Juju music evolved from the traditional music of the Yoruba tribe combined with international influences including Christian church hymns and Latin American rhythms. Modernized juju, which may include synthesizers, is called Yo-Pop.
Born Sunday Adéniyi in 1946 in Nigeria, Sunny Ade began performing in highlife bands at the age of 17. He formed the juju band Green Spots in 1967. In 1974 he founded the African Beats, started his own recording label, and was vying for the position of the King of Juju. In 1983, following the release of three albums in the United States, he was received enthusiastically by American audiences. He founded the King Sunny Ade Foundation to support African music.
Isaiah Kehinde Dairo was born in 1931 in Nigeria. He formed the Morning Star Orchestra in 1954. In the early 1960s, he changed the name of the band to I.K. Dairo and his Blue Spot Band. His influence on juju, including introduction of the accordion, slide guitar, and talking drum and singing in regional dialects, earned him the moniker "The Father of Juju Music."