Born Sunday Adeniyi, King Sunny Ade has been perfecting his Nigerian juju beats for decades. By now, he's achieved legendary status: Some know him as the African Bob Marley.
The son of a church organist, Ade knew from a young age that music was his life's passion. He left grammar school in the 1960s, started a band and hasn't looked back since. He's played in many groups over the years and founded his own label; as a recording artist, he's put out over more than 100 singles and LPs, and earned two Grammy nominations in the process.
Ade hit the height of his international popularity in the late '80s, but he remains extremely popular in Nigeria. With intertwining guitar lines, traditional talking drums and introspective lyrics, he's in the midst of a comeback in the U.S. and Europe. He was recently inducted into the Afropop Hall of Fame, and just brought part of his large ensemble along for a tour of North America.
Copyright 2009 XPN
