Olabisi Kayode-Adedeji in Lagos
The internationally renowned juju musician, King Sunny Ade popularly called KSA has disclosed his plan to establish a first class music college and a museum to document and preserve all genres of music, particularly the early ones.
Penpushing reports that, the Juju maestro made the disclosure when he visited the Lagos home of a nine-year-old fan, Temidara Onafuye, a primary school pupil resident in North Carolina, United States of America (USA), who was in Nigeria for the Christmas and New Year
“I have started building my own school and by the grace of God in few years, there will be something on ground for people to see. I did not study music anywhere and was not trained by anybody but I have passion for music. I look around the entire nation; we do not have a standard music school. Most of the Nigerian musicians of note are self-made,” he said.
The 73 year old musician who declared that it is only death that can separate him from music said the museum would archive all genres of Nigerian early music, images and relics of musicians for young ones like Onafuye to visit and study.
”There is the need for documentation of our music and preserve them, particularly the old ones for younger generation to study. You can imagine a place in Harizona where they have one of the biggest music museum and I have a diary there’.
“People go there for tourism and the moment you pass through my stand they will play a bit of my song; “Synchro, synchro system”. If foreigner can do that, why not us? There is need for us to keep records,” he emphasised.
The foremost Juju singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist said he was inspired and impressed to hear that a young girl like Temidare Onafuye, who lived abroad could admire his music and be his ardent fan, even with the raving wave of “hip hop” and foreign music.
Penpushing further reports that Sunny Ade who was fielding questions from the underage fan revealed that he bought his first guitar at age 16 with personal savings and hid the instrument from his parents who did not want him to go into music, adding that he could play other musical instruments but had a special passion for guitar.
“Apart from singing. I play guitar, keyboard, different percussion instruments including talking drum, “Sakara”, “Omele’, “Konga”; all these make African music stand out. I have passion for guitar, I see it as my baby and I cannot do without it. Couple of years ago, I was rated 69th best guitarists in the whole world,”
The successful musician who was christened Sunday Adeniyi Adegeye at birth said, “I decided to learn how to play guitar on my own and I bought my first guitar when I was 16 years old. I saved money and bought the guitar for myself’.
“All my family members did not want me to play music because they believed that musicians at that time were not serious people. Eventually, when I bought the guitar I hid it under the staircase. I was afraid to tell anybody that I wanted to go into the city for music training where I would be exposed. Luckily for me, I chose my keys and my style of music which is known as “Juju”.
Penpushing also reports that, the world known musician known to have popularized Juju music which is a fusion of traditional Yoruba vocal forms and percussion with Western rock and roll, recalled how he played music with the late comedian, Moses Olaiya, known as“Baba Sala”.
“Hardly do people know that Baba Sala was a musician. He played guitar, talking drum and his music was like that of IK Dairo. When he floated the Baba Sala Travelling Theatre, I was the one in charge of the music section,” he said.
The King of juju music said he had composed more than 3, 000 songs saying that all his songs were his favourite because “each of them serves a purpose”, debunking speculation that, he going into retirement.
“I wanted to retire sometime ago, but my fans all over the world did not allow me. They said if I retire, what I will be doing. Juju music is in my blood, I cannot retire from music, I can only retire from stage. Even at 100 years, God willing, I will still be singing,” he said.
Penpushing reports that, at the end of his meeting with the girl, Sunny Ade signed his autograph for the young girl and promised to invite her as special guest to any of his concert in the United States of America(USA)
