Renowned Nigerian Fuji musician, Kolawole Rasaq Ilori, better known as Kollington Ayinla, has been hospitalized in a critical condition.
The 75-year-old legendary artist, fondly referred to as Baba Alatika and Kebe-n-Kwara, is currently receiving medical attention at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH in Ikeja.
It was disclosed that Ayinla has been battling illness for over a week, leading to his admission to LASUTH.
Sources close to the musician said his health condition worsened recently, necessitating the use of oxygen support.
The family of Ayinla, who has remained a significant figure in the Nigerian music scene, has been notably discreet about his health situation.
Born in August 1949 in Ilota, a village near Ilorin, Kwara State, Ayinla has been a prominent figure in the popularization of Fuji music, a genre he dominated alongside his late friend and competitor, Ayinde Barrister.
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The two musicians were pivotal in elevating Fuji music from its local roots to national prominence from the mid-1970s through the late 1980s.
Their rivalry, which was once fierce, eventually mellowed as the genre grew in popularity and the market expanded.
Ayinla’s contribution to Nigerian music was not just limited to his hits and albums; his role in shaping the Fuji music landscape has been widely acknowledged.
In a poignant moment of unity, he and Ayinde Barrister stood together at the funeral of another music legend, Apala star Haruna Ishola, in 1983.
The news of Ayinla’s hospitalization has sent ripples through the music community and among his fans, who hold him in high esteem for his immense contribution to the Fuji and Nigerian music scene.
Ayinde Barrister, Ayinla’s longtime friend and rival in the music industry, passed away on December 16, 2010, at St. Mary’s Hospital in London.
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