Contents
King Sunny Adé
Bringing Nigerian jùjú music to international audiences with Juju Music.
Juju Music · Synchro System
- Born
- 22 September 1946
- Birthplace
- Osogbo, Nigeria
More people
King Sunny Adé
King Sunny Adé is a Nigerian singer, guitarist and bandleader. His layered guitars, talking drums and extended dance rhythms brought a modern electric sound to Yoruba jùjú music.
Early life
Musical family
His father played church organ; his mother was a trader from a royal family.
Lagos beginnings
Left school and joined Moses Olaiya’s highlife band before leading his own group.
Career
- 1967
Own band
Formed the Green Spots, later known as the African Beats.
- 1970s
Independent success
Built a large Nigerian audience and established his own record label.
- 1982
International release
Signed with Island Records and released Juju Music.
- 1998
Odu
Released the album that earned another Grammy nomination.
Selected work
Juju Music
Introduced his guitar-and-percussion sound to a wider overseas audience.
Synchro System
Continued the international breakthrough and earned a Grammy nomination.
Odu
A later recording rooted in his Nigerian musical traditions.
Beyond work
Musicians’ rights
Served in leadership of the Musical Copyright Society of Nigeria.
Supporting musicians
Established the King Sunny Adé Foundation to support music and performers.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Musical Copyright Society annual report ↗Photo: master_xpo. CC BY 2.0 · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
