Leaders Of ISMAN And PISMAN Once Ganged Up Against Me

+ Why I Created My Own Group Called MEPAFON

Islamic Music Star, Ayeloyun Explodes

His cool mien and calm approach to issues are indicative of the fact that he is a gentleman. But as it is often said by gentle people to ward off unwarranted harassment that “gentility is not stupidity,” that creed seemed to be the impetus for star Islamic artiste, Alhaji Qamardeen Odunlami better known as Ayeloyun or Baba Iyawo who did what most of his colleagues in Islamic music industry least expected of him recently. He announced the existence of his own group, MEPAFON, that could be regarded as the 3^rd faction in Islamic music in addition to the initial two: Islamic Musicians’ Association of Nigeria (ISMAN) and Professional Islamic Artistes’ Association of Nigeria (PISMAN) which have been at dagger drawn with each other since ISMAN splitted into two. And Ayeloyun’s new addition seemed to have brought more complexity to the current raging rancor in the industry, but Ayeloyun surely has his reasons for toeing that path. Baba Iyawo opened up to SAHEED OJUBANIRE ONLINE recently on why he took the position he has taken in the industry as he answered question on several other issue. Excerpts:

Q: As we speak, Ayeloyun is about the most controversial Islamic artiste in the country due to what happened at your Ayeloyun Day event few days ago that you sort of announced a new faction in the industry in addition to the initial two: Islamic Musicians’ Association of Nigeria (ISMAN) and Professional Islamic Musicians’ Association of Nigeria (PISMAN), what informed that decision of yours?

Well, I decided to remain neutral between the two of them because I was once with ISMAN which was the sole and only organization that united every one of us. But  about 8 years ago, I was running for the office of Governor of Lagos State, ISMAN, but the then president who incidentally is now their outgoing president, Alhaji Wasiu As-Sideeq, was not in my support and he engineered a gang-up against me then by all the stake-holders. And around that period I had an accident, in fact two weeks before the accident because of the uproar and tension the build-up to the election was generating, some of the founding members of ISMAN and precursors of Islamic music such as Alhaji Abdullahi Akinbode, the Chief Missioner of NASFAT, Alhaji Abdul-Wahab Falowo and Alhaji Rahman Adangba all came together and said let Ayeloyun be the governor of Lagos on a resolution rather than going on with the tension soaked election and we all agreed. We even sworn to upholding the agreement but on the second day, the forces against me overturned the agreement and said they never wanted any input from the well-respected elders. They called them dimmed stars that “we are the shining stars,” and barely a month after then, I had a fatal accident in which I lost my younger brother and a band member. And about a week after the accident, information reached me that they were saying my injuries were not much blah blah blah, that I only broke my arm! And to my utmost amazement, while I was still taking treatments for my injuries, they went on with a purported election and came up with a governor in my absence! Meanwhile, I have always had some loyal followers who still remained with me within ISMAN who did not like what they did then. And the loyalists said they would rather stay with me or would never be part of ISMAN again. And besides, any time I was at the ISMAN meeting after the whole saga, the atmosphere was always charged with suspicion and lack of trust, they were never comfortable having me around. Whatever they were discussing then, the moment I stepped in, they would change the topic which was an indication that they must have been talking about me in bad light and I don’t like things like that. Even when I stopped going to the meeting, nobody called for years to ask that Ayeloyun, why have you not been coming to the meeting until recently that I heard they wanted to have their  predetermined new Ameera, Governor and the rest of it, in place. It is important I say this, during the build up to the election that did not hold eventually when I was contesting back then, Ahmad Alawiye squealed to me when they came to me trying to lure me into PISMAN some days back, that the reason he decided not to support either of the two of us contesting for the post of ISMAN Governor between myself and Mumeen Damilola then was because Alhaji Wasiu As-Sideeq called him to a corner and told him that: “Alawiye, you are a house-hold name, Mumeen Damilola is a house-hold name, Ayeloyun is a house-hold name, you are not supposed to queue behind either of them. In fact, the game I’m playing is that you, Alawiye, are my real candidate, I don’t want to use either of them.” So Alawiye said that was why he dashed out of the hall at that point in time and that he would have in deed, supported my aspiration back then. And they said they wanted me in PISMAN because that will give them upper hand over ISMAN due to my status in the industry. And what I see about PISMAN is that they have their own motive. They are very angry with ISMAN’s leadership. And to form a solid group, you can’t do that with anger. And ironically, both ISMAN and PISMAN had united to fight me before, when they were still together as one; they all ganged up against me. But now that they have splitted, the first faction wants me, the second faction wants me, I won’t join either of them. But I still maintain my position that if they could come back together as one, I can still join them. But while there is still faction, I will rather go my own way.

Q: But you already have the third force called MEPAFON. So, what would now become the fate of MEPAFON should ISMAN and PISMAN fuse together again and you decide to go back?

Members of MEPAFON are all submissive to me, they believe in me and they follow everything I say. In fact, they believe they have future with me because I would not lead them astray. So these are people that if I say that this is the new direction we are going, we would sit at a round table and discuss it and they will agree with me because they are my loyalists. Like I told them already, we are not fighting anybody; we are only maintaining our dignity as Islamic artistes. Because I can’t stand it when people would be saying to me, Qamardeen, but you people claim to be versed in the knowledge of the Holy Quran, you say you are men of God and you are having a media celebrated rancor amongst yourselves, washing your dirty linen in the public. I don’t want that. I want to stare clear of the warring factions. Meanwhile, I have tried to talk to both parties and they are not listening, so I decided to keep off.

