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Adewale Ayuba

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Adewale Ayuba
Ayuba in 2015
Ayuba in 2015
Background information
Also known asMr. Johnson
Born (1966-05-06) 6 May 1966 (age 60)
Ikenne, Ogun State, Nigeria
Genres
OccupationsSinger-songwriter, drummer, dancer, writer, artist, actor
Years active1983–present

Adewale Ayuba Listenⓘ(born 6 May 1966), professionally known as Mr. Johnson, is a Nigerian Fuji singer.[1]

Early life and education.

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Ayuba was born on 6 May 1966 in Ikenne, Ogun State, Nigeria. At eight years old, he began singing at local music competitions and festivals.[2][3] Ayuba attended Remo Secondary School in Sagamu, after which he started pursuing a musical career.[4][5] He later enrolled in Queensborough Community College in New York, where he obtained a diploma in Financial Accounting. He subsequently obtained a Doctor of Arts degree in music from Bradley University.[6]

Career

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In 1983, Ayuba released his first album, titled Ibere.[7][8] In 1990, he partnered with Sony Music Nigeria,[9] and the next year he released his second album, Bubble.[10] The album topped music charts for six months and went on to win four awards at the Nigerian Music Awards (NMAs).[11][12]

In 1993, Ayuba went on a tour of the United States, including an appearance at the New Orleans Jazz Festival. It was during this period that he was awarded the "Key to the City" of Providence, Rhode Island.[13][14] In 1994, Ayuba released Bubble D through Primary Music.[15]

In 1995, Ayuba secretly recorded an untitled album in which he advocated for the release of political prisoners incarcerated by Sani Abacha's military government, which had been in power since the 1993 Nigerian coup d'état. The album was released after Ayuba left for a three-month tour of the United States. Because of threats directed against him by the Nigerian military dictatorship following the release of the album, Ayuba would stay in the U.S. until 1998, when Sani Abacha died.[16]

During his stay in the U.S., he would record songs and perform most prominently at the 1996 Summer Stage Concerts in New York, the Africa Mondo Concerts (1996–1997), the New Orleans Jazz Festival (1997), the International Festival in Houston (1997), and at BET's 1997 Jazz USA Concert.[17] Ayuba later signed with the U.S.-based Q-disc Record Company, after which he released Fuji Time in 1996, followed by Fuji Dub on London's Agogo Music label in 1997.[6]

In 1998, he released Acceleration, followed by Turn Me On in 2000, earning Best Fuji Album of the Year at the Awards for Musical Excellence in Nigeria, and he won Best Song of the Year at the Nigerian Song Festival 2000. The same year he toured England, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Belgium.[17] In 2003, Ayuba again toured Europe again and recorded the collaborative album Fuji Satisfaction with the group BANTU; the collaboration won Best Group in West Africa and Best Group in Africa at the Kora Music Awards. He also received the Millennium Voice of Nigerian Music award from the Omo Oduduwa Association in Düsseldorf, Germany.[17][3] In 2007, he released his tenth album, Mellow, which won Best Fuji Vocal Performance at the AMEN Awards and topped Nigeria's contemporary African charts.[3][8]

On 25 March 2025, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu, joined other well-wishers around the world to congratulate Adewale Ayuba on his 60th birthday.[18]

Ayuba

Personal life

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Ayuba is married to Azukaego Kwentoh, and they share seven children. He and Kwentoh met at Queensborough Community College in New York while studying, and the two married in 1989.[19]

Other ventures

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In 2013, Ayuba enlisted his longtime stylist and fashion designer to launch Bonsue Wears. Ayuba frequently wears traditional Yoruba attire, such as the shokoto and bubba ensemble, during performances. The Bonsue Wears collection includes a two-piece design with a shirt-like top, wide sleeves, and pants that gather at the knees.[20]

Discography

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Studio albums

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Date Title
1986 Ibere
1991 Bubble
1992 Mr. Johnson Play For Me
1994 Bubble D
1995 Fuji Music
Move Up
1996 Fuji Time
1997 Fuji Dub Lagos-Brooklyn-Brixton
1999 Acceleration
2001 Turn Me On
2003 Gun Shot
2004 Ijo Fuji
2005 Mellow
2011 Formula
Ariya
2013 Formular
Sugar
2023 Fujify Your Soul
2024 Ise Oluwa

Singles

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Date Title
2023 "Koloba Koloba"
"Uncommon"

