrister through the medium of a film. To place Fuji at the center of global knowledge production.
“To increase the global attention on Fuji. To take the name of Fuji and Barrister into academic domains where they don’t exist for now.”
Also in attendance at the ceremony was Mr Mutalubi Adebayo Ojo SAN who described Barrister as a superstar both in life and in death.
The former Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice, Oyo State received an award from the organiser of the BarryFest.
He said Barrister was great, both in life and death, adding that he has never seen a late Nigerian musician as more blessed with dedicated fans as Barrister.
Vice Chancellor of Ojaja University, Eyenkorin, Kwara State, Professor Jeleel Ojuade, presented a paper which dug deep into the Barrister evolution as a force to reckon with in the Nigerian indigenous music industry.
Chairman and Secretary of the BarryFest 2024 Planning Committee, Alhaji Olaide Olawumi and Agba Akin Ademola Adesingbin, respectively, expressed satisfaction at the outcome of the event.
The duo described BarryFest 2024 as an improvement on the maiden edition held in 2022 at the same venue and the Fuji Chamber, Isolo, Lagos residence of Barrister.
“All we need to say is to thank God for His grace over the planning committee. We faced few challenges along the line due to the state of the nation’s economy. But God helped us to overcome those challenges.
“We thank all our members for their enthusiasm towards the successful hosting of BarryFest 2024. They are all wonderful.
“We also thank all our invited guests for honouring us with their presence and support. We shall continue to hold them in high esteem,” Adesingbin said.
