•Says: I Never Knew I Will End Up A Musician
•His 50th Birthday Interview
One of the big events that rocked this last weekend was the 50th birthday of Ayo Ajekigbe, the founder and the leader of Faith Music Band. Though it was, according to him planned to be a low key celebration, but it turned out a great event that the Family cannot forget in a hurry as many dignitaries came out to celebrate him. Faith Music Band is one of the hottest, wave-making celebrity live bands in our society today.
The band’s founders humility, focus and discipline stand them out, so does the bands customized signature attire and Style with trend-setting sparkling white clothes matched with abetiaja caps. Their innovation re-defined fashion for celebrity live band musicians on stage.
For those who usually attend Lagos parties, they must have one way or the other met on occasion members who are usually dressed in white, prim and proper, well-organized, time-conscious, and clearly focused band.
At wedding receptions, birthdays, burial ceremonies and other social functions, the band have become the favourite of Lagos celebrities, who want an adaptive band that plays a potpourri of music from Gospel, Juju, and Highlife to Hip-Hop.
A humility personified Ayo Ajekigbe, who had a dream to become a Medical Doctor, which was truncated by a government policy during the Lateef Jakande era. Being a brilliant student, who topped his class, he was his teacher’s delight as he carted away prizes and awards in school for outstanding performances.
He fell in love with King Sunny Ade, the late Biddy Wright and Swing Paw-Paw. Ayo Ajekigbe is the band leader and Chief Executive Officer of Faith Music Band.
He began his music career in 1996 as the choirmaster of First Baptist Church Choir on Lagos Island. His sojourn into music started with his close friend, Sunday Omotosho, whom he met at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Osun State.
According to Ayo, following the high demand for Faith Band to perform at events, and his resolve not to turn down requests for its great services, it set up several units of the band. The innovation has enabled the Faith Band to perform simultaneously at different functions across Nigeria. Despite its replication, the band’s performances are always outstanding. To this end, partygoers are not surprised when they see Faith Band performing simultaneously at 4 to 5 big events in Lagos on the same day. The Head-honcho, Ayo Ajekigbe, has put structures in place to make it possible.
Recently, Ayo Ajekigbe was visited in his office for his 50th birthday interview led by City People Publisher, SEYE KEHINDE and Assistant Editor, SUNDAY ADIGUN. He speaks exclusively on his life, his love for music and how Faith Music Band has been growing in leaps and bounds.
What were the lessons you’ve learnt in the last 50 years of your life?
I’ve learnt a lot of lessons. Most importantly what has been my watchword ever since I started my music career is to be diligent, hardworking and focused. Over the years by the grace of God, I’ve been diligent, I’ve been working very hard and I’m very focused. And once you have these 3 things, you will definitely get there.
How have you been able to sustain the growth of Faith Music Band, over the years?
It has not been easy, but as I’ve rightly said, when you are focused, hardworking and diligent you will get there. Also, when you are dealing with band boys, the discipline must be there, and you must also be disciplined too, so that they would see you and learn something from you. Discipline is one of our watchwords which I will never compromise and it has been working for me.
Let’s talk about your career: How did music start for you?
