King Sunny Ade Essentials

King Sunny Ade Essentials

Anchored by the voluble talking drum, with songs that typically clock in around 20 minutes, jùjú is hypnotic, repetitive music that has its origins in Yoruban praise singing and rural folk music—and Nigeria's King Sunny Adé is its self-proclaimed leader. Adé established himself as the principal ambassador for the genre in the ‘80s, though he'd been experimenting with it since the ‘60s, adding innovations including synthesizers, dub production, electronic percussion, and pedal steel guitar. His work earned him international fame and a place among the world's best-known African musicians.

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