Oldest Fuji Musician Love Azeez Dies At 81

Veteran Nigerian Fuji musician, Alhaji Love Azeez has passed away.

He died on Wednesday at his residence in Lagos State after a brief illness. He was 81 years old.

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The death of the singer was confirmed by Adekunle Abiodun, general secretary of the Fuji Musicians Association of Nigeria (FUMAN).

Announcing the development on Facebook, Abiodun wrote: “So sad, the oldest FUJI MUSICIAN, ALHAJI LOVE AZEEZ OLADEJI, gave up the ghost this evening after a brief illness.”

He also referred to the late musician as “Baba wa,” a term commonly used to honour respected elders within the Fuji music community.

Love Azeez was regarded as one of the pioneers and longest serving practitioners of Fuji music, a Yoruba music genre that emerged in Lagos in the 1960s and was popularised by the late Fuji creator, Ayinde Barrister. Over the decades, he remained one of the notable names associated with the growth of the genre.

His death marks the end of a long career that spanned several decades and earned him respect among musicians and fans of traditional Yoruba music.

According to reports, he was buried on Thursday in line with Islamic rites, with family members, associates and members of the Fuji music community in attendance.

Tributes have continued to pour in from colleagues and admirers who described him as one of the genre’s elder statesmen.

Love Azeez was among the generation of musicians who helped shape Fuji music during its formative years alongside other notable acts of the 1970s and 1980s. He was widely recognised as one of the oldest surviving practitioners of the genre and remained active in the industry for decades.