# Jùjú Music

> Jùjú is a Yorùbá popular-music genre that emerged in 1920s Lagos, when guitarist Tunde King fused Yoruba percussion and praise-singing with guitar, banjo and tambourine. I.K. Dairo added the talking drum and accordion in the 1950s–60s; Ebenezer Obey and King Sunny Adé electrified the sound from the 1960s–80s, building it into one of Nigeria's most internationally recognised popular genres.

**Category:** Music & Film · **Updated:** 2026-07-26 19:36:35 · **Canonical:** https://nigeriastuff.org/a/juju-music

## Key facts
- **Origin:** Lagos, Nigeria, late 1920s, among Yoruba communities
- **Credited founder:** Tunde King (Abdulrafiu Babatunde King, 1910–c.1980s)
- **First recordings:** 1936, Parlophone (EMI), 78rpm shellac discs
- **Accordion/talking-drum era:** I.K. Dairo (1930–1996), Blue Spots band, 1950s–60s; first African musician awarded an MBE, 1963
- **Miliki style:** Ebenezer Obey (b. 1942), International Brothers formed 1964
- **Global breakthrough:** King Sunny Adé signed to Island Records, 1982 — see [[king-sunny-ade]]
- **Core instruments:** Talking drum (gangan), shekere, guitars/banjo, later accordion, pedal steel and synthesizers

## Sources
- Juju | Origins, Instruments & Influences — Encyclopaedia Britannica (https://www.britannica.com/art/juju-music)
- Tunde King: The Pioneer, Maker of Jùjú Kings — Afinju FM (https://afinjufm.com/tunde-king-the-pioneer-maker-of-juju-kings/)
- History of Juju Music Genre — SkyBlue Media Group (https://skybluemediagroup.com/histort-of-juju-music-genre/)
- I.K. Dairo: The Juju Music Pioneer Who Revolutionized Nigerian Sound — Historical Nigeria (https://historicalnigeria.com/i-k-dairo-the-juju-music-pioneer-who-revolutionized-nigerian-sound/)
- I.K. Dairo's Decca LP and the Recorded Rise of Modern Juju Music — Historical Nigeria (https://historicalnigeria.com/i-k-dairos-decca-lp-and-the-recorded-rise-of-modern-juju-music/)
- Obey, Ebenezer — Encyclopedia.com (https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/obey-ebenezer)

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