Iseyin-born islamic musician, Bukola Alayande, popularly known as Ere Asalatu, has revealed that he did not adopt the music style of veteran gospel singer, Yinka Ayefele.
Ere Asalatu, who revealed this in an interview with PUNCH newspaper, stated that even though Yinka Ayefele is a good leader to him, he did not adopt his style.
“No, I didn’t adopt Ayefele’s style. When I released my first album, I listened to it with some people and that was when I realised it was similar to Ayefele’s style. I believe that whosoever God has positioned ahead (of one) should be given due respect,” he said.
When asked why he adopted a music style that some describe as ‘christian-like’, he said, “My style of music is different and unique because I thought deeply about what I could do that had never been done before in Islamic music. I wanted my music to stand out from that of other Islamic musicians. Thankfully, I was able to achieve my aims and I even won an award as an ‘innovator’.”
Speaking on the controversy surrounding the singing in Islam, Ere Asalatu said, “When people listen to a story, they wouldn’t understand it the same way. Some would see the disadvantages while others would grab the advantages. In the Holy Quran, God did not condemn music but he talked about the ill behaviour of musicians. Also, Prophet Mohammed said there is ‘wisdom in music’. Those proofs make it clear that singing is not a sin in Islam.”
