Exclusive chat: How I placed KWAM1 on super highway of publicity 11 – Onyanabo

Continued from last Sunday

Apart from the PR packaging, the concerts, don’t you think the songs in the album also contributed to the success of Fuji Collections?

Correct! The run away success of Fuji Collections was a combination of many things; beautiful songs, a mature and consummate artiste, a well coordinated media relations strategy and the efforts of late Prince Tunde Ojurongbe aka Tunde Talampa and Bolaji Basia.
Tula was one of the closest friends and fans of K1. He loved the songs in the album, he had followed K1 to the studio a couple of times so he was conversant with the songs and started to invent dance steps.
After the production of the album, he convinced his buddy, K1, whom he fondly called , Bobo, to allow him throw some parties for the album where different UNILAG girls were invited at different times. While booze flowed the girls listened and danced to the songs from the album. They took the message back to their campus and the fame of K1 was noised all over. Tula said it was a song for the yuppies and every one bought into it. Don’t forget it had a song like ijo yuppies , if I am correct now.
Tula lived long enough to witness the massive acceptance of his friend, K1, in the mainstream media and the success of Fuji Collections.

Another popular friend of KWAM1 that you missed out is Bolaji Basia. What was his contribution in all of these?

Yeah! Sorry about that. Bolaji Basia is another person that contributed greatly to the acceptance of K1 among the young Yoruba rich boys both in Nigeria and abroad. And I will add at this point that Wasiu Ayinde has always been fortunate to have loyal friends that stayed with him.
Bolaji Basia was one of them then, I do not know now. He was one of the few who could tell Wasiu the truth not minding how he felt, and Wasiu sometimes can be head strong and hold on to his own views but they had strong, mutual respect for each other.

KWAM1 and Basia

Photo: City people
Bolaji Basia lived in Surulere, somewhere off Randle Avenue, a few minutes drive from Wasiu’s who then lived off Falolu Street; they were both members of the social club, Buckingham Connections.
After Tunde Tula organised Yuppie Night 1 and 2 at Peak Nite Club in Surulere with the support of the Operations Manager, Gbenga Olatunji ( RIP), Bolaji Basia brought in a new concert style called Go- Go Nite also at Peak Nite Club Surulere. Alongside Tunde Tulampa , they were all friends and fans.
Bolaji Basia’s American connection and finesse turned the Go- Go Nite Concert into a must attend show for all the rich young Yoruba men and women in Lagos Island then and in effect, it raised the acceptance of K1. The rumour mill flew with all kinds of stuff that happened at the concerts…scantily dressed girls dancing…anyway, as they say, what happened at Go- Go Nite, stayed at Go- Go Nite

Tell us more about the KWAM1 you knew then?

Getting to know him better, I found him very knowledgeable. Wasiu will not speak to anybody in the morning before reading all the papers and magazines and there are few people who spend as much money on newspapers like him. He will wake up, come out of his room to see who is around to see him, say hello to you but he will go back into his bed room, read all the papers that are supplied early every morning, before he talks to anybody. To him it’s more than a ritual, which never changes.
When you talk of politics, Wasiu is grounded. He knows Nigerian political history inside out. Funny enough he also has a deep understanding of both American and British politics that is shocking. He enjoys debates and arguments a lot and he don’t care if you are a professor or whatever, when it comes to politics, Wasiu will hold his ground.
He might have grown up in Lagos Island and has his core supporters are there but he is widely travelled. Wasiu can describe London or some American cities like the back of his hand. He knows what shop is where, which restaurant sells what meal, where to buy what shoe in, which city and where all the fun spots are.
Follow him to a Chinese restaurant and see his skills. He will advice everybody on what to order, each different from the other and he is spot on.
Sometimes, I used to wonder how he gets the time to gather all this knowledge outside his mix and put it all together perfectly. He can rake up a storm and he can also be very gentlemanly, smiling and pumping hands but you must know your boundaries. He thinks on his feet and once he has made up his mind on a matter, that is it. Don’t bother convincing him. He accepts the outcomes as they appear and moves on. Money is not a motivating factor for him. What’s important, from my estimation is what is needed to be done and how to get it done.

What are you into now, is it true you recently published a book on Amazon?

Very true, I just finished and published my first book titled, Precious Little Thoughts to Lift the Day, it’s a compilation of divinely inspired inspirational poems that speaks to us about our relationship with God and our purpose on Earth. Each of those poems provokes the reader into thinking about his place and purpose in Earth. When I read them again myself, I see new things therein. And it makes me wonder at how deep this world is.


People need to understand that there is so much happening around them. You only need to open your eyes very well to see, understand and learn. I have also finished another book on building lasting friendship, which will be out later in the year.
Precious Little Thoughts to Lift the Day, is not really a commercial venture, I intend to give it out freely from next year so that the world, can without being bugged down by denomination and religion, have an understanding of God and his purposes.
…Concluded




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