This month, Fuji King, Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, a.k.a K1, will clock 40 years on stage and in April, he will be 55years old. In this interview with AYOBAMI ADEDEJI, he tells of his success story and other issues. Excerpts:

THE celebration of your 40th years on stage coincides with your 55th birthday this year, how do you feel?

I’m very lucky and I give glory to God. It calls for showing gratitude to the Almighty God with a dedication and devotion. However, I’m still looking to achieve many more things through the grace of God.

What would you attribute your successes in life to?

Perseverance, hardwork and above all, believing in what I do. I always make sure that I give in my best at every given opportunity. I’m my self’s number one fan, as well as number one critic and I always try to get  better next time.There can’t be a shortcut to success than working hard.Although, the road was very rough. I started professionally as a little boy .Even at that tender age, I had started taking responsibilities that  kept coming my way. I started paying  rent,I  bought my first car  and bought musical  equipment of my own. All of these didn’t come in a day, success don’t just jump at you ,you work towards it.

So, how do you plan to celebrate this milestone?

Nothing basically, what is more important is to glorify God for keeping me alive safe and hearty through the years. If there is anybody who needs to be  thankful to God,I’m the one.I have no plans for celebrations.When I started building this house,last May,it wasn’t targeted towards my birthday or anything.I believe it’s God’s time. I’ve acquired the piece of land years ago, my elder sister was the one who advised me to have something like this in my home town.  I’m happy  today because she  is still very much around, I pray that upon its completion, she would be able to come here and bless the place. The house has been a blessing on its own since I started, I’ve received so much goodwill and  accolades from the people of this great town.

Upon completion, what facilities would this magnificent edifice contain?

I love good things and I believe that what is worth doing at all, is worth doing well. I want to wake up and see that where I stay is befitting enough for my status. I’m well exposed and I have  lots of friends who are living well, and above all, I’m a man of style. So, everything you see here today has a touch of class in it.

Tell us about your low moment in the last forty years?

I can’t really recall any low moment as far as am concerned. However, we have had our low and high moments because they are part of my existence. I give thanks to God that I am telling a better story today in comfort and peace of mind.

Aside dedicating your latest album,’Tribute’ to late Barrister, what other things are you putting in place to immortalise the man you call a mentor?

A tree does not make a forest. As much as I want to do more to immortalise this rare gem, the fact still remains that others too, especially his family, have their plans.I have a very cordial relationship with the family and they respect me. I can ask about what the family is doing and we can do something that the world will appreciate.We can organise seminars or lectures every year.I am confident that we will do something together very soon to keep his memory with us forever.

Over the years, you have added so much value to Fuji music with your innovations, where did you get the inspiration from?

Long time ago, when I was young, I had seen various artistes performed. And even as a young man, I enjoyed the company of older people and socialites of those days. I listened to their discussions and their words of wisdom.One  artiste they respected so much back in the days was King Sunny Ade, they adjudged KSA as somebody who is truly dedicated to the cause of what he does. I realized that the way to make statement was to start doing things differently.What I’ve done and still doing to fuji right from the beginning till date is still in line with that thought. I am also blessed with a lifestyle that reflects in my music.For instance,I love jazz, and other genre of good music. Those are the things that I put into my music.That is why I tell people that my music reflects me. Even if you try to copy me, you don’t have the inspiration that catalyses that originality because  it’s from within. I always think that as an Ijebu man, a Subomi Balogun  or Awujale should listen to my music.I try to add quality composition and  artistic dexterity that will endear them to my music,and honestly,I can say  that very many people love  and listen to my music. I want to  erase the notion that  fuji music is  for garage boys and butchers.

If you are about going into the studio to produce an album, how do you prepare?

I listen to my last three albums; the composition, the laying  and the sound. I do not want to repeat the same kind of composition or lyrics in another album. I must  choose another direction by setting another standard. To me, it is always like an examination. If you listen to ‘Instinct’ and the new one ‘Tribute’, you will spot the difference. As a matter of fact ‘Tribute’ reflected the powerful engine of my voice. The lacing of the words was really powerful.

It has been observed that in ‘Instinct’, your voice was not very powerful like that of ‘Tribute’, was it as a result of the fact that you  were just recovering from your ill health at that time?

No, it was just the tone I chose to use in that album.I fell sick in 2009, recovered and went on to release ‘Instinct’ in 2010. In fact, after my second  surgery, the surgeon described my situation as someone who used to drive a car that has a deflated tyre on the speed of 180, there will be lots of impediment to the movement, he said now it’s like having a brand new tyre. So, when I came back with ‘Instinct’,  I did a presentation of what my doctors told me and  I discovered that I had a clearer and powerful voice control.

You have many young guys singing like you, Kolade Onanuga, Ganiyu Ayinde and others. Whom among these protégés  do you favor the most?

I love all of them. They are just trying in their own way to follow the pattern of somebody who  had laid a good foundation. I believe that with time, they will step up  their music. I quite appreciate what they all  do. I was a protege of late Barrister, but right from inception, I never took to his singing style, maybe because I had the opportunity of starting as an  Ajiwere, Ajisaari. Although, my music and that of  Barrister go along the same way but different in  presentation.If you  listen to my music right from the  first album,in arrangement of voice, mine is different from that of  Barrister,but we had the same direction.I think the discrepancy was that  I am an  Ajiwere, Ajisari from Lagos Island and he was from Mushin and Lagos Island. We had different ways of  presentation and pronunciation. So, if anybody chooses my style, it gladdens my heart. The fact that my music is generally accepted and many people appreciate those who sing like me give me joy.

Lately, you seem to have an affinity to  a certain group of young socialites, popularly known as  Squad 1, what informed this flair?

Squad 1 is just our own terminology for  friends  fraternizing. We call ourselves beloved brothers, it’s a social and friendship association, we share love among  one another. If you have any problem, they look how they can be of assistance. It touches my heart to see socialites coming together to do things like that.

Can you remember the number of albums you’ve been able to release. Do you have any favourite?

I don’t have a favourite album, because, at every point of making an album, I consider it as an examination period. I don’t see it as something I  can toil with. That is where people will dutifully assess you. I’m really disciplined because I started my career with  competitive series. We do competition as Ajiwere, Ajisari, they usually judge us by lyrics, what you have to say on current affairs,  what you have to say on spirituality, and your dexterity. That earns you accolades, because  we used to have overall winner and sectional trophies. All these discipline is all I put in my album, I want to come out  in the very best because statement must come out of every album. I have had about 90 albums, from international releases, local releases, and sectional releases.