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Sunny Ade, a cultural icon, trail blazer

He credited him and other musical stars of his generation for charting the path for today’s generation of “Young Turks in the industry’’.

Sunny Ade, a cultural icon, trail blazer, says Lai Mohammed

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has  congratulated King Sunny Ade on his 70th birthday, describing him as a  cultural icon and a trail blazer.

In a statement issued in Lagos on Thursday, the Minister hailed Sunny Ade’s contribution to the growth of Nigerian music “which is fast becoming a global brand’’.

“It is particularly delightful that in spite of his age, King Sunny Ade has remained active on the music scene, thus reinforcing his position as a cultural ambassador.

“He has done so much to project a positive image for the country over the years,’’ he said.

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The minister prayed that God would grant Sunny Ade many more years in good health so that he could continue to be a source of inspiration to aspiring music artists in particular, and indeed the entire Nigerian youth in general.

Sunday Adeniyi, a Juju music maestro popularly known as King Sunny Ade, was born September 22, 1946.

He is a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and a pioneer of modern world music who is classed as one of the most influential musicians of all time.

He was born to a royal family in Ondo. His father was a church organist, while his mother was a trader.

He left grammar school in Ondo under the pretense of going to the University of Lagos. There, in Lagos, his mercurial musical career started.

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Sunny Adé’s musical sound has evolved from the early days when he began with a high life band, Moses Olaiya’s Federal Rhythm Dandies where he left to form a new band in 1967.

In the 1970s and 1980s, he embarked on a tour of America and Europe. His stage act was characterised by dexterous dancing steps and mastery of the guitar.

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