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Synchro Series
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Nashville City Paper, Synchro Series >>
Nigerian bandleader, songwriter and guitarist King Sunny Ade’s variations on the groove-dominated genre called juju began getting widespread exposure on the African continent in the late ’60s. While keeping the talking drum out front and the style’s polyrhythmic structure intact, Adé later did some tinkering with other elements. He utilized a freer, more frenetic guitar approach on top of the constantly pulsing, percussive foundation.
Synchro Series covers tracks from two early ’80s releases, when attempts were made to aggressively market Adé internationally in what proved an ultimately unsuccessful bid to expand his audience. But that’s neither Adé’s nor these songs’ fault, for the music is vibrant and marvelously executed. The 18-minute “Gbe Kini Ohun De” and the four-part “Synchro Series” that runs 15 minutes are the numbers most illustrative of the Adé formula. They feature lengthy, whirling drumming and splintering guitar lines, plus rousing chants and vocals. These tracks didn’t make juju as popular as reggae or Afrobeat, but they do show how magnetic and appealing it can sound. 04/21/05
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