I started from the church, at a very tender age of 8. My father is a disciplinarian to the core; a man who always wants his children to be in the church with him 24/7. I joined the choir at the age of 8 and that was where I can boldly say it all started from. I was in the choir until I gained admission into higher institution. Even in school, I was still singing. I never thought it was going to be a career, we thought we should just be in the choir, sing and catch fun. My dad actually wanted me to be a medical doctor, and I remember I was very brilliant in school, but as fate would have it, after my secondary school I had issues and out of frustration I had to go for art subjects which made me study Accountancy. After graduating as an Accountant from the Federal University of Technology, Akure, I started working with Flour Mill, Apapa, then to MTN. It was at that moment Sunday Omotosho and I met each other again after we both graduated from the same University, where he studied Music. When we came back, fortunately for Sunday, he was employed as our Church Organist. I didn’t know how employment came. I just found out that he became our Church Organist and from there, we started another relationship. It was that relationship that grew to form the band. He just called me one day and said Ayo you can sing, I want to form a group from the choir, a group that can sing for people during their birthday celebration. I told him that he knew I am a very shy person, moreover, my Daddy would not allow me to do such things. He said I shouldn’t worry, we would start, and we started. I remember the first outing we had, I couldn’t go with them because I was so afraid of my dad, (laughs), I don’t want him to beat the hell out of me. So, they went, they returned and gave me feedback on how the event was successful. By the time we had the second one, I made sure I went with them. It was so rough when we started. We suffered a lot. Some people will not even give us money. We will just sing for them, carrying the instruments, keyboard, did all the dirty jobs. But to God be the glory, we were very focused. Maybe because we were elite, the education assisted us a lot, and we felt that there is a future in what we were doing, all we needed to do was to be focused. Sincerely, every one of us was doing well. Today, Omotosho is no more in Nigeria, he left for the United States of America through visa lottery and I can tell you, he is still doing Faith Music in America. Whenever there is any function abroad, he organizes it. There is another person in the UK, Leye Aina. He was formerly a member of the band. He too always organizes functions for us in the UK. So, Faith Music Band is a very big family. I can tell you that despite all the challenges we had, today, every one of us has his family, we are relating to one another cordially. We are getting better every year. We give God the glory. So I can boldly say my coming into music is destined.
You are known to be a very shy person. How did you now conquer the shyness?
There is an adage that says “Practice makes perfect” when I started it was rough. My first lead performance was at a burial. After the performance, I asked for the cassette and when I listened to that performance I was so ashamed of myself, and I said to myself that I will not sing again, but Omotosho gave me the courage to continue, and gradually I started conquering all this shyness. There are some words I could not pronounce very well and many other lapses. I started practising and before I knew it, I have perfected everything. So I realized it can only be God.
How did you come about the name ‘Faith Music band?
The name came out of inspiration. Myself and Sunday Omotosho were coming back home from choir rehearsal from First Baptist Church. When we got to Obalende, Sunday just called me and said, Ayo, we are going to call our band’s name “Faith”, and being a man of God, he said I should go and pray about it. And my own prayer life was not that okay, but I agreed that I will pray about it. On the following day, he asked me if I’ve prayed over it. I told him, that, whatever name you have chosen, I believe it is God’s design. I only asked him why that faith, and he said he believed that the band will go places and he knows it’s going to be rough but he believed by faith we will conquer.
Your Faith Music Band, is everywhere, how has it been, what is your success secret?
We give glory to God. The journey started about 20 years ago. It started as a one-man-band, though we were 4 who started it. We had one man on the keyboard, one man on the drum, one man singing and the remaining one was backing up. Gradually, we started enlarging. Within the last few years, we have had a large house that we can even split into 3 to 4 bands. And there is no secret anywhere, it’s just the hard work, being focused, and with the help of Almighty God.
Can you still recollect the name of those 3 friends you started with?
Of course. Myself, Sunday Omotosho, Wole Abati and Ade Olaniyan. Those were the four founding members of Faith Music Band.
What more should we expect from Faith Music Band?
Well, the music scene is changing and we have to blend with the changes. A lot of innovations are cropping up, sentimental music is being added to our style of music. It is no more Juju as usual. We have to blend with the tempo of the society. We felt that moving with the society and making sure that people can easily relate us to good things. And we believe that the next level is going to be better than what we have in the past. I believe in the training we are giving ourselves, and with that training and being focused and hardworking, the sky is our starting point. We don’t joke with our rehearsals. If you don’t come for rehearsal, you cannot sing on my stage, and that is why it is easy for me to give the stage to others to sing and they would perform well. We have had a series of time that Faith Band Music is performing in 3 to 4 events in a day and there won’t be any hitch because I believe in our capacity. I pray that the next level will be better than what we have today.
