King Sunny Ade

Like all African artists, Nigerian King Sunny Ade honours his culture. His discography counts over 100 records. His eclectic music mixes rhythms from the Yoruba culture and contemporary electronic sounds. This is called "juju", a style in which King Sunny Ade is a master. In his lyrics, he uses proverbs and metaphors to get his cultural and social message close to current realities across. As for his music, his songs are built around several lead guitars, traditional percussion (in particular "talking drums") and even a Hammond organ, lending a deliciously sixties hue to the music. This instrumental mix, the improvised tracks often lasting for hours on end, has had the whole of West Africa on its feet and dancing for decades.
But King Sunny Ade is much more than that ! He is also an important business man, nicknamed "the chairman". His empire is quite impressive : a production company, mining and petrol companies and night clubs employing 700 people.
To brighten his image, rendering it more humanist, he has also set up his own foundation. Young talent, musicians' orphans and old artists are taken in and provided aid and assistance. His way of giving West African culture a hand.