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Tag: KSA

  • Baba Sala not dead, says son

    Baba Sala not dead, says son

    Popular actor, Moses Olaiya, popularly known as “ Baba Sala ’’ is alive, his son confirmed on Wednesday.

    Mr Boisala Adejumo, one of Olaiya’s sons debunked the raging rumour that “Baba Sala’’ died on Tuesday – saying that the veteran actor was alive.

    Adejumo said that although his father was frail as could be expected of anyone of his age, “he is hale and hearty.

    Baba Sala is alive so, please save your condolences. My father is over 80 years old and is frail, due to illnesses associated with old age but he is alive.

    “My father is peacefully enjoying his life in Ijesa and he does not have stroke either.”

    Adejumo advised the public to always desist from quickly reacting to information emanating from the social media, noting that information on the social media could be misleading.

    He advised bloggers to always carry thorough investigations and seek clarifications from relevant authorities before posting information on social media.

    “Most bloggers or online reporters are not seasoned journalists. They just post things to attract inflow of traffic to their sites,” Adejumo said.

     Baba Sala  also rumoured to have died some months ago was  born on May 18, 1936. He is hailed from Ijesha, Osun.

    He is an ace actor and a musician, dramatist and a comedian. He could be described as one of the fathers if not even the grand-father of the modern Nigerian comedians.

    He always sings in a spectacular way in all his movies due to his passion for music.

    Baba Sala started his career as a musician of ‘High life’ in  1964 under a brand name of a band known as ‘Federal Rhythm Dandies’.

    The band tutored and guided King of Juju music, Prince Sunday Adeniyi Adegeye, popularly known as King Sunny Ade (KSA) where he used to play the ‘Lead Guitar’ role.

    NAN

  • KSA embarks on Thank You tour

    KSA embarks on Thank You tour

    Following the success of December’s ‘Sunny On Sunday’ Concert, Juju maestro, King Sunny Ade, embarked on a thank you tour to some eminent Nigerians for their various roles culminating in the success of his 70th Birthday Grandstand Concert.

    Although it has been several weeks since the event held at Balmoral Marquee, Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, the ‘Sunny On Sunday’ Concert left a huge mark as one of the most talked about events to be witnessed in the country. During the historic event, King Sunday’s Vintage Fender guitar, designed by the artist Victor Ehikhamenor, sold for a record N52.1 million.

    During his two-day, thank you tour, the Juju maestro crisscrossed Lagos and Abuja in the company of the Temple Management team, led by CEO/ Founder, Idris Olorunnimbe.

    At each of his stops, the juju maestro donated KSA branded materials to his VIP guests which included the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, Minister of Mines and Steel, Kayode Fayemi, the current and previous MD/CEOs of Access Bank, Herbert Wigwe and Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede as well as the Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Tunde Fowler.

    Other host on the whistle-stop tour included His Royal Majesty Oba Saheed Ademola Elegushi and Victor Ehikhamenor who painted his famous guitar.

    The final visit was made to Babatunde Folawiyo, Chairman, Temple Management Company, who revealed that the ‘Sunny on Sunday’ was the product of an 11-year old covenant between he and KSA.

    “I have always been a Sunny Ade fan,” Mr. Folawiyo said. “We have the bad habit, as a nation, of celebrating only the dead. It was one of the proudest moments of my life for Temple Management to have the honour to serenade a living icon such as KSA.”

    The Founder/CEO, Mr. Olorunnimbe, added that despite time constraints, the Temple Management Company were able to deliver a technically flawless production.

    Another major highpoint of King Sunny visit was at the Ministry of Information and Culture where His Excellency, Lai Mohammed, announced that King Sunny Ade would be made one of the ambassadors of the ‘Change begins With Me’ campaign.

    Announcing the appointment, he said: “We are looking for people like you (King Sunny Ade) that the younger ones can look up to. It’s not just that you have been around for fifty years but you have been around for fifty years without any single stain on your part and that is very hard.

    Alhaji Mohammed eulogized King Sunny Ade for elevating the juju music genre into an international commodity that is now accepted all over the world.

    “Most people like you would have had one issue or the other that today their integrity would be at stake. Your integrity is as strong if not stronger than when you started. So it would be a pleasure if you can accept to be our Ambassador of the “Change Begins With Me”.

