King Sunny Ade - The Best of the Classic Years

When Bob Marley died in 1981, Island Records wanted to repeat the success they found with the reggae star by marketing King Sunny Ade as ‘The African Bob Marley’. It didn’t really work, but the attempt brought Nigeria’s unique style of afrobeat - “juju music” - to the international spotlight. Compiled in 2003 by Shanachie Records, ‘The Best Of The Classic Years’ documents the pre-Island period of Ade’s career (1969-1974) before the watered down attempts at crossover success - lyrics entirely in Yoruba, seventeen-minute long jams, and rawer production.