King of Juju Music : Who is King Sunny Ade (KSA)

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.

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Although he's yet to equal
the success that he enjoyed with his early-'80s
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.

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In the mid-'60s, 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 decades since, the label has
released more than 100 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 '80s on the Mango label, a subsidiary
of Island Records. Ade & His African Beats made
their debut American performances to enthusiastic
crowds in 1983.

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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 of Your Ticket , 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 were 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, a
film and video production company, a PR firm, and
a record label specializing in recordings by African
artists.

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It's been estimated than more than 700
people are employed by Ade's companies. In the
mid-'90s, Ade founded the King Sunny Ade
Foundation, an organization that includes a
performing arts center, a 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.
He 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.