Fatai Olayiwola Olagunju, popularly known as Fatai Rolling
Dollar, is an interesting personality. An octogenarian highlife music
star, who returned to stardom at old age after many years of personal
and professional setbacks, Rolling Dollar comes as an enigma. He exudes
verve and agility as he does not look drawn by old age. According to
him, he doesn’t drink, eat kola nuts or inhale snuff, habits which are
common with old men. But he loves two things dearly: cigar and women. In
this interview with ADAEZE AMOS, this husband of three
wives professes his undying love for women. “Women are special
creatures. If you want to do well in life, just love women,” he says.
Excerpts:
How did you hit the limelight?
I started from my youth, when I was much younger than this. When I
passed out of school in 1944, and I lost my dad during that year, the
next thing for me to do was to get ready to make people happy. That was
why I made it a point of duty to go into music because I know my future
is tailored towards music. I went to learn music. I didn’t just rely on
the fact that my mother used to sing in the church. That wasn’t enough
for me. I went to acquire the skill. I was under someone who taught me
music. It took me a lot of years to learn music. In fact, I spent five
years trying to acquire that skill.
What is your impression about today’s youths who just start singing just because they have got the voice?
That is why their albums are not selling. In our time, you give them
what is going to happen through songs. We had messages in our songs. But
today’s musicians don’t have messages.
So, you prefer your early days’ type of music to what today’s musicians are churning out?
Yes, our own type of music is better. Ours was the time of highlife.
And without highlife, there was no music. Reason being that highlife was
the root of music in Nigeria. If you hoped to be a sound musician that
would be recognised all over the world, then you must go and learn it.
For how long have you been in Lagos?
I was born and bred in Lagos. I was born on July 22, 1926.
Could you compare Lagos of those years with what it is today?
Lagos of yester-years was indeed nice, yes, very nice. Not minding
the fact that it wasn’t as developed as it is now but it was better to
me. Maybe because we had easy life then. There was no armed robbery, no
police harassment; you walked freely from 9pm till dawn. And if per
chance you were hungry, you would get something to eat from the
roadsides. You could have Amala (cassava or yam flour meal) or Iyan
(pounded yam) at any time. They start to sell food by nine in the night
till the morning of the next day.
What was it about life then that you are missing dearly now?
Peace! The peace we had then in Lagos State, we don’t have it now.
I’m missing the peace we used to have then. We don’t have steady light
now. During the British colonial rule, even in the heavy rain, or
thunder storms, light would still be on. In fact, it never blinked.
Amazingly, we didn’t have much dam. We were using Ajele dam. That was
the only dam controlling the whole Lagos then.
What was your childhood like?
I was very rascally. Oh yes, when I was growing up, I was an original rascal.
And women loved you then?
Yes, they loved me because of my job. You know women love musicians.
Apart from that, I was very handsome when I was much younger. I was
light-skinned.
Tell us about your love life?
I’m admired by lots of women because I’m strong.
Where is the source of your strength?
God almighty is the source of my strength. I don’t smoke weed, I
don’t take medicine but I smoke cigarette (he says, puffing hard on his
cigarette). My strength is from God and can you imagine that today, all
over the world, I’m the oldest musician that is still playing on the
stage?
Why are you this strong even in your old age?
You know, there is something somebody should not take when he becomes
old. I don’t take meat, for instance. I’m off beer as well. But my
major problem is women (he paused for a while, gazing up at the writer).
But you said you admire women a lot, how are they then your major problem?
I still say it that women are my major problem. I love them so much.
You don’t blame me for that; after all, my mother is a woman and I loved
her so much and she loved me. So, women are problems to me, especially
when I see the beautiful ones. I admire them a lot and that admiration
is from the bottom of my heart. Do you know I have a daughter of two
years from my third wife? That goes to show how much I love women. Look
at me, at my age, I’m stile agile and I’m still producing (giggles).
Are you romantic?
Yes I am, don’t I look it? At 86, I’m still very romantic. If I meet a
woman who is not romantic, I would teach her to be romantic. I will
teach the person the A, B, C of romance.
How many wives do you have?
I have two black women and one white woman. You know I travel a lot, so I met my white wife abroad and I married her.
Do you have a girlfriend now?
Yes, I have. I have up to 20.
Twenty? How are you able to be with all of them?
No, there is no sex in the relationship. We just stay together and I
advise them. They bring goodies to me. You know women have power to
bring good things. They have the power to open good doors of success.
That is why we can’t do without them.
You know in Africa, women are looked down upon, what do you say about this?
People that do that are ignorant of the power of women. If a man
wants to succeed in life, he should not frustrate women; he should be
their friend. Let them like and admire you. Women can make you and they
can mar you, if you take them for granted. This simply means that women
can make something good and also have the power to make something
terribly bad. That is the fact, whether you believe it or not. If you
want to live long, don’t frustrate your woman, don’t maltreat her and
don’t also underestimate her power. Believe me.
How about men who batter their wives at the slightest provocation?
I see them as weak boxers. I’m not a boxer; I’m a lover (giggles). I don’t beat women; I have never done that before in my life.
Most men, when they are old start having one ailment or the other. What ailment do you have?
None! No ailment at all. I’m not managing any sickness. God is managing me.
If given another chance, would you love to take another wife?
Yes, why not? But it would be only under one condition. The condition
is that the lady would write it down that she would be responsible to
raise any child or children that come from the marriage or relationship.
You know that I’m old. I’m not ready to take care of any child now. If
you love me, you take care of your child from me.
What is your advice for younger musicians?
Know what to sing. Be watchful over the wordings of your songs. Don’t
just sing rubbish. In my own time, if you are singing and you mention
the word ‘breast’, they would destroy your record, honestly. Don’t be
vulgar in your songs.
Culled form National Mirror.
