By Fawaz Adebisi
In a surprising turn of events, two of the most prominent Fuji musicians in Nigeria, Muri Thunder and Tope Nautical, have reconciled with their former mentor and boss, King Saheed Osupa, after years of feud and rivalry.
The reconciliation was announced by Osupa himself on his Instagram page on Saturday, where he shared a video of the trio embracing each other and seeking forgiveness.
Osupa, who is widely regarded as one of the best contemporary Fuji artists in the country, had trained and nurtured Muri Thunder and Tope Nautical under his musical tutelage.
However, their relationship went sour when Muri Thunder attributed his fame and success to Osupa’s rival, Pasuma, while Tope Nautical snubbed Osupa for Pasuma on his birthday post.
This led to a series of verbal attacks and diss tracks between the parties, as well as a split in the Fuji fan base.
However, it seems that the hatchet has been buried, as Osupa expressed his joy and forgiveness in his Instagram post.
He quoted the South African writer Alan Paton, saying “It’s not ‘forgive and forget’ as if nothing wrong had ever happened, but ‘forgive and go forward’, building on the mistakes of the past and the energy generated by reconciliation to create a new future”.
He also revealed that he had met with his “son and father” to resolve their differences and channel their energy towards achieving a brighter future.
He welcomed Muri Thunder back home and urged his fans to show him love and support.
He also prayed for a total breakthrough over Tope Nautical’s music career.
Muri Thunder and Tope Nautical also took to their respective Instagram pages to thank Osupa for accepting their apology and welcoming them back.
They both acknowledged Osupa as their benefactor and role model, and pledged their loyalty and respect to him.
They also apologized to their fans for their past actions and promised to deliver quality music henceforth.
The news of the reconciliation has been met with positive reactions from fans and fellow musicians, who commended Osupa for his magnanimity and maturity.
They also expressed their excitement for the possible collaborations and projects that could emerge from the reunion.
Fuji music is a popular Yoruba musical genre that originated from the improvisational were music, also known as ajisari, a genre of music performed to wake Muslims before dawn during the Ramadan fasting season.
Some of the notable Fuji musicians in Nigeria include Ayinde Barrister, Kollington Ayinla, Wasiu Ayinde Marshall, Obesere, Pasuma, among others.
