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By Daniji Emmanuel
The term, entertainer can be subjective for many, but typically a performer that brings a lot of energy to the stage is one that people like to watch, sparking a debate on who is the real “Energy Gad” in Nigeria.
With Do2DTun claiming to be an Energy Gad, people have come out to disclaim this fact as a couple of names have surfaced as energy gad in the Nigerian Music industry.
A lot of people suggested that D’Banj was a more energetic performer on stage than any other Nigerian artistes. Some even said Small Doctor who used to be known for climbing speakers on stage is more energetic. Can we really include P-Square on this list?
The Twin brothers always captivated their fans with their dance steps on stage. Female Dancer/Musician, Kaffy is also known to be very energetic when performing on stage. But let’s take a journey back to the origin of dancing on stage in the Nigerian Music industry.
AS Henry Longfellow once said, “Lives of great men all remind us, we can make our lives sublime, and, departing, leave behind us, footprints on the sands of time”. These words aptly encapsulate what King Sunny Ade, born Sunday Adeniyi, 73 years ago, in Ondo State, means to the music world, not only in Nigeria but all over the world.
According to Wikipedia, he is described as “a Nigerian musician, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and a pioneer of modern world music. He has been classed as one of the most influential musicians of all time.”
He started the style of standing and dancing while singing. So its quite difficult to find one among his own generation who did his own style better than him. In fact, he forced many of them to sing on their feet.
However, contemporary guys have learnt his trade so well and they are doing well in it. E.g Adewale Ayuba aka Mr Johnson.
In his heyday, King Sunny Ade was a master guitarist, vocalist and singer who held audiences spellbound from Africa to Asia, America to Europe and everywhere else with his stagecraft and dancing mastery. More than five decades after his episodic musical adventure teed off, King Sunny Ade remains the avatar for Juju music.
A spectacle on stage, KSA’s artistry borders on originality, constant innovation and commitment, virtues that have kept him on the top of the list of the busiest Nigerian artists of all time.
For Nigeria’s aristocrats of all tribes, those who have made the social scene buoy and bubble for decades, some of whose anthems formed part of his memorable repertoire; it is either KSA or nobody. He doesn’t come cheap either.
Even with age not on his side – he is 73 now; neither monotony, he has been doing the same thing for about 55 years; not even complacency, there is no competition for him in that genre; KSA’s stagecraft seems to be adding more traction and lustre. He still does well to make the audience know he is the king of the stage and he is still very passionate about his craft.
There’s just something uniquely ethereal about King Sunny Ade. A veteran of music and a true industry legend, the singer moves about with the humility of a child. He greets slowly, with a youthful glow that originates from the omnipresent smile that continuously designs his face.
This is KSA. This is the legend of African music. This is a man who was the first Nigerian to be nominated for the Grammy. This is our history spanning over 50 years of stagecraft and dedication to indigenous music at the highest level. Sunny Ade has three Hollywood movie features, hundreds of recordings and international collaborations.
Sunny Ade’s first musical tutor was Moses Olaiya (Baba Sala) under whose tutelage he learnt the basic rudiments of music. Other great musicians of the first generation such as King, Julius Araba, Ayinde Bakare, Ojoge Daniel, Ambrose Campbell, Tunde Nightingale and I.K Dairo also influenced his music. Sunny Ade was determined however to extend the frontiers of the music that was basically a traditional art form.
He introduced elegance, flamboyance and dignity to live performance as that his music not only competed with highlife which was then the choice music of the elite but was also embraced by non-Yoruba speakers on the international scene. How did he do this? Sunny Ade explains “When I met juju music, the musicians were still sitting down with their instruments arranged in front.
I found it hard because I knew people were not getting full value for their money, so I started standing and dancing and also moved the instrument backwards to allow them (the crowd) enjoy their money and I gave my boys a microphone each to dance and sing. As at that time too, they (other musicians) were playing only two guitars. I increased it to three, four, five and the present six.”
Well, you can keep debating on who is the present “Energy Gad” in Nigeria, but as for me, King Sunny Ade is the real MVP when it comes to stagecraft.
BADEJO ADEMUYIWA has 23 years experience as a Finance Writer, specialising in Insurance and Investigative Reporting.
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