That Reckless And Hate Piece Of Jaiyeola Ajasa On SSP By Femi Adepoju

Few hours ago, I came across a dirty and ridiculous piece by one Jaiyeola Ajasa, about Afro Juju creator, multi instrumentalist and super composer, Sir Shina Peters.

Everything in that piece was the opposite of the popular and one of the few very talented, respected and celebrated instrumentalists and complete musicians on the Africa soil.

Sincerely, the Akanbi Oluwashina Peters whose ‘Sir’ title, he got in Britain at a youthful age, couldn’t have been the same Ajasa presented in a corrosive narrative on his Facebook wall.

Apparently, Ajasa is unaware, that the Shina he claimed lacks talent, was the major pull, to Prince Adekunle’s successful band, even at the very tender age of around 12.

He was also the innovator and major attractive entertainer in the famous Sir Shina Adewale musical combo, yet Ajasa claimed he lacked talent.

He said SSP’s band boys made him, hence, he couldn’t do much after they defected on tour.

Truth is, Ajasa’s commentary about SSP exposed his shallow knowledge of the Star player and his little or no knowledge of music as an art.

But for this reason, he would have known that no band member can perform outside of the band leader’s specifications and idea. Band members only compliment the template put on the table by band owner.

No band member can perform beyond the role assigned him.
If Ajasa understood the professional music scene well, he would have known that no band member has a permanent place in a band. No serious band leader would hinge the soul of his band on band members who are naturally nomadic.

Ajasa, should understand that, for any band member in a band, Fuji and juju especially, there are 2 or 3 alternatives on a standby.
They are equally good or sometimes even better than the ‘number 1′.

I am honestly yet to come to terms, with Ajasa’s notion, that band members are responsible for the musical success of SSP whose ingenuity and profile, as a complete musician and exceptional composer, is usually celebrated, even among his fellow musicians.
In as much as one can not but mention the band members in the success story of SSP, I am surprised, that the producer of his several hit albums which gave a face to his bitter band boys, did not deserve a mention in Ajasa’s deliberate assassination of SSP’s personality, a worldly acclaimed musical lord.

If Ajasa had attended Shina Peters’ rehearsal session before, he would have discovered that it is the singer, who gives tunes and direction to his percussionists and other instrumentalists in the band. That is because he plays every instrument available and a master of all at that.

If Ajasa had a personal score to settle with SSP, that should not have interfered with the public assessment of his exemplary and exceptional career. But if I may ask, Is Shina the only musician whose band members would divorce? At a point in Barrister’s music career, his entire band members left, Obey’s band boys had to back him in the studio to record an entire album. That singular act, underscores the optional status of your overated band boys.
It’s sad and disappointing that one who claimed to be a Journalist, couldn’t separate hate for a personality, from his career review which should have been handled without bo.

How would anybody who claimed to be a journalist in this country, refer to SSP as a failed Juju musician. The most ridiculous is, referring to SSP as a horrible singer.

This is the zenith of naked bitterness. Mr Ajasa, If horrible is a requirement for making monster hits over and over again, I will like to take that as a compliment for SSP, whose success level as a musician and pace setter is one in a million.

But truth be told, only an uninformed writer, will refer to Shina Peters as a failed musician. Whoever so reckless enough to make that submission, about a super musician like SSP, surely need careful handling.

That some bad boys said some things about their band leader, does not take away from the career success of SSP as a musician.
By the way, are band members known for giving complimentary remarks about their band leaders?

If Shina slapped a band boy like Ajasa claimed, would he have done that for no just cause, knowing full well how irrational, uncooperative and notorious some band members could be.

If there are band leaders who indulge the band boys, Shina is one. He relates with his band boys like his blood brother.

As a matter of fact, his blood brother, Gbenga was part of his band ( God rest his soul) they were very close and no report of high handedness was made about him to the very cultured now late Gbenga who also stayed in the US till he transited.

Against your believe however, band members don’t drop off tour because the leader is bad. Do your investigation well and get your facts straight.

Describing Shina in the manner you did in your uninformed write up, is to say the least, misleading and highly unprofessional.

Only someone who has age long scores to settle, would so misrepresent an enigma that is Akanbi, in the manner you did. Your writeup on Shina Peters was in a very bad taste.

The only consolation here is that, you are the only one, seeing that picture of Akanbi you just painted in your head. So, Ogbeni Ajasa , you are on your own. OYO lo wa!

…Femi Adepoju is a veteran Entertainment Journalist, Music Critic and Public Analyst 

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