World Fújì Music Festival (WFMF)

Fújì as a brand and music genre, metamorphed from the fuses of Islamic philosophy and wordsmithing with Yoruba poetry and meaning-making to create sound, idioms and recreational habits. It does this across social classes, from the wealthy in the corridors of political power, the middle class professionals, to the artisans and modest in means at the fringe.

Its messages, sound, beats, instrumentation, politics, performance styles, creative street slangs, space, dance and sophistication reflect a wide range of realities of who we are as a people.

However, Fújì did not begin as a secular and commercial sound. Its musical ancestor, Wéré, was a seasonal Islamic performance during Ramadan. With origin which dates to the 19th century or earlier when Islam established firm roots among the Yorubas.

Fújì music rapidly gained popularity in the 1970s and 1980s, moving from street corners and Ramadan processions to concert halls, parties, political rallies, and global festivals.

The genre grew to reflect the complexities of urban Yoruba life, using street slang, poetic Oríkì, and flamboyant performance styles that connected with both the elite and the everyday person.

Its messages, sound, beats, instrumentation, politics, performance styles, creative street slangs, space, dance and sophistication reflect a wide range of realities of who we are as a people.