    “I want the younger ones to look at you and see that you can actually get to the top without cutting corners. That is exactly what you have done. You have never cut corners and you have gotten to the top. “

    While accepting the offer to serve as an Ambassador of the “Change Begins With Me” Campaign, King Sunny Ade pledged to partner with the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture to move the nation forward.

    “You don’t need to say much. This is what I love to do and it has been in me. We are ready to do that officially throughout the whole world,” KSA said.

    The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN also explained that KSA has a valuable role to play as an ambassador and change agent.

    “We are still suffering from regular attacks in the Niger Delta that affect our power generating capacity,” Fashola said. “King Sunny Ade is a national icon and he can help Government communicate our message in a language that everybody can understand.”

  • After 40 years, my family finally forgave me for becoming a musician – KSA

    After 40 years, my family finally forgave me for becoming a musician – KSA

    Juju music maestro, King Sunny Ade, has revealed how his family discouraged him from becoming a musician.
    The Grammy award nominee who comes from a royal family in Ondo state said in an interview on Accelerate TV’s The Maverick show, that his family thought that royalties should be praised in songs and not praising others.
    KSA as he is fondly called by his fans, also said he wanted to become an engineer and a doctor when he was younger because he wanted to help people.
    In April, KSA will be performing alongside top international pop acts such as Beyonce, Kendrick Lamar, and others at the Coachella Music Festival in the US.

  • KSA to perform alongside Beyonce, Kendrik Lamar, others

    KSA to perform alongside Beyonce, Kendrik Lamar, others

    Juju maestro King Sunny Ade is billed to perform alongside Beyonce, Kendrik Lamar, Tory Lanez, Travy Scott and others at this year’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival which will hold at the Empire Polo Club, Indio, California, USA from April 14 to April 16, 2017.

    The annual event, organised by Golden Voice, a subsidiary of AEG Live as of 2001, features many genres of music including rock, indie, hip hop, electronic dance music and art installations and sculptures.

    KSA, the first Nigerian Grammy nominee, celebrated his 70th birthday last December and his guitar was auctioned for N52.1million.

    KSA’s song was featured in the 1983 film Breathless, starring Richard Gere, and the 1986 comedy One More Saturday Night, and he acted in Robert Altman’s 1987 comedy O.C. and Stiggs.

  • KSA donates priceless guitar

    KSA donates priceless guitar

    •As singer joins Hard Rock Hall of Fame
    •Rotimi Akeredolu pays tribute

    The Nigerian music industry stood still for Juju music maestro, Sunday Adegeye, aka King Sunny Ade who, yesterday, was inducted into the prestigious Hard Rock Hall of Fame, making him the first musician from Nigeria and Africa to be so honoured.

    KSA, as he is simply called, joins the list of over 81,000 Hollywood celebrities whose souvenirs like guitars, dresses, hats, shoes, and other paraphernalia adorn the walls of Hard Rock Café.

    Parting with his vintage Fender Guitar, KSA noted that although the instrument, which he acquired in 1984 and which has earned him several hit records and awards should naturally be in his personal gallery, he has no doubt it would get better exposure and value in the Hard Rock Hall of Fame, where thousands of other iconic memorabilia are currently archived.

    “I’m thrilled to be the first Nigerian musician to donate personal items to Hard Rock’s world-famous collection and to be showcased alongside other legendary artists,” he said “For me, this is more than just a ceremony; it’s an opportunity to pass on a cultural legacy and inspire new generations of musicians around the globe.”

    Some of the items in the Hard Rock collection include Madonna’s wedding dress from “Like a Virgin,” John Lennon’s wireframe tinted glasses, Jim Morrison’s famous brown leather pants, and many more.

    KSA described the guitar as his baby, kissing it in a dramatic manner before handing it over to the CEO of Hard Rock Cafe Lagos, Mr. Sanjay Mathani. This was just as he gave out other personal items, including an album cover and a pair of shoes.

    “It’s a great honor to be able to pay homage to the rich and historic musical roots in Lagos with a memorabilia donation from King Sunny Ade,” said Mathani, adding that, “Hard Rock embraces all genres of music, and we are proud to support such a talented and influential artist.”

    The event was midwifed by Temple Management Company, a talent agency and event management company currently handling the musician’s 70th birthday activities, including the highly-publicised concert tagged “Sunny On Sunday” scheduled for December 11, 2016 at Federal Palace Hotel, Lagos.

