KING SUNNY ADE THE LEGEND!: Cultural Values & Philosophies Behind a Genre of African Music - THE SYNOPSIS By Tunji Ajayi

KING SUNNY ADE THE LEGEND!: Cultural Values & Philosophies Behind a Genre of African Music -

THE SYNOPSIS By Tunji Ajayi

African arts have found fortress in Nigeria from time immemorial. Obviously, many things are embedded in African music. Indeed it is safe to aver that he who wishes to appreciate and enjoy the splendor of African arts should start from reading about the lives and times of African artistes, their contributions to the liberal arts, and the pristine significance of such contributions.

Quite a great number of African artistes have striven hard to showcase African arts to the world through their God-given talents and unflinching efforts. Unarguably, in the realms of musical and entertainment arts is King Sunny Ade; one of the greatest artistes that have ever come out of the African continent, who leads the sparkling Band - The African Beats - from Nigeria, the largest and most populous Black nation in the world. This artiste has through his Jùjú genre of music, in the last five decades, showcased the beauty of African entertainment arts to the entire world, including Europe, Asia, and America especially with his ever-sparkling live performances. He has titillated the Kings and the Lords, the rulers and the ruled, the high and the mighty. KSA’s over 300 albums for which he has won several international accolades and awards across the globe give a vivid picture of the development of contemporary Nigerian music.

King Sunny Ade The Legend! is an exposé on a musical Titan. Aside from becoming an internationally sought product, his music over time metamorphosed from being mere entertainment music to freedom-music, which often identifies the societal foible, lacunae in governance styles, contemporary problems, etc. Quite often, the world renowned music maker has always offered alternative suggestions and tickled the ears of the ruling class, sensitizing those at the helms of governance to make amend for the benefit of the ruled. King Sunny Ade whose musical art works had attracted the eminent attention and comments from many world renowned leaders, including the former United States’ President Bill Clinton, was rated by a credible British Magazine as one of the 100 greatest guitarists in the world. But how could a songster have singularly made much waves in the world’s entertainment scene for well over 50 years, and still be found relevant on the scene till this day? What are the underlying messages in King Sunny Ade’s ever deep philosophical lyrics usually encapsulated in rich proverbs, figures of speech, idiolects, alliteration, assonance, hyperbole, onomatopoeia? What is the secret behind his dancing arts? No doubt millions of his foreign and local fans who are caught in the web of language barriers, but who enjoy his piquant music and soulful instrumentals would wonder aloud “ . . . but what is KSA saying or singing about?” Why and how did his esoteric skills – dancing arts, his idiosyncratic guitar play pattern catch the attention of world renowned personalities like the erstwhile President Obasanjo of Nigeria, Yoshiro Mori of Japan, Bill Clinton of America etc? How did King Sunny Ade succeed in being rated as one of 100 world's greatest Guitarists? The author observes that his music has descriptive, predictive and prescriptive values. How so? Hmm! . . . This book: KING SUNNY ADE THE LEGEND!: Cultural Values & Philosophies Behind a Genre of African Music offers plausible answers. ---------------- I remember King Sunny Ade was once described as a musical riot on stage by a foremost journalist. His merry-jangling rhythms twice held spell-bound the erstwhile US President Bill Clinton alongside his other colleagues on the Nigerian dance floor for several minutes, showering encore and reeling encomiums on the entertainment Titan. For a single music ensemble applying almost seven string instruments simultaneously without running into discordance; dancing their own tunes so profusely while still manipulating their array of instruments simultaneously without losing track or focus; applying kinesics to draw home the musical messages, etc, etc. all in a show, require accolades and approbations. For KSA, lassitude has had no room whenever he mounted the podium in the past 55 years! Read about KSA's magic and many hitherto unknown facts on this connoisseur, as well as the impact of his genre of music on African entertainment arts in the recently published book: KING SUNNY ADE THE LEGEND! - Cultural Values & Philosophies Behind a Genre of African Music. Please get your copy via: https://www.amazon.com/.../ref=cm_sw_r_awdo_navT_g... ------------------------------------------------ *Tunji Ajayi, a creative writer, author, biographer and audiovisual documentary producer writes from LC-Studio Communications, Nigeria (+2348033203115, +2348162124412)