IN a few days, Thursday, 22 September 2022, the lithe, lyrical superstar shall be 76 years old, without a hint of waning in musical glory or dwindling in pomp and pageantry. The immensely popular and ‘world-famous’ Nigerian global export, Chief Sunday Anthony Oshola Adeniyi Adegeye further sketches his legendary status into our consciousness – even after almost 60 years on this melody lane – throwing us into nostalgia and reminiscences. Such is this week’s focus which rummages into a volume of an encounter we had with King Sunny Ade, KSA, a few days before his 53rd birthday in 1999. His thoughts, desires, and remonstrations are still fresh and poignant… unwrinkled by the passage of time… much like any of his numerous evergreen melodies. Join us, please:
Have you ever lost your voice?
Yes. Not really lost, you know. It was just like faint. If l do about one week non-stop, and there is no space, no time for me to rest, yes it can. I have lost my voice twice.
How did you react? Did you panic, or what was your reaction?
It was like you feel that heaven is going to fall because when you are talking they won’t hear you, when you want to sing, you can’t. It happened one day, we were there that day but you wouldn’t notice. It was at the National Stadium when I was made to perform after Lagbaja. There was a band again and then I came. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find my voice. What I did immediately was I turned back to the band boys and said give me ‘F’ quickly, instead of ‘G’. Then they put me on G, and then I said, give me F … then they lowered me back to G. That is where I now changed the actual song I wanted to sing. I started singing slow before I could regain my voice, taking almost 30-35 minutes. It was like ‘what is wrong? What is happening?’
Your life history is very well known. But sometimes when you look at all these things, do you think there is nothing that has not been written about you?
Well, I would say like my mother used to say, ‘I’m your mother. I delivered you to the world, so the whole world will not like you’. Whatever anybody wants to know about you they are free (laughs) because I don’t have any skeletons in my cupboard. I am not hiding anything. But the only area is, you know, backstage… people see what is happening on the stage, they see you dancing. Like this question now, ‘have you ever lost your voice?’ It is a one-in-a-million question. But at backstage, it is only a few people that used to ask… when you see the people on the stage, you know that the beauty of the stage, the lighting, the effect of the dressing; but before you get to the stage and after you get off the stage, what is actually happening at the backstage?
Probably, I am alive or dead when the show is about to commence. You remember that Raypower II show, I mean when Lagbaja was coming with his horns, I tried to dodge in order for him not to see where I was sitting, but I heard the song he was singing, my song. How will I do it? And you, unfortunately, were sitting beside me and you were even showing me to him; the next thing I was thinking I would do was dance, but suddenly he just handed the microphone to me; so what would I do?
You have been an inspiration to a lot of people. Most times, you dance for hours, and you are well over 50. Do your legs tell you that it is time to go sometimes?
Yeah, sometimes when you are on the stage you don’t feel it until you are off the stage, especially when the music is good and the people dance and they respond well to you, you won’t feel it. It is like a footballer, unless God wills it, until the end of the match, especially when you are winning, you don’t even feel your legs at all. You can’t feel anything, you want to head and jump. The goalkeeper will just stretch all his body and fall on the floor, he won’t even know until after the match. It is like that, but I thank God that the inspiration from the music and the inspiration from the people, the inspiration from the boys that are really creating the music, I don’t normally feel it.
Okay, as a maestro you created a music idiom recognized all over the world. But one of the “professional” allegations against you is that you don’t create successors. Correct?
It is not correct. First of all, the music I am playing I have never taken from anybody. That is it! Well, I can never be like that. If not that we all are talking to Femi, Femi will never play Fela’s music. So, it depends on him. He may say he doesn’t want to play Fela’s music. He is not Fela. Nobody can be like Fela. All the people springing up, they didn’t spring up when Fela was alive. So, eventually when I go, I believe somebody will play my music. This music, juju music, has come to stay. It is more or less like the Yoruba culture, which says Afileọmọlọwọ (when you go, you hand over to your child). Not everything you hand over nowadays (laughs).