    “Celebrating King Sunny Ade is something of a national assignment for us at Temple Management Company that must be carried out,” said Terfa Tilley-Gyado, Director of Communications.

    “An induction into the Hard Rock’s famous memorabilia collection is just one of such responsibilities that will culminate at a grand concert that Nigerians have never witnessed come December 11,” he added.

    The event, which took place at the Hard Rock Cafe, Oniru, Lagos, was witnessed by an unprecedented number of music and media personalities who came to honour the legendary musician. They include Don Jazzy, Tiwa Savage, Iyanya, Peter of P-Square, Bovi, Korede Bello, Olisa Adibua, Kunle Afolayan, Di’Ja, Bolanle Olukani, Tosin Bucknor and Inidinma Okogie among others.

    Governor-elect of Ondo State, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu, through a representative, Mr. Kunle Runsewe, gave a goodwill message and tribute to the Juju musician at the event. Runsewe said the Governor-elect holds KSA in high regard and could have been present at the historic event, but for his trip to Abuja to obtain his Certificate of Return from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in Abuja.

    “I remember vividly his highly philosophical and prayerful songs which teach moderation, contentment, integrity and faith,” Akeredolu said in a three-page tribute. “Songs like ‘Ibi Lekeleke GBE n koja..’,  ‘Kirakita- Kirakita’, ‘Iriri Aye’, ‘Jealousy’ and ‘Mo wa sope fun eledumare’ (1970s- 80s, did more to create a clear image of  self-identity in our minds as young men and even now as grandparents.”

    According to APC candidate in the last Ondo State election, “King Sunny Ade’s pastoral tracks which were warnings against life adversaries as well as coaching sessions on self-confidence also created a great deal of push in us.

    “Such push teaches us that we can achieve all we want to achieve, if we work hard and make nothing stop us. Isn’t it what we learn from hit tracks like ‘Ogidan o ni se Barber’, ‘Sheinde, Maa jo’, ‘Penkele, Mo ti mo’, ‘E dide’ (1970s to 90s).

    “At a personal level, I have wondered what makes this man extraordinary. Now I know the answer. It is belief and character clothed in talent,” he submitted.

    Hard Rock Hall of Fame began in 1979, in London, with an un-signed Red Fender Lead II guitar from Eric Clapton, who was a regular at the first restaurant in London. Clapton wanted management to hang the guitar over his regular seat in order to lay claim to that spot, and they obliged. This prompted Pete Townshend of The Who to give one of his guitars, also un-signed with the note “Mine’s as good as his! Love, Pete.”

    Other notable celebrities who are on the Hard Rock showcase include, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, Brian Wilson and Elton John.

  • KSA at 70 book for launch

    KSA at 70 book for launch

    As part of activities celebrating the 70th birthday of King Sunny Ade, a book titled KSA: Melodies of wisdom, written by Bamidele Olasehinde Adebayo, will be launched today by 12 noon at Redemption Resort at the Redeemed Christian Church of God Camp, klm 46, Lagos/Ibadan Expresssway.

    The book  touches every facet of life including religion, culture, money, health, and wealth, marital, economic, societal and related issues.

    Published by the University Press PLC, the 580-page book highlights all the records of the musician from 1966 to date, record by record, year by year and even tracks by tracks.  Expected at the event are Chief Felix Fagbohungbe (SAN), Aare Afe Babalola (SAN), and Oba Fredrick Obateru Akinruntan.

  • AFRIMA 2016: AFRICAN STARS TO PAY TRIBUTE TO MANU DIBANGO, KSA, PAPA WEMBA

    AFRICAN music stars will perform to honour three of Africa’s renowned music legends, Manu Dibango, King Sunny Ade and Papa Wemba, at this year’s All Africa Music Awards, AFRIMA, on Sunday, November 6 at Eko Hotels & Suites, Lagos.

    In partnership with the African Union Commission, AUC, and the support of the Official Host City, Lagos State, AFRIMA 2016 grand awards ceremony is preceded by The AFRIMA Music Village on Friday November 4, 2016, a non-stop music concert with over 40 African artistes performing live at the Waterfront, Bar Beach, Victoria Island, Lagos.

    “Contemporary African stars will be pledging their loyalty to these grassroot legends of African music to show the beauty of their music through outstanding performances on stage during the AFRIMA awards,” said President and Executive Producer, AFRIMA, Mr. Mike Dada, describing the three music icons as the ‘voices of African music and the epitome of Africanness.’

