Juju Roots: 1930s-1950s

A great primer on the early days of jùjú, which in some cases, like on the lovely “Orin Asape Eko” by Irewolede Denge and Dickson Oludaiye, still closely resembled the palm wine music it was derived from. Pioneers like Ayinde Bakare and Tunde King and his group are of course present, with their banjo, mandolin, guitar, shekere, and what sounds like a goje, a Yoruba one-stringed fiddle. The Yoruba talking drum or Iya Ilu, now a symbol of modern jùjú music, is nowhere to be heard on this compilation, as it hadn’t yet spread after being introduced by Akambi “Ege” Wright. A real highlight is Lagos’ Mozart Orchestra’s brass heavy piece, which lends itself surprisingly well to the melodies and rhythms of jùjú.