The Tribal Chief Is Turning 80

 

Today, Sunday Adeniyi Adegeye – better known as King Sunny Adé – is celebrating his eightieth birthday. He is a Nigerian singer and multi-instrumentalist who reigned as the master of juju music in his native Nigeria long before the rest of the world took notice. His 17-piece band, the African Beats, was legendary for marathon gigs lasting up to eight hours. In the 1980s, he achieved a global breakthrough with his polyrhythmic Yoruba style, in which he let his guitar do the talking. This was not only because the Talking Heads also adapted his sound. His songs are steeped in tradition and consists of long, hypnotic, interlocking grooves, complex guitar arrangements and percussive rhythms.

Happy birthday King Sunny Adé

King Sunny Adé - Synchro System

King Sunny Adé - Ja Funmi

Monday'a Long Song

 

It is rare for a song to be featured here that tends to be categorized under the headings of blues and gospel. Nevertheless, this is a tribute to the magnificent Nina Simone, a jazz and blues singer, pianist, songwriter and civil rights activist from the south-east of the USA. She is likely best known for her jazz- and blues-infused songs, which she often accompanied on the piano. With her rendition of Sinnerman, a spiritual from the early 20th century, she stepped outside her usual repertoire and clearly drew on the gospel music of her mother, a devout Methodist preacher. This musical breakthrough is so ecstatic and driving that even the worst sinners are likely to be brought to their knees. The beat surges forward, a rock guitar cuts through, the piano tinkles along, and rhythmic clapping builds to a frenzy, giving the traditional song a contemporary twist. Another almost forgotten classic, recorded more than 60 years ago.

Nina Simone - Sinnerman

New Song On Sunday

 

Danielle Ponder is an American singer and former public defender from New York who has devoted herself entirely to music for the past few years. She has announced her second album for October and has released a few tracks in advance.

Her musical influences are diverse, ranging from 90s East Coast hip-hop to blues, from Aretha Franklin to Portishead, and you can really hear that in her latest track, Sun and Moon. Driven by a tribal-style rhythm, she fills the song with her magnificent voice. It’s a song that should be played on any good radio programme.