    “It is also a means of showing the younger generation that they can connect to music made by older generations of artistes and use this to unite the world through music.”

    Some of the top African artistes billed to honour the legacy of the three African legends include: Kiss Daniel (Nigeria); Diamond Platnumz (Tanzania); Brymo (Nigeria); Wax Dey (Cameroon); Seyi Shay (Nigeria); FallyIpupa (DRC), YemiAlade (Nigeria); Victoria Kimani (Kenya); Tiwa Savage (Nigeria); Aramide (Nigeria); Niniola (Nigeria); YCee (Nigeria); TJAN (Nigeria) and Flavour (Nigeria) among others.

    Eighty two year-old Cameroonian saxophonist and vibraphone player Manu Dibango, nicknamed ‘The Lion of Cameroon’, is recognised for developing a music style fusing jazz, funk and traditional Cameroonian music. His song “Soul Makossa” has influenced several music hits, including Michael Jackson’s “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin”, as well as his recording of that song with Akon, the Fugees’ “Cowboys”, and Rihanna’s “Don’t Stop the Music” and Comedian Eddie Murphy in his 1982 parody song “Boogie in your butt”.

    Artiste-in-Residence at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria, is a Nigerian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist and two-time Grammy award nominee, known for his pioneering of modern world music.

    And Papa Wemba, the late iconic musician from the Democratic Republic of Congo, who died at age 67 on April 24, 2016 during a stage performance in Cote d’Ívoire, also pioneered a blend of African, Cuban and Western sounds which became one of Africa’s most popular music styles. Dubbed the ‘King of Rhumba Rock’, Papa Wemba was also a fashion icon who popularised the La Sape look and style through his musical group Viva la Musica, with whom he performed on stages throughout the world.

    Meanwhile, public voting continues on AFRIMA website.

  • KSA, 2Baba, others promote unity at The Supremacy Concert

    KSA, 2Baba, others promote unity at The Supremacy Concert

    In celebrating Nigeria’s 56th independence anniversary, The Supremacy Concert, an initiative of the Main Group and the finale of the much talked about Made-in-Nigeria Festival attracted music fans from far and near to the Eko Atlantic in Lagos.

    Leading the pack of entertainers was the living legend, King Sunny Ade, who recently clocked 70. KSA, wearing a Made-in-Nigeria bespoke Atiku outfit, sent the crowd into nostalgia by bringing back his evergreen songs back-to-back. Next to perform was Innocent Idibia popularly called 2Baba, who thrilled the crowd, decked in a native Akwa-Ibom outfit. He went on to reel out his hit songs from Implication to For Instance and more, a move that left the crowd asking for more. 2Baba didn’t disappoint his fans as he also performed his new single Officially Blind which was chorused by the fans throughout the period he performed.

    In between these performances, one of Nigeria’s foremost DJs, DJ Jimmy Jatt, was on hand to deliver judgment on the wheels of steel at the concert.

    Also mounting the stage was internationally recognised singer and entertainer Asa, who wore her trademark Nigerian fabric blouse while performing at the event. She literally blew away everybody, she performed hits from all her albums such as Bibanke, Akinyele, Mama mi, Satan be Gone, 360 and others. She also reminded everyone present how much of a good guitarist she is as she latched on to her guitar playing old songs much to the singing delight of all present there.

    The Koko Master Dbanj came on stage in dramatic fashion after his ‘Hype man’ Jimmie, engaged the crowd in wild chants to welcome the emergence of the Ejanla.

  • TEMPLE MANAGEMENT TO CELEBRATE KSA AT 70

    VETERAN Juju singer, King Sunny Ade has granted talent agency and event firm, Temple Management Company (TMC) rights to organise a concert as the climax of his 70th birthday celebrations. The event is also to mark his 50th anniversary of his ‘coronation’ as the ‘King’ of juju music.

    According to information, TMC is saddled with the task of putting together what is believed to be “a seminal moment” on the Nigerian event and showbiz circuit.

    Assuring KSA of a flawless project delivery, TMC’s founder, Idris Olorunnimbe, stated that it was an honour to be considered by the legendary music genius to host such a historic concert.

    “We do not take with levity the trust reposed in us at Temple Management Company by one of Nigeria’s biggest music colossus, King Sunny Ade. We take this assignment as a big endorsement on our competencies as an organisation,” he said.