All l want from my own children is that when I go, l want them to be well-read until they decide to do whatever they want to do. Some of them probably will not like to play music, some are being groomed. Like the Michel Jackson family, everyone of them. But like today, it is only one or two that are really doing it. I’m not saying it is not good, l have been thinking about it and I used to tell my kids that what they owe me is not music at all, it is education, and when they do that I can become their manager in future (general laughter).
Anybody can be their manager, I don’t care; but at the moment…I pray that some of my children will become musicians. Yes. I pray. And at the moment, I have kids who play music. Even some in America, they play music. Some are playing together with Dr. Victor Olaiya’s daughter, they are playing music. That is not the way I want. The way I want is, can you beat me to it?
I usually tell them I am a doctorate degree holder and I want them to do the same: get it academically and not in the honorary way. I want them to beat me to it. Now, I am a graduate, so I want them to be much more than that. So, if I am the only one playing my music and nobody at all in the whole world…that kind of question can be difficult for me to answer. When at every corner you go people now play like Sunny Ade, everywhere, eventually anybody can be Ten Juju Music or Five Juju Music. But to fill my vacuum? Even my kids cannot fill my vacuum when I go because they cannot be King Sunny Ade. They can only be the sons or the daughters of King Sunny Ade.
Reminiscing with KSA at 76
FOUR days to his 76th birth anniversary (22 September 2022), we caused to be published a rehash of an interview this reporter had with Chief Sunday Anthony Iṣọla Adeniyi Adegẹye (more popularly known as King Sunny Ade – aka KSA) on the eve of his 53rd birthday, at the dawn of this millennium (in 1999). He was open, disarming and thoughtful – virtues he flaunts till this day. Imbued with princely debonair, it is no wonder two of his names have “Ade” (Yoruba word for crown), thereby augmenting the majesty of his musical bloodline. Well, this is how we described him in a 2011 book, “Footprints: Interventions in Nigerian Entertainment”: ‘Crowned the juju music king (45) years ago… [in a 1977 well-advertised poll by The Entertainer, a tabloid in the stable of the defunct Ibadan-based Sketch newspapers]; this royalty has refused to abdicate, be dethroned or allow himself to stroll into oblivion; even as times, seasons and stars come and go… KSA abandoned home and college at 17 in pursuit of destiny. He joined Federal Rhythm Dandies owned by Moses Adejumo Olaiya (alias Baba Sala). Five years preceding that decision, little Sunny had jammed with two top Osogbo bands led by Sunday Ariyo and Idowu Owoeye.’
‘However, “the man” emerged at 19 when he “released” his own band. Barely two years after, in 1967, KSA debuted with “Alaanu L’Oluwa” to a heart-breaking (disastrous) record sales. But a year later, the king made a chart-breaking return with “Challenge Cup”.
‘With countless and incisive innovations, KSA has planted a gigantic tree in the forest of music, which shows to all that his fame and talent could only have come from one source: God. Today, we recognise KSA as a lodestar in a millennium of incredible music advancement.”
And now the king still reigns…at 76. This is the concluding part of what we started in the last edition…:
“How are you coping with the embarrassment and pains of the bitter court case with your former wife, Falilat?
Well, actually I thank my God that I am getting out of that mess now which I pray that I won’t see anything like that anymore. I really don’t want to go into that now… because that is wiping out…
You see, when you are young… that is what I am telling my children and any other young musician. When you are young, you have to take your time before you get married, though you have to believe that whenever you go into the world you will see millions of women. If you rush too much you will have problems. You don’t need to be slow and you don’t need to be fast, just take your time and when you are ready just decide and believe that that particular person you are marrying is good.
Just go ahead. There is no musician that has not done it in Nigeria, but I pray that the next generation from the millennium will not go into that. From the beginning, I had a rough time in my marital life… Unfortunately, I have kids who I respect a lot. Those kids had to pull me back and say we have to correct it. So by doing that you have to swallow a lot of things and endure a lot of things until you cannot endure anymore, which your kids will sanction and say this time my mother has gone too far… they’ll say it is not me that they will be annoyed with.
What really went wrong in the Island Record deal?
