Christy Anyanwu

Ace Fuji musician, King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, aka Kwam 1, is credited for introducing  keyboards, saxophones and guitars into Fuji music. Dressed in a white ‘buba and sokoto’(traditional top and trouser), the amiable Fuji maestro shortly after his 60th birthday told Sunday Sun what he cherishes and adores about his 99 years old mum.  

 

Tell us about your mum?

My mum, my god. She’s everything that I have. She is the one that turned me to what I am. She’s the one that gave me the opportunity to sing. Her name is Halima Shadiat. My mum is from Ekiti. She’s 99 years old. She still uses her phone and she doesn’t use glasses. She recognises people’s number on my phone . She’s the one that first sang before I took over singing from her.  My mum is my all in all.

How do you mean? Was she in the choir?

No, not at all. She had a band before she got married to my father.

Was she singing Fuji?

No, she was singing the music of then (laughed) 

Does she eat special food?

No. she doesn’t. She doesn’t fall sick.

What does she do?

She’s a trader. She trades in fabrics. She had a shop in Lagos Island before she retired.

If there’s anything like re-incarnation would you like to come back through her?

I will come one thousand times through her. She’s much disciplined. My parents are very good parents (mum and Dad) unfortunately, I lost my dad long time ago.My mum taught me how to cook to be able to take care of my junior ones then. And before I knew it, cooking became part of me. Although I’m not the eldest, I was saddled with the responsibility of taking care of my siblings.

What are the things you learnt from her that you still uphold?

I learnt cooking from my mum. I learnt the art of doing good from my mum. She encourages me to do good, be respectful to people. She taught me that whatever good you do is coming back to you. It’s a law of Karma. She said doing good will set you free and will not set you on anybody. People will like you when you do things right, they will respect you, they will talk good of you unlike when you make life miserable for others. Definitely whatever you do to people is still coming back to you.

As a teenager, what advice did she gave you about girls?

Well, the truth of the matter is that she warned us to be cautious. If you think running after girls is what pays, definitely you will see the result. But if you face what you are expected to do  squarely, you will have every reason to be thankful to God and you will enjoy whatever goodies that come out of it.

You learnt cooking from her, what was her favourite food then?

She taught me so many things, efo, egusi, efo elegusi, efo riro, she taught me many things about cooking.

Did she have any favourite among her children while you guys were growing up?

My mother loves all her children oooh. You know mothers for what they are, all their children mean something to them.

No mummy’s pet?

She has no reason to have a special child.

What do you love most about your mum?

She’s very contented, she cares for her children. She loves her neighbor so much. She taught us to be good to anybody on our way up because you might meet them on your way down. She trained us well and today, I’m enjoying it. I have never stepped on anybody’s toes, I’m doing my thing in my own way jeje and I have a lot of goodies to show for it. I enjoy tremendous support and patronage from people generally as a result of all those things she has imbibed in me.