Prince Adekunle


General Prince Adekunle was a Nigerian Jùjú musician. He was of Egba origin, from Abeokuta in Ogun State. Prince Adekunle was a major innovator and force in the jùjú music scene, with his distinctive driving Afrobeat style. Famous musicians such as Sir Shina Peters and Segun Adewale started their careers playing with his band, the Western Brothers.
Although he toured in England in the early 1970s, he did not become well known outside Nigeria.

Music

Jùjú music, first developed by Tunde King in the 1930s, formed the basis of Prince Adekunle's music. Highlife musicians like Bobby Benson and Tunde Nightingale introduced jazz concepts and new instruments. Ebenezer Obey and Sunny Adé brought in amplified guitars and synthesizers. All these formed the basis for Adekunle's innovative and forceful new style of juju music.
Afrobeat, pioneered in the late 1960s by Fela Kuti and others, was another major influence on Prince Adekunle and his band the Western State Brothers, later the Supersonic Sounds.
With a cool but driving, sophisticated style, Prince Adekunle is considered one of the great artistes of Jùjú music.

Influence

Afrobeat also influenced Adekunle's protege Sir Shina Peters who created a unique high-speed "Afro juju" sound.
Sir Shina Peters recalls that when he was young, he was befriended by Prince Adekunle. An agent said he should be called Prince Adekunle's son as a publicity stunt, and that was how he became known as Shina Omo Adekunle. Although the adoption was not real, people accepted it and in a way it became real.
Shina Peters and Segun Adewale, who became two of the biggest stars of the 1980s, both started their careers performing in the mid-1970s with Prince Adekunle.
Jùjú music star and Soko Dance exponent, Dayo Kujore, was another musician who owed much to Prince Adekunle, playing lead guitar on some of his classics such as "Aditu ede" and "Eda n reti eleya".
In May 2004, he was among other musicians who met to discuss ways to reverse the current decline of jùjú music, while opposing the proposal by King Sunny Adé to form a jùjú Musician's Union.

Death

Prince General Adekunle Died on Saturday September 2, 2017.

Discography

A partial list of LPs:
DateGroupAlbumLabel
?Prince Adekunle & his Western State BrothersOrin Erin Tani Yio Fi We Label unknown AALPS 002
1970Prince Adekunle & his Western State BrothersAwa Lomo NigeriaIbukun Orisun Iye MOLPS 1
1970sPrince Adekunle & his Western State BrothersEniyan Laso MiIbukun Orisun Iye MOLPS 3
1970s?Prince Adekunle & his Western State BrothersSe Rere Fun Mi / Fese Fun Wa Baba Ibukun Orisun Iye MOK. 5
1970sPrince Adekunle & his Western State BrothersAiye LeIbukun Orisun Iye MOLPS 4
1970sGeneral Prince Adekunle & his Western State BrothersGeneral Prince Adekunle in the United KingdomIbukun Orisun Iye MOLPS 6
1970sGeneral Prince Adekunle & his Western BrothersKaiye Ma Se WaIbukun Orisun Iye MOLPS 10
1970sGeneral Prince Adekunle & his Western BrothersAsalamu AleikunIbukun Orisun Iye MOLPS 25
1975General Prince Adekunle & his Supersonic SoundsYou Tell Me That You Love Me BabyIbukun Orisun Iye MOLPS 30
1975General Prince Adekunle & his Supersonic SoundsSunny Adé Ibukun Orisun Iye MOEP25
1975General Prince Adekunle & his Supersonic SoundsAwodi Nfo FerereIbukun Orisun Iye MOLPS 32
1979General Prince Adekunle and His Supersonic SoundsVol. 3 HypertensionShanu Olu SOS 052
?General Prince Adekunle & his Western BrothersGood Old Music of Prince AdekunleIbukun Orisun Iye MOLPS 72
1980General Prince AdekunleVol. 6Shanu Olu SOS 112
1989Prince Adekunle & his Supersonic SoundsSurvivalIbukun Orisun Iye MOLPS 116
1990General Prince Adekunle & his Supersonic SoundsPeople!!!Ibukun Orisun Iye MOLPS 118