Nigerian singer Adekunle Temitope, popularly known as Small Doctor, has expressed concern about the dwindling popularity of Fuji music, a once-dominant Yoruba genre.
Taking to his X handle, the singer warned that Fuji music is “dying” and emphasized the urgent need for revitalisation efforts.
“I stand to be corrected. I feel Fuji music is dying and something needs to be fixed urgently,” he wrote.
“After the blowing up of Remi Aluko and the likes in 2001 or 2002, I haven’t heard nor seen another Fuji artist blow up.”
Fuji music originated in the 1960s as an evolution of wéré (or ajísari), a genre traditionally performed to wake Muslims before dawn during Ramadan. The genre’s name was inspired by Japan’s Mount Fuji and was popularised by its pioneer, Alhaji Sikiru Ayinde Barrister.
Legends like K1 De Ultimate, King Saheed Osupa, Wasiu Alabi Pasuma, and Obesere helped define Fuji’s golden era. In recent years, pop artists such as 9ice, Olamide, Small Doctor, Asake, Naira Marley, Qdot, and Seyi Vibez have drawn elements from Fuji, blending them with Afrobeats.
Despite its influence, Small Doctor believes the genre is fading and needs a new wave of talent to sustain its legacy.
