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CD Review
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Chicago Sun-Time, CD Review >>
This reissue of two of King Sunny Ade's most popular albums, "Gbe Kini Ohun De" (1982) and "Synchro System" (1983), finds the King of Juju Music at his best. Throw it on the player and you'll have an instant party going on.
Why does the music of this Nigerian pioneer resonate with Western audiences? While few English-speaking listeners understand a word of the lyrics, sung in the Yoruba language, the Hawaiian guitars and reggae-tinged beats are so infectiously joyful and uplifting that the message is obvious. Many of Ade's African contemporaries sing a much more political song, but it's all groove-oriented peace and love for King Sunny and his band, which numbered anywhere from 17 to 50 in those days.
All world music fans owe a debt to the singer-guitarist-composer for making these unfamiliar sounds so downright accessible.
-Jeff Johnson 04/03/05
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