Ayefele Appointed Peace Ambassador By African First Ladies

 

Foremost musician, Yinka Ayefele, MON was at the weekend appointed a Peace Ambassador by the African First Ladies Peace Mission (AFLPM), in Abuja.

According to a release signed by his publicist, David Ajiboye,the investiture which was witnessed by over 50 African First ladies coincided with the Peace Concert initiated and hosted by Nigeria's first lady, Dr. Dame Patience Jonathan.

The elaborate ceremony was attended by creme de la creme of the society.

Ayefele's whose latest effort, COMFORTER, sold over one million copies within three days of it's release last December has been a darling artiste of Nigeria's first lady.

It would be recalled that Ayefele performed at the burial of Dame Patience's mum held in Okrika and Port Harcourt last October and has been a regular artiste anytime the first lady is hosting any event.

Brief history of Yinka Ayefele

Yinka Ayefele was born without the surgical scalpel over four decades ago. The first child of his parents, Yinka hails from Ipoti Ekiti where he had his elementary education at Our Saviours Anglican Primary School and Ipoti Community Secondary School, Ipoti Ekiti and later to Ondo State College of Arts and Science, (OSCAS) Ikare Akoko, Ondo State.

His desire to make it in life brought him to Ibadan in the 80s where he did several menial jobs before he got the opportunity to practice his heart desires-broadcasting. For many years, he worked as a freelance broadcaster at the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Ibadan where he presented programmes like, Olongo, Agunmu owo, Lagbo Faaji, Big Beats etc. Along the line, he became a renowned jingle producer and the most sought-after jingle producer by advertisers.

He had a date with destiny in December 12, 1997 when he had an accident with his Volkswagen beetle car. The accident eventually became a watershed that later became the compass that gave his life and career direction. Not new to music, his accident was to later help in honing his skills in music when he produced an album entitled; Bitter Experience launched a year after his accident at the Premier Hotel in Ibadan. His music, a fusion of gospel garnished with juju flavor in a hot Tungba sauce beautifully delivered in a sonorous, yet velvet voice that is uniquely distinct.

The wide acceptability of Bitter Experience marked the turning point in his life, with the subsequent release of another monster hit follow-up album, Sweet Experience., thus giving birth to seemingly the hottest and most widely travelled  band in the country today -Yinka Ayefele and the Merry Makers band.

The band has produced other well-accepted albums like Something Else, Divine Intervention, Absolute Praise, Fun Fair, Something Else, New Dawn, Aspiration, Divine Intervention, etc in no particular order.

His efforts and contributions to the entertainment industry were adequately rewarded by the Federal Government when he was listed as a recipient of the national honour of Member of the Order of the Niger (MON) by President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan in 2009.

A recipient of over 200 awards and honours, Ayefele is an honorary citizen of the State of Georgia, Rhode Island, Boston and Miami in the United States. During his first tour of the United States in 2008, Ayefele and the Merrymakers toured 30 states out of the 50 states in that country thus making him the first Nigerian artiste to achieve that feat. Ayefele has visited countries like, Malaysia, Republic of Ireland, UAE, UK, Canada and several other African countries.

A highly resourceful entrepreneur, Ayefele owns the 27-room Down Town Hotel and Suites in Ibadan and Optimum Printing and Branding Limited, a first-class printing and communication outfit located inside his sprawling Music House and also publish a weekly all-glossy magazine, Fresh News aside owning the now adjudged best online radio station, Fresh Radio which is live 24 hours on www.ayefeleradio.com.