Sponsored Photo: King Sunny Ade
The International Committee of the All Africa Music Awards and the African Union Commission, AUC, congratulate a living legend, Mr. Sunday Adeniyi Adegeye aka King Sunny Ade as he clocks 70 years on September 22, 2016.


AFRIMA recognises King Sunny Ade’s contributions in making his genre of music—juju—globally accepted especially with its lyrics and instrumentations.

As the Ondo born musician celebrates his birthday, the Executive Producer, AFRIMA, Mr. Mike Dada, urged other artistes to embrace the legend’s method of blending Africa’s rich cultural heritage with modern music.

He said, “King Sunny Ade has proved to be an icon of hope, a representation of what African stands for in its rich cultural heritage and the need to bring on board, the old and modern genre of music without causing confusion.We see him as a legend whose lyrics and beats stand the test of time and still remain relevant in the contemporary music world”.

AFRIMA celebrates KSA, as he is fondly called for many reasons. The Juju maestro, whose album, “Odu” was nominated in 1998 for the prestigious Grammy Award, is the first African to be nominated twice for the Grammys. Sunny Ade also rates as the first Nigerian to have also had collaboration with American music star, Stevie Wonder for his album, “Aura.”

For one whose fruitful contributions to music earned him an appointment as a visiting professor of music at the Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife, King Sunny Ade also found his way to fame with his induction into the Afropop Hall of Fame, at the Brooklyn African Festival in the United States. The legend moved everyone to tears when he dedicated the award to the now deceased Michael Jackson.

As he clocks 70, AFRIMA wishes him more years in the world of music.

In partnership with the AUC and the Official Host City, Lagos State, AFRIMA 2016 grand awards ceremony holds on Sunday, November 6 at the Eko Hotels & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria with thousands of guests expected for the various activities. Other events include the Africa Music Business Summit on Friday, November 4 and the AFRIMA Music Village, an open concert-style festival featuring nominees and other top billed music stars, also on Friday, November 4.