Juju music genre would
have died but for King Suun Ade (KSA) and Chief Ebenezer Fabiyi-Obey.
The credit for the existence of that type of music goes not only to KSA who is more active on stage than Obey who is older and do not enjoy good health like KSA.
KSA has heldforth and still holding forth from the 1970s till now when he broke out from Baba Salah’s band
The history of KSA is not the subject of this write but an attempt to numerate some of his contribution to the music industy, which this write is a witness as entertainment writer.
In his own little way he had advocated for the unity of this country diring the military era in a song that goes thus: …. ‘gbe ke mi gbe’ … in which he gathered many musicians to deliver the song whose video was produced bu Charly Boy under the bridge in Ikeja, something akin to Micheal Jackson and co.Lionel Riche inspired ‘we are the world.’
He has criss-crossed many record labels including Abiorio’s Take Your Choice (TYC), Mut-Mulkson records among others, in his quest at giving Nigerians and the world good music.
This , was what landed him in Chris Blackwell’s Island Records after the exit of Bob Marley. At Island Records, he gave us song like Syncrosysystem. A song that was deviod of the usual juju/highlife/fuji praise sing of individuals.
There is no international reggae or jazz festival he has not flew juju music to maybe durbtonhis mastery of the guitar which once earned him the alias of master guitarist from the influncential Time Magazine, he remains about the only Nigerian musician to grace the cover of Time Magazine.
Like they say in America, KSA has been there and done there.
In the early 2000 Mr. Tope Olukole, then of Tribune Newspapers, facilitated a tour of his estate housing alongside other colleagues like the late Anadi Ogbonna, Ayou Lawal, Femi…, among others. A breathe taking estate coated with Nigerian colour of green and white, KSA has paid his dues and truly deserves all esteem he is held.
