Saturday, 2 April 2016

Autobiography of Alhaji Wasiu Alabi Odetola Pasuma

In this generation of singers, Wasiu Ayinde Marshall, known as (KWAM1 or K1 De Ultimate), has been the most recognizable name in the genre since the mid - to late 1990s and in the late 1990s the trio of Wasiu Alabi Pasuma (Oganla 1 of Fuji) and others are dominating the scene till present.
     Therefore, Wasiu Ajibola Adekunle Odetola Alabi Pasuma, without doubt, one of the most prominent Fuji artistes in the Nigerian music industry popularly known as (Oganla of Fuji, Federal Government of Fuji Music and Mayweather) of music in general was born on the 27th November, 1967 at (MUSHIN), a suburb of Lagos, located in Lagos State, Nigeria, and is one of Nigeria's 774 Local Government Areas. It is located 10 km north of the Lagos city core, adjacent to the main road to Ikeja, and is a largely a congested residential area with inadequate sanitation and low-quality housing. It had 633,009 inhabitants at the 2006 Census. The core centre of Mushin is centred around Ojuwoye Town. Mushin denotes the picking of a Fruit known as Ishin fruit which is a connotation of two words "MU"- meaning pick and "Ishin" which is a fruit. Both words form the Great legendary Mushinland that has produced notary people that has won accolade far and near. The King of this Great Land Mushin is OBA FATAI A. AILERU II (JP), a First class king and a member of the Lagos State Oba-in-council.
Mushin has about four industrial Estates which are: Mushin also has many markets, among them are:
Mushin is also the home of Lagos University Teaching Hospital popularly known as LUTH.
Fela Kuti's former home/commune, the Kalakuta Republic is located along Agege Motor Road in the Idi-Oro neighborhood of Mushin. Fela's old Afrika Shrine club was also located in Idi-Oro, in the courtyard of the Empire Hotel, before it was burned down by the Obasanjo military regime. A new Shrine was later built in neighboring northern suburb of Ikeja. But, he hailed from “Oro town”, Irepodun Local Government in Kwara State, Southwestern Nigeria. And he is the only child his mother had for the Odetola’s family.
His father was a general manager of a company used to be known as SDR Company in Apapa while his Mother was a trader. But at a time, an actress who single-handledly raised and catered for his upbringings after they were been separated from the house on Gbenle Lane at Olateju in Mushin where they used to live with his father into one of those old tenement bungalows people called “face-mi-i-face-you” situated at 37, Asofihan Street, Olorunshogo, Mushin, Lagos. 
Jibola started his primary school education at Muslim Mission Primary School between (1973-1979), his first time in school was at the age of six (6) under the supervision of his parents. But, unfortunately, his parents got divorced when he was in primary three (3) at the age of nine (9) when his father who wanted him to be a medical doctor noticed he was nursing the ambition of becoming a Fuji star, he could no longer sponsor Jibola’s education because of his addiction to Fuji music influenced into his blood by a record released in 1984 sang by King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal titled “Talazo 84” which inspired him into the dream of becoming a Fuji star in future before and even do more than that of KWAM 1. Also, his mother was not in support of it until Jibola told his mother not to worry that, “he would survive it”. 
So, his father divorced his mother after the issue was raised and Jibola remained with his dream that no going back to what his father wanted him to study for the future. They moved out into another apartment and started a new life with hardship which his mother became a single parent since then. That was how Jibola wholeheartedly decided and supported his mother, hawking fried fish she was selling and also traded Fan Ice Cream with bicycle to support his mother, he also spent his time as a teen in Ojuwoye Mushin, where he used to push wheel barrow helping traders to convey their goods bought and sold outs. 
Thereafter, he moved on with his life as a bus conductor at a time after his school hours till about 8:00 pm plying all the routes from Mushin-Oshodi, Iyana Ipaja-Agege. 
During that time, Jibola was working without thinking about anything but to help his mother because he knew right from the start that his mother always show to be a loving, caring and wonderful mother to him.
During this time, Jibola was attending the Nigeria Model High School, Idi-Oro, between 1979-1984, where he furthered into his secondary school education and started fully his music career amongst his colleagues at school; between 1984-1989. He attended shows (jumps) at hotels and stage performances at different joints and areas in Mushin-Lagos, with his caucus he created in 1987 named “Wasiu Alabi and His Fuji Cabaret” to Places like Temiogbe Hotel very close to Olorunsogo, then he later moved to Chigago Hotel in Mushin, then to Chroma Hotel at Ebute Metta, then also Stadium Hotel Surulere, Ariya Hotel at Jibowu and so on.  
During this time, he was actually planning to be a footballer but had his highest percentage interest in music. He used to be a footballer when he was younger, he played for Abuede at Shogunle alongside Fatai Atere and Jonathan Akpoborire and he was even part of the team that was supposed to go to the first edition of the FIFA CODAC games in 1985. He was invited to the camp, but unfortunately he was dropped.
In 1993, Jibola met with the then Eru Owa, now, Sarolaj Music and Films International situated at 51, Adeyemi Street off. LUTH road, Mushin-Lagos, the person of Olalekan Sarumi, a young dynamic serial entrepreneur, Investor and successful businessman with creative mind who believes every dream can be moved to reality and signed an agreement with him for the success of the First album titled “Recognition”.  
In 1994 was the released of the Second album titled “Choices.” And Pasuma was crowned “Akeweje Onifaaji of Mushin,” by the King, OBA FATAI A. AILERU II (J), before the greatest chart buster, “Orobokibo” which was the Third album, Wasiu Alabi Odetola, was given an ultra-supporting nick name, that no one but, he alone since then is popularly known to be called as “PASUMA” which was given to him by one of his music pal called Adeola Omotayo, the C.E.O. “HOUSE OF HEAVY SOUND". The name was derived from a drug called PASUMA STRONG (energiser drink) and why he was chosen to be called that name is because of the way he entertain his audiences on stages with the way he gets people carried away with his dance around on stage play as a powerful man and thought if he adopt that name, it will continue to make him to be more powerful.
 Alhaji Wasiu Ajibola Odetola thought of the nick name that was proposed to him severally and finally accepted by using the name in supports of his other names as Wasiu Alabi Pasuma (WAP), hoping it will work as an energiser as he was told but instead, he became a great socialist, entertainer and more influential in the society (Home and Abroad). The released of the song "Orobokibo", brought Pasuma into limelight since 1995. That same year, Jibola added to his name Alhaji Wasiu Ajibola Odetola Pasuma, when he returned from the pilgrim Mecca in 1995.

No comments:

Post a Comment