King Sunny Adé facts for kids

Quick facts for kids King Sunny Adé
Background information
Birth name	Sunday Adeniyi Adegeye
Born	(1946-09-22) 22 September 1946 (age 78) Ondo, Southern Region, Ondo State, Nigeria)
Genres	Jùjú, African pop
Occupation(s)	Singer, musician
Years active	1960s–present
Labels	Island Records, Sunny Alade, I.R.S., Provogue, African Songs, Sigma Park, Master Disk

King Sunny Adé, whose real name is Sunday Adeniyi Adegeye, is a famous Nigerian singer and musician. He was born on September 22, 1946. He is known for his unique style of music called Jùjú. Many people see him as one of the first African pop musicians to become famous around the world. He is also considered one of the most important musicians ever.

King Sunny Adé started his band, later called the African Beats, in 1967. After becoming very popular in Nigeria in the 1970s, he signed with Island Records in 1982. This helped him become famous internationally with albums like Juju Music (1982) and Synchro System (1983). Synchro System even earned him a Grammy nomination, which was a first for a Nigerian artist! His 1998 album Odu also received a Grammy nomination.

Early Life and Royal Roots

King Sunny Adé was born in Osogbo, Nigeria. His family has royal connections from Ondo and Akure. This means he is an Omoba, a prince, of the Yoruba people. His father played the organ in church, and his mother, Maria Adegeye, was a trader.

Starting a Musical Journey

King Sunny Adé left grammar school in Ondo City to pursue his dream of music. He pretended he was going to the University of Lagos, but instead, he began his amazing music career in Lagos.

His music style has changed and grown over the years. He first played with a highlife band called Moses Olaiya's Federal Rhythm Dandies. In 1967, he started his own band, The Green Spots. Over time, his band changed names several times, becoming the African Beats and later Golden Mercury.

King Sunny Adé was inspired by another Jùjú pioneer, Tunde Nightingale. He learned some of his musical ideas from Nightingale's 'So wa mbe' style.

He also created the King Sunny Ade Foundation. This organization helps young musicians by providing a performing arts center, a modern recording studio, and housing. He is a visiting lecturer at the Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife. He has also received the Order of the Federal Republic award.

Amazing Live Performances

After being very successful in Nigeria for over ten years, King Sunny Adé became well-known in Europe and North America in 1982. His album Juju Music was released worldwide, and his tour was praised by critics everywhere.

The New York Times called him "one of the world's great band leaders." His live shows were known for amazing musicianship, especially his guitar skills and energetic dancing. His concerts were often much longer than typical shows, sometimes lasting more than two hours.

His next album, Syncro System (1983), was also very popular. It earned him his first Grammy Award nomination in the ethnic/traditional folk recording category. This made him the first Nigerian ever to be nominated for a Grammy.

In 2017, King Sunny Adé announced he would perform in London with his fellow musician Ebenezer Obey. This special concert was called "A Night 2 Remember with the Legends." Also in 2017, he became an ambassador for the "Change Begins With Me" campaign in Nigeria.

A Mix of Sounds and Instruments

King Sunny Adé's music uses many instruments. The talking drum, which comes from his Yoruba culture, is very important. He also uses the guitar in a special way for Jùjú music. His songs often include poetic lyrics and praise singing for important people.

He was the first to bring the pedal steel guitar into Nigerian pop music. He also started using synthesizers, clarinet, vibraphone, and tenor guitar in Jùjú music. He even used effects like dub and wah-wah guitar licks. King Sunny Adé said he used these new instruments because traditional Jùjú instruments were hard to find or difficult to take on tour. For example, the pedal steel guitar sounded similar to an African violin.

King Sunny Adé and his band created their own special sound. They often use a group of electric guitars that sound like percussion instruments. The talking drums in his music sound like a group of people chatting.

Working with Island Records

After the famous musician Bob Marley passed away, Island Records looked for another international artist. Producer Martin Meissonnier introduced King Sunny Adé to Chris Blackwell, which led to the release of Juju Music in 1982. Some say that Robert Palmer also helped bring King Sunny Adé to Island's attention. With this album, King Sunny Adé gained many fans and was even called "the African Bob Marley."

King Sunny Adé stopped working with Island Records after releasing Synchro System in 1983 and Aura in 1984.

Musical Partnerships

King Sunny Adé has worked with many great artists. He collaborated with Manu Dibango on the album Wakafrika and with Stevie Wonder, who played harmonica on his album Aura. He has also worked with younger Nigerian artists like Wasiu Alabi Pasuma and Bola Abimbola.

His time recording with Island Records helped open doors for other world music artists. Musicians like Youssou N'Dour from Senegal and Salif Keita from Mali became more widely known because of his success.

Later Career Highlights

Returning to the Spotlight

In 1987, King Sunny Adé became famous internationally again when Rykodisc released a live concert recording he did in Seattle.

He then signed another three-album deal with the Mesa record label in America. One of these albums was Odu (1988), which was a collection of traditional Yoruba songs. This album earned him his second Grammy Award nomination, making him the first African artist to be nominated twice for a Grammy.

Besides being a global musician, King Sunny Adé is also very important in Nigeria. He runs several companies and has a non-profit organisation called the King Sunny Adé Foundation. He also works with the Musical Copyright Society of Nigeria.

Even though hip-hop music is very popular in Nigeria today, King Sunny Adé's music continues to inspire many Nigerian musicians. They admire his style of using a big band, which he and the late Fela Kuti were known for. The musician Lagbaja is one of many who have been inspired by King Sunny Adé's music. In 2008, he received an award for his amazing contribution to world music at the International Reggae and World Music Awards in New York.

New Achievements in 2009

In 2009, King Sunny Adé, now known as The Chairman in Nigeria, began another tour in the United States and Canada. He was also appointed a visiting professor of music at the Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife. In July of that year, King Sunny Adé was added to the Afropop Hall of Fame at the Brooklyn African Festival in the United States. He dedicated this award to Michael Jackson.

Acting in Movies

In the 1980s, King Sunny Adé also worked in Hollywood. His music was featured in the 1983 movie Breathless, starring Richard Gere. It was also in the 1986 comedy One More Saturday Night. He even acted in Robert Altman's 1987 comedy O.C. and Stiggs. In the early 2000s, he appeared in a few Nollywood movies.

Awards and Recognition

King Sunny Adé has received many awards throughout his career. In November 2016, he won an AFRIMA award. In December 2016, he was added to the Hard Rock Cafe hall of fame. He was also inducted into The Headies Hall of Fame at The Headies 2020 in February 2021.

Film Appearances

More Music Information

See also

In Spanish: King Sunny Adé para niños