King Sunny Ade is the undisputed king of juju music, the dance-inspiring hybrid of western pop and traditional African music with roots in the guitar tradition of Nigeria. Although he's yet to equal the success that he enjoyed with his early-1980s albums and American tours, Ade and his band, His African Beats, continue to weave an infectious... [+] Read More

King Sunny Ade is the undisputed king of juju music, the dance-inspiring hybrid of western pop and traditional African music with roots in the guitar tradition of Nigeria. Although he's yet to equal the success that he enjoyed with his early-1980s albums and American tours, Ade and his band, His African Beats, continue to weave an infectious blend of electric guitars, synthesizers and multi-layered percussion. Born to a family of Nigerian royalty, Ade left school to pursue a career in music. In the mid-1960s, he performed with a Highlife band, Moses Olaiya's Federal Rhythm Dandies. Ade formed his own band, The Green Spots, in 1967. Frustrated by the exploitation of the record industry, Ade launched his own record label in 1974. In the two and a half decades since, the label has released more than one hundred of Ade's recordings in Nigeria. Ade began to attract attention in the western world when three of his albums -- Juju Music, Synchro System and Aura -- were released in the early-1980s on the Mango label, a subsidiary of Island Records. Ade and His African Beats made their debut American performances to enthusiastic crowds in 1983. Although Juju Music and Synchro System showed signs that Ade was going up to live up to billing as "the African Bob Marley," Aura was a commercial disappointment and the group was dropped by Island Records. While they released an album, Authority, in 1990, it too failed to stir much commercial interest. E Dide (Get Up), released in 1995, offered hints that the best days of Ade and His African Beats are yet to come. The group followed it with Odu, a collection of ancient Nigerian songs, in 1998; the album was nominated for a Grammy. Its follow-up, Seven Degrees North, appeared in 2000. Ade has remained a powerful force in Nigeria. Money received from his early albums has been used to launch an oil firm, a mining company, a nightclub, film and video production company, a PR firm and a record label specializing in recordings by African artists. It's been estimated than more than seven hundred people are employed by Ade's companies. In the mid-1990s, Ade founded the King Sunny Ade Foundation, an organization that includes a performing arts center, state of the art recording studio and housing for young musicians and performers on a five acre tract donated by the Lagos state government. Ade currently serves as chairperson of the Musical Copyright Society of Nigeria. In 1996, Ade formed a "supergroup", The Way Forward, featuring top-notch Nigerian musicians. Ade and His African Beats have been featured in three films -- Juju Music in 1988, Live At Montreux in 1990 and Roots of Rhythm in 1997. ~ Craig Harris, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Considered by many to be the "father of juju" for his many innovations, Isaiah Kehinde Dairo was born in Kwara State, Nigeria, in 1931. One story has it that his lifelong love of music stemmed from a drum that his father, a carpenter, made for him in his youth and that accompanied him wherever he went. In early adulthood, Dairo tried earning a... [+] Read More

Considered by many to be the "father of juju" for his many innovations, Isaiah Kehinde Dairo was born in Kwara State, Nigeria, in 1931. One story has it that his lifelong love of music stemmed from a drum that his father, a carpenter, made for him in his youth and that accompanied him wherever he went. In early adulthood, Dairo tried earning a living as a barber, a construction worker, and a cloth merchant, among other jobs. Dairo sat in with early juju bands at night, led by musical pioneers Ojoge Daniel and Oladele Oro. In the mid-'50s he formed his own group, the ten-member Morning Star Orchestra, which gained fame later as the Blue Spots.

Though highlife was the most popular form of band music in West Africa at the time, Dairo and his band released a long succession of influential singles that, by the end of the Nigerian Civil War in 1970, helped establish juju as the premier Nigerian sound. Dairo changed the tenor of juju by introducing the accordion and talking drums to the orchestra and singing in a variety of regional dialects, which widened the rural appeal of the music. When his appeal began to wane at the end of the 70s, he gave up performing, turning first to managing clubs and a hotel in Lagos, then to a ministry in the Cherubim and Seraphim church movement. In 1990 he recorded his first album in 15 years with a re-formed Blue Spots band. ~ Bob Tarte, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Since the 1960s, Ebenezer Obey has been one of the most popular, prolific, and influential musicians in Nigeria, releasing over fifty albums, developing juju style, and conducting an informal and highly creative campaign against his competitors in the musical world. Obey's first band, the International Brothers, was formed in 1964, and played a... [+] Read More