Q: But how were you able to perform the magic that brought the leadership of the two factions to your event few days back despite the fact that they had been avoiding each other?

It is because they wanted to turn my event to a battlefield. You know they had been avoiding each other. ISMAN wanted me because they believed I am the “bad” boy of the industry because I had not really been with them from time and if I declared myself as ISMAN, there were some of PISMAN members that would come back to ISMAN. And it could also be the other way round, if I say I’m PISMAN, some ISMAN members would come to PISMAN. But when I eventually declared myself neutral to both parties by saying I belong to MEPAFON, they were confused. And all I really want is that I wanted them to reunite, if they are not united I’m not backing anyone of them.

Q: So for now, how would you be relating with the members of the two factions?

I have told my followers and members that we are still one with them. If any ISMAN member calls me for a performance, I would go, provided they want me because I’m not going to force myself on them. If any PISMAN member wants me for a show or anything, I will go because we are still one. And if they decide tomorrow to come back together as one, I will still join them.

Q: Now let’s talk about Ayeloyun as an artiste. Time was, in this country when Ayeloyun’s name was synonymous with Islamic music such that whenever you mention Islamic music you are always thinking about Ayeloyun. But now, the tempo seems to have really gone down, what made it so?

It owed largely to my accident back then. Because the accident was very serious and I was off stage for more than a year and before I would come back, you know, most of the marketers were saying you have been off stage for so long maybe we should not invest our money on you and all that. But currently, I’m back and better.

Q: So what is new about Ayeloyun and his music?

I have a number of songs that have not been recorded. But what I have recorded now is “Fife Laye” from the stable of Okiki Music and Films. If you listen to it, it is a very good music and everybody is saying Ayeloyun, you have really come back after listening to the album. And I still have many albums to be recorded.

Q: Why did Ayeloyun relocate his family to Canada?

Well, I didn’t really relocate them because some of them are still here with me. And most of them are in Canada. I did that because I want peace, I love Nigeria and I want to concentrate but my family being here with me when I’m not always around going for shows both within and outside Nigeria and my family are always alone in the house. And the truth is it is not all that safe here as far as I’m concerned, to leave one’s family all alone. Therefore, any time I want to visit them in Canada, I know I have all the time they deserve for them without any distraction of me having to go for shows here and there.

Q: Meanwhile, we have been saying MEPAFON, what is the meaning of MEPAFON?

Well, it started as a small school I started to train up and coming artistes. I felt instead of those musical talents littering around without any direction, I should create a platform for them to achieve their full potentials. And these are people who sing all genre of music including Islamic hip hop and I trained them. And we felt we should have a name that will unite us so we came up with Muslim Entertainers and Performing Artistes’ Forum of Nigeria (MEPAFON).

Q: How true is it that Ayeloyun started as an Islamic teacher at his own Islamic school?

Yeah, I started as one. I worked as an Islamic teacher before and I had more than 70 students who graduated from me. I ran the school from 1992 t0 2003, that’s about 11 years. And when I came to the limelight as an artiste, I became too busy and I could not continue with the school. Though I had some teachers I engaged then but they were not all that regular. I’m even thinking of reopening the school sometime in the future.

Q: What is your fondest memory as an artiste, so far?

I have so many, but recently, just 3 days ago, I swear to God, a pastor called me from Lagos here. And he said one of his Church members during their testimony told him that he had been praying over something and on Thursday, last week (penultimate week) the man came to the Church and made a testimony that after praying, he slept and he saw me, Ayeloyun, and I sang one of my songs in his dream and he woke up singing that song and that, that same Friday morning, they called him to resume back at work where he was sacked and they returned his official house, car to him and other perks. The man made the testimony on the Sunday after his reinstatement and I was like I don’t know how that happened. The pastor just advised me that Ayeloyun, keep singing the kind of music you are singing, though some people may not like it now but later they will like it.

Q: At a point, you actually did a joint album with a Christian gospel artiste, what informed that?

Well, the idea was born out of the Boko Haram insurgency and the lady artiste, Tumisile, came to me from C.A.C. so we could do a joint to address the issue of Boko Haram and we titled the album “Ija Esin” (Religious Conflict). She sang her part, I sang my part and people loved it.

Q: You emerged the Best Islamic Artiste of the Year at the City People Entertainment Awards, 2014, how did that make you feel?

Winning awards does not mean winning to me. What awards mean to me is a warning that we are watching you now that you have emerged as the winner and some people will want to win that award too next time. So, for you to maintain your position you have to work harder, that is what awards mean to me. So, for me emerging as the winner of that award I was so happy and that is what has kept me working harder. In my “Fife Laye” album, I worked so hard because I said to myself; let me work very hard for that award that I won. And I thank City People for that.

Q: Finally, what is your message for your fans home and abroad?

I say a very big thank you to them for being my fans because we have a lot of artistes around and they chose me as their favourite. I feel lucky to have them as my fans and I promise I won’t let them down because I’ll always give them the best.