Biography

Yanju began composing music before he was twelve years old.
His earliest musical influences were artistes on the American Solar and Motown record labels. His music career began at the University of Ilorin, Nigeria, where he joined the Phaime band as a back up singer and principal songwriter whilst studying performing arts.
The rain semester of 1987 was the turning point for Yanjus music career within the campus. The Phaime band took the risk of performing Yanjus composition Never give up. The song was played to an unsuspecting audience of hundreds of students. It kept the audience dancing all night and became an instant university hit, a rare feat achieved by any band and songwriter within a Nigerian campus.
Following on the hot success of that night, Yanju launched his own solo career within the university circuit. His first solo performance was in 1988, during the Performing Arts Association gala night. He performed his self-penned reggae-calypso She waged a war and the ballad Take my heart (Cliff Oko of the Spliff band backed him on piano and Muyiwa Babarinde on drums). It was another successful night for the emerging artiste. The two songs went down like a storm within the campus. The performance brought Yanju to the attention of the universitys elite artistic community such as Dr Akanji Nasiru (Head of Performing Arts department) and Dr Bode Omojola, one of Nigerias foremost musicologists.
After graduating from the University of Ilorin in 1989 with a BA degree in Performing Arts, Yanju left Nigeria for London, England. The following year his song Burning High entered the UK Top 100 demo chart.
He has since performed around the gig bars of London, notably amongst them The 12 Bar Club, The Baker and Oven and The River Bar.
Yanju is currently a resident performer in Mycenae house, Blackheath, London. His original compositions have become anthems and favourites amongst the Mycenae house regulars.