You see, there is nothing that went wrong other than that I took my decision simply because I had my country in mind. If I want to be popular around the whole world, yes, they can make me. God gives me the power and ability to do that, but my music called Juju music from Nigeria will get lost. So in order to hold my juju music, that is why we parted ways.
What happened was they told me they wanted to change my music to what the Western world would like. So, I said okay. Let’s have a producer, this is my multi track, the one I did for you. Let them mix it, let them put anything into that. So, they went with that for a couple of weeks. When they came back, I couldn’t recognise my music anymore. So I said, gentlemen, it is not that it’s bad but I couldn’t continue with that. They said I didn’t want to sell and if I wanted them to sell I should allow them to change. They didn’t pick my option and I didn’t pick their option. So, we went our separate ways. But today, the same juju music has been nominated again in 1998 (Grammys). Eventually, I pray that it will win one year. That is why we are working hard now in order to win something. When we win that, we can play it back.
Can a musician be a successful businessman?
I would say yes. If you know what you are doing and at the same time, God directs or sends good managers to you. To become a businessman is just very simple. A manager that knows what he is doing, that can put your vision to reality… the man who knows the business you are doing or the business you are involved in. The best thing you can do is to surround yourself first with the best and when you are asking questions, they don’t ask you questions. For instance, around me I am having a recording studio, which I know about; I’m having a label to record, which I know about. within that I can distribute, which I know about. Then, I’m having a band I’m playing with, which I know about. I have a nightclub, which I know about. So, all these come with good managers.
The other time, I went to University of Lagos privately to do Business Administration. That is what I have in the organisation; when they are talking business, at least if I didn’t know 100%, I will know 75. So, when I am throwing the questions back at them… even when they are doing the accounting, the internal auditors come, my questions will be who has this, who has that, why do you do this, why that? I want to know under 24 hours. But, if care is not taken, for the love of money, you fight and then you don’t play again. Or you find if you don’t do little business you have to balance your brain because sometimes in the business world you can easily have what is called brain fatigue, under one hour. When they give you a report on the business, you won’t be yourself again. That will affect your band. Sometimes when you are on the stage you will be thinking, (and) singing something else (general laughter).
Thank you very much, and we wish you so much success.
Thank you very much too. God bless you too. I use this opportunity to thank you very much for the way you promote Nigerian art, though people may not see it that way since they are often hit because they believe that you are a critic. You may be a musician, I don’t know, but sometimes you criticize a particular music constructively and that’s why we reckon with you; that when we buy the paper and look at the entertainment page, okay, what has he done this week? What happened this week?”
https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2022/09/24/reminiscing-with-ksa-at-76/
II
Reminiscing with KSA at 76
FOUR days to his 76th birth anniversary (22 September, 2022), we caused to be published a rehash of an interview this reporter had with Chief Sunday Anthony Iṣọla Adeniyi Adegẹye (more popularly known as King Sunny Ade – aka KSA) on the eve of his 53rd birthday, at the dawn of this millennium (in 1999). He was open, disarming and thoughtful – virtues he flaunts till this day. Imbued with princely debonair, it is no wonder two of his names have “Ade” (Yoruba word for crown), thereby augmenting the majesty of his musical bloodline. Well, this is how we described him in a 2011 book, “Footprints: Interventions in Nigerian Entertainment”: ‘Crowned the juju music king (45) years ago… [in a 1977 well-advertised poll by The Entertainer, a tabloid in the stable of the defunct Ibadan-based Sketch newspapers]; this royalty has refused to abdicate, be dethroned or allow himself to stroll into oblivion; even as times, seasons and stars come and go… KSA abandoned home and college at 17 in pursuit of destiny. He joined Federal Rhythm Dandies owned by Moses Adejumo Olaiya (alias Baba Sala). Five years preceding that decision, little Sunny had jammed with two top Osogbo bands led by Sunday Ariyo and Idowu Owoeye.’
‘However, “the man” emerged at 19 when he “released” his own band. Barely two years after, in 1967, KSA debuted with “Alaanu L’Oluwa” to a heart-breaking (disastrous) record sales. But a year later, the king made a chart-breaking return with “Challenge Cup”.