Since the 1960s, Ebenezer Obey has been one of the most popular, prolific, and influential musicians in Nigeria, releasing over fifty albums, developing juju style, and conducting an informal and highly creative campaign against his competitors in the musical world. Obey's first band, the International Brothers, was formed in 1964, and played a slow and music composed of layered guitars and Yoruban percussion sounds. Always a cultural and religious traditionalist, Obey worked within the praise song mold, vaunting both Christianity and the various heads of state for whom he played. But while his lyrics were traditional, his musical direction was highly innovative. In an effort to rise above his competition, Obey began to develop new musical "systems," adding as many as 20 new musicians to his ensemble at a time, extending the length of his album tracks, and pumping out hit after hit. A stylish and bluesy guitarist whose music had been contagious in Nigeria for years, Obey finally enjoyed international success in 1980 with Current Affairs. ~ Leon Jackson, All Music Guide [-] Hide

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Odu is one of King Sunny Ade's most ambitious recordings, finding him drawing from his Yoruba traditions and contemporary African trends to create a rich, diverse album. Like many of his other records, there are layers of percussion and guitars that form infectious, percolating grooves, but there are also unexpected twists in the songwriting... [+] Read More

Odu is one of King Sunny Ade's most ambitious recordings, finding him drawing from his Yoruba traditions and contemporary African trends to create a rich, diverse album. Like many of his other records, there are layers of percussion and guitars that form infectious, percolating grooves, but there are also unexpected twists in the songwriting that makes Odu a rewarding listen for longtime fans. ~ Leo Stanley, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Juju Jubilation is a terrific disc that collects recordings Chief Ebenezer Obey made between the mid-'70s and early '80s. Obey was at the peak of his career at that point in time, and the music here remains vital, exciting and terrific. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Juju Jubilation is a terrific disc that collects recordings Chief Ebenezer Obey made between the mid-'70s and early '80s. Obey was at the peak of his career at that point in time, and the music here remains vital, exciting and terrific. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide [-] Hide

So influential and beloved was juju godfather I. K. Dairo in his home country of Nigeria, that in observance of the four-day wake following his February 1996 death, the government-run Nigerian broadcasting network played only songs by Dairo, and professional musicians agreed not to perform in public. This disc partly explains the reasons why in... [+] Read More

So influential and beloved was juju godfather I. K. Dairo in his home country of Nigeria, that in observance of the four-day wake following his February 1996 death, the government-run Nigerian broadcasting network played only songs by Dairo, and professional musicians agreed not to perform in public. This disc partly explains the reasons why in an unusual collection of shorter Dairo pieces clocking in at under 8:00, which is a mere eye-blink by juju standards. The radio-friendly lengths reveal lots of hooks, strong melodies, and catchy vocal parts along with arrangements that pack the maximum amount of variations into a limited space. It's A+ juju from start to finish from one of the greatest innovators in African music. ~ Bob Tarte, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Recorded after a studio absence of over 15 years, I Remember is a confident return to form -- though not quite on par with Dairo's finest work, the album remains true to juju's roots, and Dairo's claims to the music's throne are still unchallenged. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide

Recorded after a studio absence of over 15 years, I Remember is a confident return to form -- though not quite on par with Dairo's finest work, the album remains true to juju's roots, and Dairo's claims to the music's throne are still unchallenged. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Obey and Sunny Ade are the kings of juju, and for 20 years each has tried to top the other by adding more guitars, more singers, pedal steel licks, and so forth. This compilation, Obey's first U.S. release, collects Obey's best-selling singles and album tracks from the early '80s. ~ J. Poet, All Music Guide

Obey and Sunny Ade are the kings of juju, and for 20 years each has tried to top the other by adding more guitars, more singers, pedal steel licks, and so forth. This compilation, Obey's first U.S. release, collects Obey's best-selling singles and album tracks from the early '80s. ~ J. Poet, All Music Guide [-] Hide