By David Stephen.
King of Juju Music and one of Nigeria’s most famous faces for cultural music, King Sunny Ade, will be celebrating a series of anniversaries beginning today. He will be celebrating his 66th birthday, 50 years on stage, and 35 years of being crowned as the King of Juju Music. Sunday Adeniyi Adegeye, “King Sunny Ade” was born on September 22, 1946, and has made a mark in Yoruba music, earning two Grammy Nominations and was alluded when then-US President, Bill Clinton, visited Nigeria in 2000.
Activities for the festival began today, with an exhibition of his works, musical instruments, early records, photographs, attires, etc., at the Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja. Then stage performances, by some of his bands will follow on October 1st at Premier Hotel Ibadan, from 4pm till fade.
An award/lecture session will hold at a date to be announced later at Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja. The 50th year on stage anniversary will be marked with a 2-day package of concerts at Golf Course, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos, on Friday and Saturday, November 9 and 10 from 4pm till dawn on each day.
On Tuesday, November 13, a 35th Crowning Anniversary Press conference will hold at the Ibadan Tennis Club, Oyo State at 11am. Ibadan Tennis Club was the venue of the epoch-making event on April 23, 1977, when the present Alafin of Oyo, HRM Oba, Lamidi Olayiwola CFR, Adeyemi 111, Iku Baba Yeye, crowned the young Sunny Ade as the King of Music of the Juju genre.
The grand-finale of the festival tagged “The Crown” show will hold in Ibadan, Oyo State on November 16, 2012 at a venue to be decided, while the London and Washington versions of “The Crown” will include courtesy visits to the High Commissioner, book launch and concerts, according to the Chairman of the KSA Festival planning committee, Oloye Lekan Alabi, the Ikolaba Olubadan of Ibadanland.
We congratulate King Sunny Ade, his team and family on these anniversaries, and we wish him long life and prosperity ahead.
