Kollington Ayinla: Nigerian Army shaped my musical career

Fuji maestro, Kolawole Rasaq Ilori, better known as General Kollington Ayinla, has revealed how his enrollment into the Nigerian Army forced him into music. He disclosed this in Ilorin, Kwara State, as part of the build-up to his forthcoming album, titled, Anu-Nla, scheduled for release in Lagos, next month.

The music legend, also known as ‘Kebekwara’, stated that it was when he joined the Army that the opportunity to start his musical career came.

According to him, a senior officer came to his company and started calling out some names including his own name. “I was so scared and confused upon hearing my name because I thought we were going to be punished. We were asked to march to a place called ‘B’ company, upon getting there, they told us to go inside a hall where we saw an array of musical instruments. We were instructed to pick any instrument that we could manipulate, but I was confused because I couldn’t play any of them.

“Suddenly, I saw a flute, which I tried to play but was unable to until a soldier who saw me struggling with it assisted. After some time, they started teaching us music in a class with a blackboard and we were writing notes, it was as if we were in school and that was how I was taught the rhythm of music,” he added.

The Ijo Yoyo hitmaker also revealed his disappointment after his involvement in music prevented him from being posted to fight in the frontline during the Nigerian Civil War. “I was disappointed when I was told that I have been retained in the musical section of the Army because I joined the army to fight in the frontline in the civil war. I wasn’t happy with the decision.

“I had no choice but to stay in the musical section, besides, the battlefield was not a pleasant place to be. Maybe the decision that made me stay in the barrack might have kept me alive till date because I could have been killed,” he explained.

Speaking on how he influenced his friend and arch rival in the music industry, the late Sikiru Ololade Ayinde Balogun, better known by his stage name Sikiru Ayinde Barrister, into joining the Nigerian Army, Ayinla said “When my friend (Ayinde Barrister) visited me in the barrack, he was asking me questions on how I got into the Army and I narrated the story to him, he, thereafter, told me that he is also interested in joining the Army.

“After he had become a frequent visitor at the Barrack because he was fascinated by the military atmosphere, I had to encourage him to make the bold move to join the military and he did,” he added.