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