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jackhammer · 11-11-2008, 11:23 AM

King Sunny Ade - King Of Juju (Compilation released 1998)

Although my knowledge of African music is fairly limited, I regard Fela Kuti as one of my favourite artists. His pioneering of Afrobeat is an amazing genre of music. So I decided to delve a little deeper into African music. King Sunny Ade takes it roots from yoruba music but it adds guitars, banjo's, steel drums and in the 80's-synthesisers and herein lies the problem.

What I love about Fela Kuti's music is the incorporation of Jazz and deep Funk bass lines which makes the music sound timeless whereas KSA's music sounds dated in many parts and missing that deep bass that evokes the vitality and passion of Africa.

To compare these two artists is a little unfair as they play and have expanded upon the traditional Yoruba music but KSA does'nt grab me emotionally or as passionately. Sure it is very well played and not at all offensive but it is also, in the main; forgettable and on some tunes you could imagine artists such as Paul Simon and Peter Gabriel (in their African tinged output) doing very similar music.

11-11-2008, 11:23 AM	#4 (permalink)
jackhammer Ba and Be. Join Date: May 2007 Location: This Is England Posts: 17,331	King Sunny Ade - King Of Juju (Compilation released 1998) Although my knowledge of African music is fairly limited, I regard Fela Kuti as one of my favourite artists. His pioneering of Afrobeat is an amazing genre of music. So I decided to delve a little deeper into African music. King Sunny Ade takes it roots from yoruba music but it adds guitars, banjo's, steel drums and in the 80's-synthesisers and herein lies the problem. What I love about Fela Kuti's music is the incorporation of Jazz and deep Funk bass lines which makes the music sound timeless whereas KSA's music sounds dated in many parts and missing that deep bass that evokes the vitality and passion of Africa. To compare these two artists is a little unfair as they play and have expanded upon the traditional Yoruba music but KSA does'nt grab me emotionally or as passionately. Sure it is very well played and not at all offensive but it is also, in the main; forgettable and on some tunes you could imagine artists such as Paul Simon and Peter Gabriel (in their African tinged output) doing very similar music. __________________ It be my music and film collection. “A cynic by experience, a romantic by inclination and now a hero by necessity.”