Sikiru Ololade Ayinde, frontline musician and foremost Fuji exponent, popularly known as Ayinde Barrister, is dead.

The death of the man, credited to the introduction and establishment of the popular Fuji music genre, died on Thursday morning at St Mary's hospital, Paddington, London, according to his son Wale, who spoke to the media on Thursday.

Ayinde with a healthy line of new generation acts have since taken the Yoruba music genre round the world.

Popularly referred to as Chief Doctor Sikiru Ayinde Barrister in his lifetime, his long and glittering music career impacted much on the local Nigerian scene in the 70s when he started, through the 90s especially.

Born in Lagos in 1948, Ayinde (Barrister) is widely regarded as not just responsible for the introduction of Fuji, but also with training and inspiring of many of the genre's stars, even as was a leading light and highly influential voice until his death.

Ayinde, also called Mr. Fuji, was bedridden for sometime and had been to hospitals in Nigeria, India and the UK where he finally died.

He was operated upon in India in May this year, but later returned to the country, with many of his admirers and relatives thinking the worst was over concerning the illness.

However, tales of his illness took over the space once again in August when there was rumours of his death in some quarters, but the reports were later found to be false.

Barrister was a combatant of the Nigerian civil war, after which he introduced Fuj through a loose combination of sounds from traditional Yoruba forms and oral materials.

At the height of his fame, Barrister headed a 25-piece band known as the Supreme Fuji Commanders as well as the Africa Musical International Ambassadors and had over 40 records to his credit, most of which were very popular even among non-Yoruba speakers.

Among these are New Fuji Garbage, Aiye, Destiny, Superiority, American Special, Barry Special, Awa Oja, Barry Wonder, Current Affairs, Dimensional, Prophecy, The Truth, Wonders At 40.

Fuji, originally the name of Mount Fuji, the Japansese mountain of love whose name is said to have been adopted by the late maestro because he liked the sound of it, is a combination of the Were beat, Juju, Apala and traditional Yoruba praise poems.

At least two of his children have been introduced to music during his lifetime and another iconic Fuji figure, Wasiu Ayinde (K1 The Ultimate or Marshall), has always spoken of being tutored by the late maestro will be missed by his numerous fans, music disciples and Nigerians in general.

Meanwhile, Ekiti State governor, Kayode Fayemi, has described the death Ayinde Balogun a.k.a Barrister, as a "big loss to the Nigerian nation in general and the entertainment industry in particular".

The governor in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Mojeed Jamiu, said the late music maestro used his music to reform the society and offer counsel to the government on key policies and national issues.

He also described Ayinde Barrister's transition as "one death too many" coming at a time Nigerians are still mourning the deaths of many of its prominent citizens, saying the present moment in the nation's history seriously calls for a sober reflection.