Indigo Tongues features King Sunny Ade
The King of Jùjú Music from Nigeria, King Sunny Ade meets up with Indigo Tongues in NY during his 50th anniversary and 70th birthday celebration tour.
King Sunny Adé (KSA), is one of Nigeria’s leading musicians whose career spans over 50 years. Born in Osogbo to a royal family from Ondo city, King Sunny Ade is the undisputed King of Jùjú Music (traditional Yoruba party music derived from fusing local folklore with Highlife and Western pop). His music career began by playing lead guitar in Baba Sala’s (Moses Olaiya) highlife band and was heavily influenced by the likes of Jùjú Music maestros and guitarists I.K. Dairo and Tunde Nightingale. Introducing the Pedal Steel Guitar to Nigerian pop music, KSA also created his own unique style of Jùjú music and dance movements called ‘Synchro System’ with an album released in tow with the same name. The album was nominated for his first of two Grammy’s and he is the first African to be nominated twice for a Grammy.
In 1977, thousands of artists, writers, musicians, activists and scholars from Africa and the black diaspora descended on Lagos, Nigeria, for the 2nd World Black Festival of African Arts and Culture FESTAC ’77. KSA created and performed the theme song for this festival where he met the likes of Stevie Wonder. KSA has released over 100 albums and is considered to be the most commercially successful Jùjú artist of all time.
Interview Date: September 2016
Location: Brooklyn, New York
Credits:
Creator & Executive Producer: Mojisola Sonoiki
Co-producer: Cy Nakpodia
Editor: Bobby Huntley
DP: Nick Jarvis
Music Credit: African Celebration, Thematic Studio