Aura (King Sunny Adé album)

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Aura
Studio album by
King Sunny Adé
Released1984
GenreJùjú
LabelMango[1]
ProducerMartin Meissonnier
King Sunny Adé chronology
Synchro System
(1983) 		Aura
(1984) 		The Return of the Juju King
(1987)

Aura is a studio album by the Nigerian jùjú musician King Sunny Adé, released in 1984.[2][3] It is credited to King Sunny Adé and His African Beats.

Unlike Adé's previous two Mango Records albums, Aura did not make the Billboard 200.[4] Mango dropped Adé after its release, and Adé broke up His African Beats.[1][5]

Production[edit]

The album was produced by Martin Meissonnier.[6] Stevie Wonder contributed harmonica to "Ase".[7] Aura employed five guitarists and six drummers, including Tony Allen.[8][9]

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[10]
Robert ChristgauA[6]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[11]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide[12]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[5]
Spin Alternative Record Guide9/10[13]

Trouser Press thought that "the rhythm tracks are almost pure beatbox in style... The vocal harmonies in [Adé's] work have a distinctive Latin feel."[14] The Philadelphia Inquirer called the album "subtly hypnotic, captivating," writing that "layer over layer of intricate rhythm is combined with swerving melodies, skirling guitar parts and the call-and-response chanting that is the heart of 'juju' music."[15] Jon Pareles, of The New York Times, listed Aura at number two on his list of the 10 best albums of 1984.[16]

AllMusic wrote that, "once again, Adé and a battery of guitarists are particularly impressive, laying down a wealth of nicely integrated solos; as with earlier Adé recordings, the pedal steel work is especially stunning."[10] Mojo deemed the album "even groovier" than Synchro System.[17] Miami New Times argued that, "because Aura's cutting-edge songs blended poorly with its more traditional Yoruban-based pieces, it ended up sounding more foreign than his other American LPs."[18]

Track listing[edit]

No.TitleLength
1."Ase" 
2."Gboromiro" 
3."Ogunja" 
4."Oremi" 
5."Ire" 
6."Iro" 

Personnel[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "King Sunny Ade Biography & History". AllMusic.
  2. ^ "Sunny Ade: A Trailblazer Retrenches". Los Angeles Times. May 24, 1987.
  3. ^ Matos, Michaelangelo (2020). Can't Slow Down: How 1984 Became Pop's Blockbuster Year. Hachette Books. ISBN 9780306903359.
  4. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2010). Top Pop Albums (7th ed.). Record Research. p. 19.
  5. ^ a b The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. pp. 7–8.
  6. ^ a b "King Sunny Ade and His African Beats". Robert Christgau.
  7. ^ Jensen, David (30 Jun 1984). "Wonder Shows His Sunny Side". Daily Mirror. p. 19.
  8. ^ "Nuances of the African Sound". The Washington Post. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
  9. ^ Allen, Tony; Veal, Michael E. (September 27, 2013). Tony Allen: An Autobiography of the Master Drummer of Afrobeat. Duke University Press. ISBN 9780822377092.
  10. ^ a b "Aura". AllMusic.
  11. ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 1. MUZE. p. 57.
  12. ^ MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 637.
  13. ^ Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. 1995. pp. 7–8.
  14. ^ "King Sunny Adé and his African Beats". Trouser Press. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
  15. ^ Rea, Steven X. (26 Aug 1984). "Pop and Folk Rhythms Fill Nigerian's New Album". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. I9.
  16. ^ Palmer, Robert (January 9, 1985). "Prince Leads Critic's List of Top 10". The New York Times.
  17. ^ The Mojo Collection: 4th Edition. Canongate Books. November 1, 2007. ISBN 9781847676436.
  18. ^ Tarte, Bob. "Raw and Uncooked". Miami New Times.
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