    Olorunnimbe added that his vibrant team has already started work on this project, working with both local and international partners to deliver something that fans of the legendary KSA will be very proud of.

    Mark Redguard, Head of Entertainment at TMC, also promised a show to remember. “KSA at 70 will have the very best of local and international entertainers. He is a national treasure and he deserves an event that reflects his iconic status,” Redguard said.

    Expressing satisfaction in TMC, the Juju music maestro scored the event company high and expressed confidence in their competence to deliver a world-class show. “I have been around the industry long enough to realise that the guys at Temple Management Company are very sharp and know what they are doing with their level of professionalism. I am very pleased to work with to put together a befitting 70th birthday concert for me,” he revealed.

    KSAde turned 70 last September and has been feted by different associations and organisations in a long line of ceremonies. The celebrations will climax with a ground-breaking concert production.

     

  • KSA at 70

    KSA at 70

    •Synchro System’s septuagenarian marches on

    The seventieth birthday anniversary of Chief Sunday Francis Adeniyi Adegeye, better known to the world as King Sunny Ade, or KSA, marks the high point of a musical career distinguished by incredible dexterity, global renown, trend-setting rhythms, melodies, playing styles and stage craft.

    Born in 1946 the son of a church organist and a trader, such was his commitment to music that he left Ondo for Lagos, then the hub of a thriving  mix of different musical genres under the pretext that he was going to further his education.

    In 1963, KSA joined the Sempiro Band, and later that year, was a samba player with the Federal Rhythm Dandies, a highlife band led by Moses Olaiya, who was later to become one of the country’s best-known comedians and film-makers.

    In 1964, KSA took the momentous decision to switch from playing the then-dominant highlife to juju, an intoxicating guitar-based musical style which combined traditional percussion with innovative melodies and the Yoruba language to produce a musical genre that was hugely popular in Nigeria’s south-west.

    KSA set up his own outfit, the Green Spots Band in 1967. Taking Tunde Nightingale and I.K. Dairo as his models, he soon developed a brand of juju that was unique to him. His first single, “Challenge Cup,” produced that year was followed by albums like “Alanu L’Oluwa”, “Colonel Adeyinka Adebayo” and “Omo Oba Sijuwade”, all released in 1967. These songs were the soundtrack of the heady 1960s, and accurately reflect the era’s bewildering mix of optimism, dismay and hope that the nation would overcome its social, political and economic challenges.

    KSA quickly became the crown jewel in a galaxy of juju superstars which included his great rival Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey, Dele Ojo and Admiral Dele Abiodun, among others. While all were renowned for the way in which they combined traditional and modern musical instruments with indigenous wisdom, KSA stood out for the immediacy of his lyrics, his outstanding guitar-playing, and the exciting syncopation of his live performances.

    His music was famous for its multi-layered percussion, electric guitars and synthesizers, as well as the close harmony of his all-male vocalists. Musical traditions and instruments were being combined in a way that had never been done before, to produce a sound that was at once recognisably Nigerian and profoundly modern.

    Hit followed hit for KSA in an extraordinary sequence during the late 60s all the way to the early 90s. Albums like “Ogun” and “Omo Wunmi” proffer an unapologetic celebration of Yoruba religion and worldview. “Ewu Ijamba Moto” (1967), “FESTAC ’77”, “Otito” (1985) and “The Way Forward” (1966) demonstrate KSA’s commitment to the progress of Nigeria and its people.

    National fame was followed by international recognition, as a string of successful overseas performances brought the attractions of juju music to a global audience. KSA became the first African artiste to obtain a Grammy nomination, failing to win the coveted award allegedly because of confusion over what musical category juju fell into. He engaged in musical collaborations with artistes like Stevie Wonder and Manu Dibango, and was famously signed on by Island Records, who were looking for a successor to Bob Marley.

    KSA was a pioneer in musical entrepreneurship in Nigeria. He was one of the first musicians to set up his own record label as a means of securing creative and financial independence. He established the Ariya Nightclub to leverage on the popularity of his music and provide an entertainment spot for fun-seeking Lagosians.

    After nearly five decades in the business, King Sunny Ade has remained the unassuming individual who prefers to let his achievements speak for him. Such is the extent of his renown that contemporary Nigerian musicians continue to do musical collaborations with him on stage. May Nigeria continue to enjoy his musical genius for many more years.