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. Although he's yet to equal the success that he enjoyed with his early-1980s 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. In the mid-1960s, 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 two and a half decades since, the label has released more than one hundred of Ade's recordings in Nigeria.
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