King Sunny Adé And His African Beats - Juju Music - 1982 (24/96 Vinyl Rip)

Juju Music is the 1982 major label debut of Nigerian Jùjú band King Sunny Adé and His African Beats. It represented the first worldwide release for Adé, who was already established in his native Nigeria as its "biggest musical draw and Juju music's reigning monarch". The album was a critical and commercial success, peaking at 111 on Billboard's "Pop Albums" chart. The New York Times, which described the album in 1982 as "the year's freshest dance-music album", credited it in 1990 with having launched the "World Beat movement in the United States" "This is a sparkling and happy album; the music is uplifting, hypnotic and relaxing; especially track 4,5,6,7 are for me the real (audiophile) highlights; but listen for yourself; Enjoy!"

Note > No silence was deleted; please burn this album gapless..

Review:

After nearly 15 years as Nigeria's biggest musical draw and juju music's reigning monarch, King Sunny Ade went global in 1982 with a brief but fertile stint on the Mango label. The three albums that resulted – Juju Music, Synchro System, and Aura – gave Ade unprecedented exposure on the Western market and introduced a slew of music lovers to the sounds of Afro-pop. Juju Music was the first of Ade's Mango titles and remains the best of the lot.

Over the course of seven extended cuts, King Sunny Ade & His African Beats lay down their trademark mix of talking drum-driven grooves, multi-guitar weaves, lilting vocal harmonies, and pedal steel accents; for this major-label debut, the band also chucks in some tasteful synthesizer bits and a few reggae-dub flourishes. Besides classic juju pop like "Ja Funmi" and "Ma Jaiye Oni," Ade and his 20-piece entourage serve up percussion breakdowns like "Sunny Ti de Ariya" and a heady blend of soul, dub, and synth noodlings on "365 Is My Number/The Message." Throughout, Ade deftly inserts Hawaiian slide guitar licks and Spanish-tinged lines reminiscent of Hendrix' "All Along the Watchtower." Juju Music should not only be the first-disc choice for Ade newcomers, but for the Afro-pop curious as well.

Stephen Cook @ Allmusic.com - Editor Rating > 4,5-5


Track List:

01 Ja Funmi
02 Eje Nlo Gba Ara Mi
03 Mo Beru Agba
04 Sunny Ti de Ariya
05 Ma Jaiye Oni
06 365 Is My Number/The Message
07 Samba/E Falaba Lewe

Line-up / Musicians

Shina Abiodun - conga
Mofes Acambi - drums
King Sunny Adé - guitar, composer, keyboards, vocals, mixing
Ademola Adepoju - steel guitar
Adisa Adeyemi - bongos

Jacob Ajakaye - vocals
Rasaki Aladokun - African drum, talking drum
Gani Alashe - shekere
Michael Babalola - maracas
Tunde Demiola - vocals

Niyi Falaye - vocals
Jomoh Gbadamosi - African drum, talking drum
Segun Hori - guitar
Jelili Lawal - bass guitar
Segun Llori - guitar

Bob Ohiri - guitar
John Okeumeu - guitar, rhythm guitar
Alhaji Timmy Olaitan - drums, African drums
Matthew Olojede - vocals
Femi Owomoyela - vocals
Segun Shokumbi - vocals