King Sunny Adé
King Sunny Adé, a member of royal lineage from Ondo, in southwestern Nigeria, began his performance career in the 1960s playing in highlife and juju bands. Expounding on the innovations of I. K. Dairo, KSA formed his first band in 1966, dubbing them the Green Spots. He dropped the accordion that was often featured in earlier juju performances and introduced the pedal steel guitar, which added interesting aural effects in addition to its solo capabilities. The “talking drum” (dundun) became a mainstay of his performances, along with the electric bass. An expanded percussion section provided a complex polyrhythmic foundation rooted in Yoruba drumming traditions. But it was Adé’s charismatic stage presence, distinctively nasal voice, “wizard” guitar skills, and creative use of sound effects on studio recordings and during live performances that earned him a steadily growing audience.