Honors and awards

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From Award/Honor Date
HEN Foundation[21][22]
Kora Awards[23][24] Best Group in Africa 2005
Providence, Rhode Island[25] Key to the City
Nigerian Music Awards[26][27] Artist of the Year 1993
Nigerian American Community Association, USA[28] Entertainer of the Year 2004
The Headies[29] Performer 2016

References

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  1. ↑ Festime.net. "Adewale Ayuba Festivals 2021". Festime. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  2. ↑ "ADEWALE AYUBA A.K.A MR. JOHNSON | Downtown Arlington, TX". downtownarlington.org. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 Music, FujiNaija (2 April 2020). "Adewale Ayuba Biography - Net Worth, Age, Songs & Album". FujiNaija. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  4. ↑ "ADEWALE AYUBA A.K.A MR. JOHNSON | Downtown Arlington, TX". downtownarlington.org. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  5. ↑ Music, FujiNaija (2 April 2020). "Adewale Ayuba Biography - Net Worth, Age, Songs & Album". FujiNaija. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  6. 1 2 kunleben (25 November 2021). "Adewale Ayuba Biography: Age, Wife, Songs, Net Worth". 360dopes. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  7. ↑ "ADEWALE AYUBA A.K.A MR. JOHNSON | Downtown Arlington, TX". downtownarlington.org. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
  8. 1 2 "May 6: Adewale Ayuba clocks 54 today | Duke International Magazine". 6 May 2020. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  9. ↑ "ADEWALE AYUBA A.K.A MR. JOHNSON | Downtown Arlington, TX". downtownarlington.org. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  10. ↑ Nation, The (23 August 2017). "Adewale Ayuba releases 'My Lagos'". The Nation. Lagos, Nigeria. Retrieved 10 July 2025.
  11. ↑ Bankole, Idowu (10 July 2023). "Adewale Ayuba releases Amapiano version of his single 'Koloba Koloba'". Vanguard. Lagos, Nigeria. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
  12. ↑ "Adewale Ayuba Plays The Drum For Nigeriafilms.com". Nigerian Voice. Retrieved 22 January 2020.
  13. ↑ "Biography of Adewale Ayuba". Naija Beats. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
  14. ↑ "ADEWALE AYUBA A.K.A MR. JOHNSON | Downtown Arlington, TX". downtownarlington.org. Retrieved 11 December 2025.
  15. ↑ "ADEWALE AYUBA / BUBBLE D". EL SUR RECORDS. 5 July 2023. Retrieved 19 April 2025.
  16. ↑ "Why I relocated to America, converted to Christianity- Adewale Ayuba". Premium Times. Retrieved 18 February 2026.
  17. 1 2 3 "ADEWALE AYUBA: Mother Told Me Not to Feel Like King at Stardom". Creekvibes... best designed magazine in Lagos. 12 December 2020. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  18. ↑ "25th March 2025". The Punch. Retrieved 26 March 2025.
  19. ↑ Music, FujiNaija (2 April 2020). "Adewale Ayuba Biography - Net Worth, Age, Songs & Album". FujiNaija. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  20. ↑ Balogun, Olawumi (20 August 2021). "Adewale Ayuba Saliu Okeola: biography, age, family, net worth". TopNaija.ng. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
  21. ↑ admin (27 July 2020). "ADEWALE AYUBA (MR JOHNSON)". Glimpse Nigeria. Archived from the original on 14 July 2022. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
  22. ↑ Reporter, Our (14 October 2018). "Ayuba to bag Afroglobal Excellence Award". Nigerian Tribune. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  23. ↑ "Adé Bantu feat. Adewale Ayuba - Fuji Satisfaction - Piranha Records". www.piranha.de. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  24. ↑ Adeboboye, Tope (10 October 2006). "The Ayuba Story". iNigerian.com. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  25. ↑ "May 6: Adewale Ayuba clocks 54 today | Duke International Magazine". 6 May 2020. Retrieved 19 January 2026.
  26. ↑ Pareles, Jon (19 April 1993). "Review/Music; A Nigerian in His American Debut". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 16 June 2019.
  27. ↑ "AYUBA ADEWALE". Modern Ghana. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  28. ↑ "May 6: Adewale Ayuba clocks 54 today | Duke International Magazine". 6 May 2020. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
  29. ↑ "Poor show, bad execution, but it's still Nigeria's best". Pulse Nigeria. 23 December 2016. Archived from the original on 16 June 2019. Retrieved 16 June 2019.
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