Veteran fuji singer, Ayinla Kollington fondly referred to as The General, learnt his craft under the tutelage of his late musical godfather, Ayinla Yusuf, popularly known as Ayinla Omowura.
Kollington ranks alongside his friend and competitor the late Ayinde Barrister as the two most important artists to dominate Fuji music from its inception in the 1970s. However, they were seen as arch-rivals at a point. Kollignton stated in a biography about Omowura, titled ‘Ayinla Omowura Life and Times of an Apala legend’ written by, Festus Adedayo, that his quarrel with the late Barrister who was his friend started when he sided with his tutor, Omowura who had a ‘beef’ with singer, Fatai Olowonyo. At the time, Olowonyo, enlisted Barrister to his camp and their rivalry began.
He began recording for Nigerian EMI in 1974, and in 1978 achieved a pronounced, but temporary, lead over Barrister the introduction of bata drum into his sound. Fuji had until that time relied almost exclusively on talking, or ‘squeeze’, drums. His innovation caught the imagination of record buyers. In 1982, he set up his record label, Kollington Records.
One of his most successful albums, Omo Onipako, was released in 1975. However, one of his most popular songs to date is Ijo Yoyo which was on his album Ijo Yoyo. The album was released by Kollington Ayinla & His African Fuji Eaglets in 1990. So far the veteran singer has over 55 albums.
Although he has several wives, none of them lives with the singer. His most publicized relationship is with the famous singer, Salawa Abeni, who was crowned as the Queen of Waka music by the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, in 1992. They had three children before they parted ways. One of the children, Big Sheff, is a popular rap artiste and has featured on one of Kollginton’s albums.