‘With countless and incisive innovations, KSA has planted a gigantic tree in the forest of music, which shows to all that his fame and talent could only have come from one source: God. Today, we recognise KSA as a lodestar in a millennium of incredible music advancement.”
And now the king still reigns…at 76. This is the concluding part of what we started in the last edition…:
“How are you coping with the embarrassment and pains of the bitter court case with your former wife, Falilat?
Well, actually I thank my God that I am getting out of that mess now which I pray that I won’t see anything like that anymore. I really don’t want to go into that now… because that is wiping out…
You see, when you are young… that is what I am telling my children and any other young musician. When you are young, you have to take your time before you get married, though you have to believe that whenever you go into the world you will see millions of women. If you rush too much you will have problems. You don’t need to be slow and you don’t need to be fast, just take your time and when you are ready just decide and believe that that particular person you are marrying is good.
Just go ahead. There is no musician that has not done it in Nigeria, but I pray that the next generation from the millennium will not go into that. From the beginning, I had a rough time in my marital life… Unfortunately, I have kids who I respect a lot. Those kids had to pull me back and say we have to correct it. So by doing that you have to swallow a lot of things and endure a lot of things until you cannot endure anymore, which your kids will sanction and say this time my mother has gone too far… they’ll say it is not me that they will be annoyed with.
What really went wrong in the Island Record deal?
You see, there is nothing that went wrong other than that I took my decision simply because I had my country in mind. If I want to be popular around the whole world, yes, they can make me. God gives me the power and ability to do that, but my music called Juju music from Nigeria will get lost. So in order to hold my juju music, that is why we parted ways.
What happened was they told me they wanted to change my music to what the Western world would like. So, I said okay. Let’s have a producer, this is my multi track, the one I did for you. Let them mix it, let them put anything into that. So, they went with that for a couple of weeks. When they came back, I couldn’t recognise my music anymore. So I said, gentlemen, it is not that it’s bad but I couldn’t continue with that. They said I didn’t want to sell and if I wanted them to sell I should allow them to change. They didn’t pick my option and I didn’t pick their option. So, we went our separate ways. But today, the same juju music has been nominated again in 1998 (Grammys). Eventually, I pray that it will win one year. That is why we are working hard now in order to win something. When we win that, we can play it back.
Can a musician be a successful businessman?
I would say yes. If you know what you are doing and at the same time, God directs or sends good managers to you. To become a businessman is just very simple. A manager that knows what he is doing, that can put your vision to reality… the man who knows the business you are doing or the business you are involved in. The best thing you can do is to surround yourself first with the best and when you are asking questions, they don’t ask you questions. For instance, around me I am having a recording studio, which I know about; I’m having a label to record, which I know about. within that I can distribute, which I know about. Then, I’m having a band I’m playing with, which I know about. I have a nightclub, which I know about. So, all these come with good managers.
The other time, I went to University of Lagos privately to do Business Administration. That is what I have in the organisation; when they are talking business, at least if I didn’t know 100%, I will know 75. So, when I am throwing the questions back at them… even when they are doing the accounting, the internal auditors come, my questions will be who has this, who has that, why do you do this, why that? I want to know under 24 hours. But, if care is not taken, for the love of money, you fight and then you don’t play again. Or you find if you don’t do little business you have to balance your brain because sometimes in the business world you can easily have what is called brain fatigue, under one hour. When they give you a report on the business, you won’t be yourself again. That will affect your band. Sometimes when you are on the stage you will be thinking, (and) singing something else (general laughter).
Thank you very much, and we wish you so much success.
Thank you very much too. God bless you too. I use this opportunity to thank you very much for the way you promote Nigerian art, though people may not see it that way since they are often hit because they believe that you are a critic. You may be a musician, I don’t know, but sometimes you criticize a particular music constructively and that’s why we reckon with you; that when we buy the paper and look at the entertainment page, okay, what has he done this week? What happened this week?”
https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2022/09/24/reminiscing-with-ksa-at-76/
https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2022/09/17/ksa76-iconic-maestro-rides-on/
