It’s not often that you see talented artists bloom into a great musician much less forge a long-lasting career in a niche space of Fuji Music.
This is what the multi-talented Fuji music artiste Love Idris aka Penicure is all about. Penicure’s music career began in the 1980s at the age of 17. This was the days of the legendary Barrister Sikiru Ayinde, General Kollington Ayinla, Rashidi Adio (aka Mr Somebody) ruled the Fuji music genre in Nigeria.
Born Alhaji Idris Adisa, the nickname Penicure stuck when he debuted his first album of same title in 1992 thrust him into the limelight. 43 years’ of experience performing onstage, and witnessing the up-and-downsides of the music industry, he is set to release his eighteenth and six-track album The World on February 19, 2023 with a glamorous feast that will converge his Fuji contemporaries and juniors such as Adewale Ayuba, Pasuma Wonder, among others. The album is thought-provoking and wisdom filled with.
Speaking of the longevity of his career, Penicure said, “I t is by the grace of Allah that I am still here doing what I love best – singing. The secret of my career is that only God can make things happen in one’s life and career. I have been blessed by almighty Allah to have started our early in music. I am short in stature so they used to put me on a tall chair so I can be seen on stage.
“I lost my mum in 1982, and I had started my music much to my parents’ indifference. My first album ‘Penicure’ was recorded with Ivory Music formerly EMI and I did several albums with them – Penicure (1992), Fuji Toasting (1993), Solo Mighty and others.
“I have been here (in the Fuji music scene) doing Fuji music and mentoring other younger musicians because of my forthrightness as I am known as a musician that don’t take nonsense and I’m bold to speak out.”
Penicure whose contemporary is Adewale Ayuba said Fuji music is relevant to both the ordinary people and the influential minorities because it is simple and cuts across all ages. The singer who was part of the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN) during the reign of Charles Oputa, Charly Boy and Dele Abiodun, was instrumental in the formation of the association of Fuji musicians in Agege, Lagos, which later became Fuji Youths, then Fuji Music Association of Nigeria (FUMAN) which has birthed many chapters.
One of the unforgettable moments of his career was when as a young musician he was scheduled to perform at Ogba in 1983, but was challenged not to do so by another musician, whereupon he suddenly began to vomit blood at the scene and unable to sing. Eventually, he was resuscitated but not without some boys beating up the musician behind that predicament.
“One of the things I don’t do as a musician is smoke weed. I do not smoke weed, and I am well trained. I have enjoyed the patronage of many socialites, and I thank God that I have has success so far and travelled around the world,” he said.
Penicure will host guests for The World album launch at the Mayaki Hotel, Abule Egba, Lagos on February 19, 2023.
