MALAIKA & PASUMA reveal how close they are

• At MALAIKA’s Corporate Office Opening

On Thursday, 15th February, 2024, Fuji star, Alhaji Sulaimon Alao Malaika commissioned his new corporate office in the Opebi area of Ikeja, Lagos. The beautiful duplex housing the office & studio complex is at 5A, Oluwaseyi Close, Off Afolabi Awosanya Street, Off Agbaoku Street, Opebi, Agbaoku Estate in Opebi, Ikeja, Lagos.

The event was attended by many showbiz personalities.

It is a duplex that has a state of the arts studio. It is a world class studio with everything digitalised.

It was the event that made many know how close Malaika & Wasiu Alabi Pasuma are. Beyond being talented Fuji stars both have been friends for over 30 years.

A lot of Fuji stars attended the event. And one of them is Pasuma who strolled in tee shirt and jeans after the event had started.

They both got into a warm embrace which lasted for about 2 seconds. Malaika then made him sit next to him, in the front row and till the event ended  they were into each other, chatting and cracking jokes. Both spoke glowingly about each other. Malaika thanked Paso for being a worthy colleague and brother. Paso in turn commended Malaika highly for his humility and consistency.

To further show how close they are Malaika told Paso to declare open his new corporate & booking office. That decision took Paso aback and he couldn’t hide his surprise. Paso thought Sheikh Yusuf Abolore Okutagidi from Ilorin who led the prayer session would have been more appropriate to play that role, but Malaika insisted that his friend, Paso should conduct the cutting of the tape.

It was when they got inside the complex and Malaika led guests into his new ultra modern studio that Paso spoke about their closeness.

He said he was very happy that Malaika decided to set up a studio in his corporate office.

It was when he was asked to make a speech inside the studio that Paso revealed the depth of their friendship. “Many don’t know that Malaika & I have come a long way.”

“We have been together for thirty something years. So close are we that we did 2 collaborations together.

We did a collaboration in called Appreciation and then Fuji Gyration.

We have been rolling, since then. He is a good guy. He is my friend. He is my brother. I love him so much. And I am happy for all he has been able to do for himself. I wish him many more successess. I wish him all that I wish myself.

“This is a good beginning. He will do more Insha Allah!. He will achieve more.”

After the opening of the complex, Paso told City People privately that he was happy to have been at the event because Malaika is his worthy brother. We have come a very long way. We have been able to sustain our relationship and friendship for over 30 years and it is still very fresh.

What does he like about Malaika?

“That is a big question. I like everything about him. His simplicity. The fact that he is very humble, but firm. He doesn’t take nonesense. He is very loyal and tough. He will always survive, no matter how tough the situation is. He is a decent guy. We hat a lot. We are both playful. As you can see, we joke a lot. We make fun of each other.”

“When we are together there is no dull moment. We are always making each other laugh.”

“He is a good musician. We both do similar  jobs and we have tremendous respect for each other.”

“There is no way he will invite me here and I won’t come. We both understand each other. He is frank to a fault. He will say it as it is. He does not pretend. I will also tell him how I feel. We tell each other the truth.”

When Pasuma lost his mum last

Malaika was one of the first set of friends to visit Pasuma. He went there the day Pasuma’s mum passed on, to sympathise with him before he Malaika left Nigeria the next day for Saudi Arabia.

Sulaimon Alao Adekunle popularly known by his stage name KS1 Malaika is one successful Fuji musician who started playing and performing music from an early age in one quranic school in the suburb of Lagos known as Agege and further paying his dues through Were (the early morning Islamic wake up music during the Ramadan season) before forming his first Fuji band in 1983.

With his band Tekoye Fuji Organization, he performed in the United States of America years back and had a great time, as he toured about 15 states before returning to Nigeria with multi-million naira musical equipment. Since then, he has taken his trade across the world ensuring that the genre called Fuji is well known.

KS1 Malaika has performed and duet with many artistes in different genres of music. He is quite friendly with musicians in the Islamic gospel genre and has been featured in their works severally. His music has also been sampled by different artistes in the Fuji and hip hop scene and are hits among music lovers. Malaika composes, arranges and produces his music. Blessed with a wide range of vocal abilities, his music uses Traditional African and Nigerian instruments such as the Gangan, Iya Ilu, Bata, Sakara, Agogo, assorted percussions, Guitar, Hawaiian guitar, Keyboard and Saxophone.  With a unique call and respond style that everyone has now adopted, Malaika’s music is melodious and easy to dance to. Malaika’s constant worldwide travels have endeared him to audiences outside the shores of Nigeria with numerous awards from organisations and music fans across the world, Malaika is striving daily to improve his craft and develop as a better musician and not just a singer.

How about Paso? He is one artiste with so many aliases. Some call him Ijoba Fuji. Others call him Shehu Fuji, Gauzu Fuji or Aljannah Fuji. Though everyone calls him Wasiu Alabi Pasuma, he was born as Alhaji Wasiu Alabi Ajibola Odetola.

He was born on the 27th of November 1967. He spent his childhood and a small part of his adulthood in Mushin area of Lagos.

He was single handedly raised by his late mother, Alhaja Adijat Kubura Odetola popularly known as Iyawo Anobi to whom he often praises in his records for being his biggest support system.

The young Pasuma started writing his own songs in 1984 after being inspired by his role model K1 De Ultimate, who released his first album titled TALAZO 84 in 1984. The album, which received huge credits from fans pushed Pasuma to release his first official music album, “Recognition” which was released in 1993. He has since then released over 30 albums, going on to become one of the most successful Fuji musicians in Nigeria.

He has also collaborated with several recording artists. Asides from singing, he has also featured in a number of movies.

On 6 Sept 2015, Pasuma beat the likes of Olamide, Phyno, and Flavour to emerge the winner of Best Indigenous Artist of the year at the Nigeria Entertainment Awards.

In 2020, He released “MMM” Money Making Machine. This album was released during Covid-19, he expressed that he released the album just to keep his fans entertained since parties or large gatherings of any kind was prohibited due to the virus. MMM went on to become of his greatest works, as it increased his already existing popularity particularly among those who viewed the Fuji genre as music of the old.

He won the Best International Music Video 2021 by Hollywood and African Prestigious Awards (HAPAwards).

In 2022, he released critically acclaimed Afro Fuji single featuring Qdot, titled Omo Ologo. He went on to release 2 Fuji albums: Legendary and December tonic titled Human Nature.