Juju Master cover

Juju Master

Recorded
1961-1969
Released

No jùjú history book can be complete without a chapter on Isaiah Kehinde Dairo, the artist who more than anyone helped shape jùjú’s modern sound and broadened its appeal beyond Lagos, transforming it into a genre loved across Nigeria. In the 1960s he and his band The Blue Spots began experimenting with traditional sounds from different Yoruba regions, incorporating rhythms, melodies, and even lyrics from the Edo, Urhobo, and Hausa ethnic groups. They also absorbed more Latin American influences, expanded the traditional ensemble to include the mouth organ and accordion, and often included a section of praise singing — in between the incredible percussion breaks — that helped Dairo become an elite favorite and a popular star across the country.

Megan Iacobini de Fazio

Recommended by

Suggestions
Changanya cover

Changanya

Nabalayo
Horizon Unlimited cover

Horizon Unlimited

The Lijadu Sisters
Phases cover

Phases

Moonchild Sanelly
Mother Africa cover

Mother Africa

The Lijadu Sisters
Zombie cover

Zombie

Fela Kuti and Afrika 70
Sabou cover

Sabou

Mory Kanté
Omana Wapi cover

Omana Wapi

Tabu Ley Rochereau, Franco
Drums of Passion cover

Drums of Passion

Babatunde Olatunji