Seven Degrees North

King Sunny Adé | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 26, 2009)
• Original Release Date: June 20, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Mesa / Bluemoon
• ASIN: B00004TKTU
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #29,652 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #3 in Music > World Music > Africa > Nigeria
  • #82 in Music > World Music > Africa > General
  • #82 in Music > World Music > Africa > General AAS

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com's Best of 2000

Longtime fans of King Sunny Ade probably thought that the Nigerian star would never again reach the heights of his 1982 masterpiece, Juju Music. Perhaps Seven Degrees North isn't quite at that level, but if it's not, it's damn close. This is ebullient music that is able to combine complex rhythms and densely layered guitars and keyboards into a simple, appealing groove-heavy mix. --Marc Greilsamer

Amazon.com

From the very first notes, the juju music of King Sunny Ade is instantly identifiable. The musicians lock into a groove and don't let it go until the song ends--and given that the tracks on this album give all musicians a chance to stretch out (unlike, say, 1995's E Dide), that can be a while. But it's a pliable, irresistible groove, powered by the percussion and talking drums, which also pop up to punctuate and accent the music, while the Hammond organ and pedal steel guitar take most of the solos with King Sunny himself at the center of things, singing and directing his large band. It's a joyful noise they make, often quite literally, as a number of these pieces are "praise songs," part of the juju tradition ("Congratulations (Happy Birthday)" offers an idea of the praise song in English.) This is his most enjoyable record in a long time, better than the excellent Odu, and if you can resist the urge to dance, check your pulse--you might be dead. --Chris Nickson

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars King Sunny's return to top form, October 11, 2000

By 

Eric Pfeiffer "musicmad" (Palmyra, NJ United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Seven Degrees North (Audio CD)

Finally a recording that is as good as Juju Music. This is high praise from me. I love KSA, see the band whenever they come through town, and own all of his records I can get my hands on. But, for me, the best recording of his to date was Juju Music. This is as good. And, believe me, that is a very high standard. Joyful music with all of the elements of great Juju. Appreciation is my personal favorite song on this record, but song after song, these are beautifully sung and performed tunes. Excellent pedal steel performance, and amazing talking drum work. I wish it didn't end.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars KING SUNNY ADE HAS DONE IT YET AGAIN, June 29, 2000

By 

RILWAN BELO-OSAGIE (NIGERA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Seven Degrees North (Audio CD)

WITH THE RELEASE OF THIS ALBUM KSA IS DEFINITELY IN A CLASS OF HIS OWN IN WORLD MUSIC. MY FAVOURITE TRACK IS APPRECIATION. HOWEVER, ALL THE TRACKS ARE GOOD. THE ALBUM IS MORE MELLOW THAN HIS PREVIOUS CDS, ODU AND GET UP. MY GUESS IS THAT THIS ONE IS CERTAINLY ANOTHER GRAMMY NOMINEE IF NOT EVEN A GRAMMY AWARD. THE TUNES ARE A BLEND OF HIGH LIFE, SAMBA, AND JUJU MUSIC ALL BLENDED TO GIVE LOVELY HARMONIOUS MUSIC FOR LISTENING AND DANCING.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thank you, Mr. Ade!, June 30, 2000

By 

Giulio Mario Rampelli - See all my reviews

This review is from: Seven Degrees North (Audio CD)

When Bob Marley died, someone thought King Sunny Ade could be his substitute, But King's music was too complex in rhithms and too far from north-western conception of music. Netherless, Juju Music was an incredible success not only in Africa, but also in Europe and United States. This was because mr. Ade is a great artist and Nigerian Juju reveals the soul of african music. Seven Degrees North, the new Ade's CD after Odu, is a new miliar stone. Over all the rhithm of Nigerian bass talking drum, the counterpoint of Ade's guitar, his voice alternated with the complex chorus line. Thank you Mr. Ade, every new record is a lot of new emotions.