King Sunny Adé & His African Beats

Ade began to attract attention in the western world when three of his albums -- Juju Music, Synchro System, and Aura -- were released in the early '80s on the Mango label, a subsidiary of Island Records. Ade & His African Beats made their debut American performances to enthusiastic crowds in 1983. Although Juju Music and Synchro System showed signs that Ade was going up to live up to billing as "the African Bob Marley," Aura was a commercial disappointment and the group was dropped by Island Records. While they released an album, Authority of Your Ticket, in 1990, it too failed to stir much commercial interest. E Dide (Get Up), released in 1995, offered hints that the best days of Ade and His African Beats were yet to come. The group followed it with Odu, a collection of ancient Nigerian songs, in 1998; the album was nominated for a Grammy. Its follow-up, Seven Degrees North, appeared in 2000. Ade has remained a powerful force in Nigeria. Money received from his early albums has been used to launch an oil firm, a mining company, a nightclub, a film and video production company, a PR firm, and a record label specializing in recordings by African artists. It's been estimated than more than 700 people are employed by Ade's companies. In the mid-'90s, Ade founded the King Sunny Ade Foundation, an organization that includes a performing arts center, a state of the art recording studio, and housing for young musicians and performers on a five acre tract donated by the Lagos state government. Ade currently serves as chairperson of the Musical Copyright Society of Nigeria. In 1996, Ade formed a supergroup, the Way Forward, featuring top-notch Nigerian musicians. He and His African Beats have been featured in three films -- Juju Music in 1988, Live at Montreux in 1990, and Roots of Rhythm in 1997.