Fuji
Fuji is a Nigerian music genre stemming from Yoruba traditions and Islamic music. Evolved from the wéré (Islamic religious chant) and the praises of the griot, fuji is characterized by its driving percussion, enyo chants (praises or oríkì), and poetic declamation in the Yoruba language. It became popular in the 1980s–2000s as celebratory music, notably during Ramadan.
The founding figures of fuji include Slakingsi Abdulmalik and especially Wasiu Akéem Palajo, known as Sir Shina Peters, who modernized the style by incorporating electric instruments (keyboards, synths). Ileayer Sanni and Koli Badru are other major names. Fuji remains extremely popular in southwestern Nigeria and the Nigerian diaspora.
