Search - King Sunny Ade :: Juju Music

Better than Tylenol

m_noland | Washington, DC United States | 08/07/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

""Juju Music" was Island Records head Chris Blackwell's attempt to make KSA into the new Bob Marley after the reggae superstar's death in 1981. Hired Martin Messonier, the Phil Spector of worldbeat, to produce, and bankrolled KSA's first tour of the US. Messionier was actually a good choice to produce: seemed comfortable with KSA's big line-up of three electric guitarists, four singers, four African drummers, a trap drummer, a bass player, and a pedal steel player. The resulting disk is a highly accessible classic: layers of guitar, vocals, and percussion, with intermittent interjections of what might be called "space pedal steel" [you read that right]. KSA and Messonier added a few synths in post-production. This disk nicely documents KSA's sound circa. 1980. Because of its denseness, the music can just wash over the listener, or, alternatively, its polyrhythmic complexity rewards repeated "hard" listening. (Personally, for headache relief I prefer lying down on a bed and listening to this disk to Tylenol.) The Yoruba lyrics run the gamut from the spiritual to the bawdy. (Sorry, no singing in "Nigerian" or paeans to "Ja," though.) The follow-up disk "Synchro System" has a similar sound; subsequent incarnations of the band added keyboards; Demala Adepoju was replaced by a less accomplished pedal steel player; and in general the sound became more percussive as KSA's sound evolved toward "fuji" and other, "harder," styles. KSA still tours the US on occasion and if you see him now, you will probably be treated to a tougher sound (as well as some remarkable dancers)!"

Amazing

m_noland | 02/10/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I bought this disc to broaden my experience with African music, formerly limited to Ladysmith, Mahothella Queens, etc. Even after reading the other listener reviews, I had no idea what to expect. To say that I was amazed would be an understatement. This disc is a fascinating blend of African, Caribbean, and Hawaiian sounds. I love the talking drums (their change in pitch makes them conversational as well as percussive), the occasional steel guitar runs, and some other-wordly "electronic tonalities." Of course, the basic guitar and vocal sounds are great, too. Most important, the music is enjoyable, uplifting, intriguing, and strangely relaxing. I've listened to it repeatedly and find something new everytime."

Definitive - Timeless - Must Own

m_noland | 06/02/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"All the other reviews are correct, including Amazon's. I was lucky enough to see Sunny Ade live about 12 years ago and remain spellbound to this day. If I take a CD to a party, I inevitably end up giving it to the host because they are so blown away by it. The reason I am at this site is because I need to order more CDs after giving my last away at a party this Memorial Day weekend.Every so often I hear some of this music used in commercial ads for Hawaiian vacations, which cracks me up. If you are getting your first juju music or fist Sunny Ade, I recommend this album. It is all good, but this album in particular is immediately accessible, yet stands up over time. It's a cool CD to play at a party because it doesn't intrude or dominate, yet people are constantly stopping in mid-sentence and exclaiming, "Whoa! What IS that?" Getting 20 musicians on stage, all playing lead, yet not having a muddy, cluttered sound is an accomplishment in itself. The minimalist lead guitars (all five or six or them) blend into this rich polyphonic tapestry, yet the sound remains light, even sparse."