The oldest Nigeria musicians Fatai Olagunju " Rolling Dollar " has died. Mr.Olagunju died in Lagos according to family sources.
Sources told Saharareporters that Mr. Olagunju fell ill during a US tour in May and had to be rushed back to Nigeria. He died at the hospital early today. Mr. Olagunju was 86 years old.
Mr. Rolling Dollar will be buried in Ikorodu Lagos today according to Muslim rites.
INTERVIEW.
PA. (PRINCE) FATAI ROLLING DOLLAR WANT MORE KIDS @ 86
-I am the oldest musician still playing on stage in the world by Guinness world book record
WE CONGRATULATE YOU SIR ON YOUR 86TH YEARS BIRTHDAY.CAN YOU PLEASE TELL US HOW YOU VENTURE INTO MUSIC?
You know i started the music career as far back as 1940.I was born and brought up in at isale eko, Lagos Island on the 22nd July,1926.I attended St. Patrick school around 1934 before i lost my father . But during this time,no parent want their children to become either tailor,barber,musician or driver.I don't know why they are condemning the jobs then.But today,those jobs are not only a means of living but a career.So i started playing music since 1945 during the 2nd world war.But i was just playing it for fun then.It was in 1953 i started music as a career.
THANK YOU SIR.SINCE YOU SAID IT HAS BEEN LONG YOU STARTED MUSIC CAREER.WHAT REALLY INSPIRED YOU INTO MUSIC THEN?
You know,our time was the time that witnessed alot of public parade of military personnel.The armed forces will play with their band from Obalende to Ido terminal.Whenever i heard them,i will sneaks out and leave whatever my mother asked me to do to watch them.It was since then i have been praying to be like them.Based on this, i later go go and learn more about music from the people that knows it more than me.And today, i thank God.
AS AT THE TIME YOU STARTED PLAYING MUSIC,WHO ARE THE LEADERS IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY THEN AND WHO AMONG THOSE LEADERS YOU ARE PRAYING TO BE LIKE?
What we have then was a very small numbers of musicians because of the parents attitude to music as i said.What we have was just recording studios which are about five.Philip,West Africa,EMI,Decker and UAC.Before you called yourself a musicians in our time,your ability must be tested.Government involves then.They will send infiltrator to go and watch your recording and if you say any wayward thing,they will not allow your album to be released into the market.
unlike today,in which nobody really care about what musicians sings.Many youths of nowadays picks one or two things from the immorality of today's music.
SIR THERE WAS A TIME IT WAS PRESUMED THAT YOU WENT UNDERGROUND IN YOUR MUSIC CAREER.ALTHOUGH YOUNG MEN LIKE US READ IT OR WE WERE TOLD BY OUR SENIORS.WHAT REALLY HAPPENED THEN?
God is the owner of the time and He knows everything.In life,you are bound to face many challenges if you are to be great in life.In 1978-1979,i was among the people who "unknown soldiers" spoiled their career.They("unknown soldiers")carries and destroyed my instrument,my Peugeot 404 car was set ablaze,all my band memebers disserted me and everythingwas truncated.
So i went to joined security job at Teslim Balogun stadiumaround 1979 and i did the job for almost 5-6 years.One day i went to paray in the mosque an the morning,as i was coming back,i saw some robbers stealing iron rodfrom the stadium.They were 3 in number and i caught two out of them.They wounded me in my face and i was rushed to the hospitals for treatment.After i was discahrged from the hopital, i was paid some of 24,000 as my pay off.
BUT 24,00 WAS A LOT OF MONEY THEN,WHAT DID YOU DO WITH THE MONEY?
You know if you have money and you dont save to it but you always spend from it,the money will finish one day and as at then i have 7 children in which i later lost of them.After that, one of my in law introduced me to security job again and i was employed as a senior security officer.After some time,my spirit told me to leave the job and go back to music.I was then employed by one church in Lagos Island and i plays guitar for them.they are paying 2,500 and i just took the job top prepare myself again for music.
After sometimes,they started canvassing to convert to christian and i said no.As a result,they alleged that i dont close my eyes when they were praying.I said yes,I dont close my eyes so that i will be the first to see Jesus Christ when He his coming with gifts.The alleged again that i smoked and i asked them,is it in the church or in my house?
They also said that choirs ladies come to my house and i told them that they come to learn music.I told them that day that im leaving their work.
Since then,things started changing for good gradually and i released a album titled "WON KERE SI NUMBER WA"
SORRY FOR CUT IN SIR,WHAT IS THE NAME OF YOUR FIRST RECORD AND WHEN DID YOU RELEASED IT?
My first record was OLUWA LOLUSO AGUNTAN MI.I released it in 1960.After that i did BAA KO DAYA,after that i did ORERE ILA ILA OLOBE AYO..
AMONG THE CELEBRATED JUJU MUSICIAN TODAY,WHO AMONG THEM AS EVER WORKED WITH YOU?
They are many but i can only talk about Evangelist Ebenezer Obey.He was a very very good boy to me .He was a talented musician from God.He also stayed beside me at the trouble time.My God be with him and i wish him many happy return on his 70th birthday.
SIR AT 85,YOU ARE STILL BURSTING AND ROLLING,IS THERE ANY SECRETE BEHIND THIS?
No any orthodox or artificial power,Its God's power.As at now,i am the oldest musician still playing on the stage in the world.It is in Guinness world book of record. I am still fathering children.My last born was one and half years and i still wish to have have more children if God give me the power.Our government suppose to take care somebody like me while im still alive not when im no more.
YOU JUST RELEASED ANOTHER ALBUM,WHAT IS THE NAME OF THE ALBUM?
The name of the album is BETTER LIFE.If you want to leave better life,just try to pick a copy.
SIR,IF YOU ARE TO BE GRATEFUL TO SOME PEOPLE APART FROM GOD AND YOUR PARENTS,WHO ARE THOSE PEOPLE YOU WILL BE GRATEFUL TO?
To everybody,my fans and everybody especially Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.Jagaban of the world.He is the only governor in this country that have mercy.He gave me where i stayed now before i build my own house.He brought back smile into my face and i pray for the continuation of God's guidance on him and his household.He will live longer than me with good health.
SIR,HOW WILL YOU COMPARE OLD MUSIC WITH THE NEW ONE?
From the old you get new.There is no new without the old.During our time then,you must learn Hi life music because its the foundation of juju music.The old music teaches morality but nowadays music is not to write anything about.
SIR,WHAT ADVISE DO YOU HAVE FOR WE THE YOUNGER GENERATION AND THE UPCOMING MUSICIANS IN GENERAL?
To be prayerful and persevere.They should respect the elders and be obidient.During our time,if we see old person standing in the bus,we will stand up for them and they will carries us in their laps and they will start praying for us.So i want to implore many of the younger generation to cultivate many of this behaviour.
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