Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} Double Trouble by Kehinde Olajide the Lijadu Sisters
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} Double Trouble by Kehinde Olajide The Lijadu Sisters. One of the more popular acts in the Nigerian music scene of the 1970s, the Lijadu Sisters produced a handful of albums showcasing their tight harmonies and inventive incorporation of synthesizers and modern pop forms into funky Afro-beat grooves. Twins Taiwo and Kehinde were born in the northern Nigeria town of Jos on October 22, 1948. Second cousins of Fela Kuti, the two girls were drawn to music at a very early age, listening to records, singing, and writing songs together from their early childhood into their teenage years. Beginning as backing vocalists for studio sessions, the sisters eventually released a single under their own name, 1968's Iya Mi Jowo. In 1971, still working as session singers, the sisters met Cream/Africa 70 drummer Ginger Baker, and Taiwo and Baker soon started dating. The twins performed with Baker's band Salt at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games before the relationship fizzled out. The Lijadu Sisters. One of the more popular acts in the Nigerian music scene of the 1970s, the Lijadu Sisters produced a handful of albums showcasing their tight harmonies and inventive incorporation of synthesizers and modern pop forms into funky Afro-beat grooves. Twins Taiwo and Kehinde were born in the northern Nigeria town of Jos on October 22, 1948. Second cousins of Fela Kuti, the two girls were drawn to music at a very early age, listening to records, singing, and writing songs together from their early childhood into their teenage years. Beginning as backing vocalists for studio sessions, the sisters eventually released a single under their own name, 1968's Iya Mi Jowo. In 1971, still working as session singers, the sisters met Cream/Africa 70 drummer Ginger Baker, and Taiwo and Baker soon started dating. The twins performed with Baker's band Salt at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games before the relationship fizzled out. Lijadu Sisters – Orere Elejigbo. The Lijadu Sisters , Taiwo and Kehinde Lijadu born in the northern Nigerian town of Jos on October 22, 1948 are identical twin sisters and music duo with an active career from mid-1960s to the 1980s. The afro-funk, jazz & disco singers grew up in Ibadan, Nigeria’s third-largest city and are the second cousins of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti. Consequently, with the assistance of multi-instrumentalist and producer, Biddy Wright they recorded their debut album “ Iya Mi Jowo ” ( Mother, Please ) for Decca Records in 1969 . This album brings together the best of their tracks from the four albums recorded for the Afrodisia label in Nigeria – ‘ Danger ’ ( 1976 ), ‘ Mother Africa ’ ( 1977 ), ‘ Sunshine ’ ( 1978 ) and ‘ Horizon Unlimited ’ ( 1979 ). These vibrant collisions of pop , reggae , and Afro-beat influences defined the sisters’ unique hybrid sound and rocketed them to immense popularity in Nigeria, as well as gaining them the attention of a broader audience internationally. At the start of the 1970s the two singers joined Cream/Africa 70 drummer, Ginger Baker which saw the twins perform with Baker’s band Salt at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games before their relationship fizzled out. Throughout the ’80s, their reach grew overseas, including appearances on British television and a repackaging of earlier songs in the form of U.S. label Shanachie’s 1984 collection “ Double Trouble “, as well as numerous visits to the States for performances. By 1988 the sisters had relocated permanently to Brooklyn , with several offers of record deals on the table. Nothing panned out with any of these offers but however the two shifted gradually from a focus on music to deepening their practice of Ifá – their Yoruba religion and the herbal remedies related to it. The Lijadu Sisters were the most successful female group in Nigeria in the 1970s and managed to overturn many stereotypes and attitudes as they carved out a unique space for themselves in a predominantly male arena. In 1996 , Kehinde suffered severe spinal injuries as the result of a fall down a flight of stairs. Recovery was long and painful, and all efforts formerly put toward creative endeavors were redirected to overcoming Kehinde’s medical issues. In the years that followed, the sisters stayed out of the public eye completely, turning down all interviews and other press requests. Several of the duo’s tracks popped up in the 2000s, including “ Life’s Gone Down Low ,” which appeared on a Luaka Bop’s compilation and was also sampled without credit by New York rapper, Nas . In the early part of the 2010s, after rejecting many labels seeking to reissue their work, the Lijadu Sisters agreed to work with Knitting Factory Records . The N.Y.C. label re-released all four of the sisters’ classic late-’70s Afro-beat albums, and though it had been decades since their last public performances, plans were made for the sisters’ return to the stage in 2012. In 1984, Shanachie Records released “ Double Trouble“ in the US which was a compilation of their previously recorded material from their albums “ Horizon Unlimited“ and “ Danger“ . Their song “ Orere Elejigbo ” was included on a double CD entitled Nigeria 70 , Africa 100 , and was added to the Roots & Wings playlist in 1997 . Although Kehinde died on the 9th of November, 2019. These inseparable twins crafted tight harmonies and vibrant Afro-funk grooves unlike many of their Afrobeat contemporaries. As we would hear in this song “ Orere Elejigbo ” lifted from their ( 1979 Album ) tagged; ‘ Horizon Unlimited ’ – the vocal approach, the lyrics that move from righteous political needling and calls for a riot of their own: SEARCHLIGHT: Lijadu sisters, the erstwhile twin goddess of Nigeria’s hybrid music. Music for the Lijadu sisters was an extension of their unique personality. In the early 70s ; at a time when the entertainment scene had few women veering into the industry, Taiwo and Kehinde Lijadu re-wrote history and owned the space with their hybrid music. However, this present day, they appear to have fizzled out of the entertainment scene and one can but ponder why the sisters chose to live a reclusive life away from the spotlight. Music career. Born in the northern city of Jos, the sisters spent their childhood in Ibadan and grew with an influx of musical influences drawn from family members and music legends like Aretha Franklin, Victor Olaiya and Miriam Makeba. The twins sang in Yoruba and English, fusing Afrobeat with disco, reggae, funk and western R and B to create distinct music genre. The Lijadu sisters are second cousins to the late Afrobeat icon, Fela Kuti, and similarly, infuse politically-themed lyrics into their music. The gifted sisters’ harmonious songs were also a vocal tool employed by them to portray their strong endearment to their African heritage and love for Nigeria. They released their first single ‘Iya Mi Jowo’ in 1969 after winning a record contract with Decca Records. The sisters were also influenced by Lemmy Jackson, a music producer. They had their first international performance at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games singing alongside Salt music band drummer, Ginger Baker. The twins worked with late Biddy Wright for their ‘Danger’ album in 1976, which was followed by the release of ‘Sunshine’ in 1978 and ‘Horizon Unlimited’ in 1979. By 1980, the identical twins were rated one of the foremost singers in the country. Below is an interview they had with TheFadar in December 2011. The sisters shone as exceptional celebrities, touring with King Sunny Ade’s Africa Beats in Harlem and Philadelphia-based band Philly Gumbo. They also featured in a number of music documentaries and series such as ‘Konkombe’, directed by Jeremy Marre, and Beats of Heart, a music series aired on America’s Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). Fading from the music scene. After their fourth album, ‘Horizon Unlimited,’ the sisters went silent for a duration of five-year, no song was released by the hybrid music singers. They later resurfaced with a comeback in 1984 with ‘Double Trouble’ which also gained traction and was followed by ‘Orere Elijigbo’ in 1997. But their growing success was short-lived when Kehinde suffered spinal cord injuries after she fell off the stairs at their Brooklyn apartment. While Kehinde went through her recovery process, the sisters stayed off the spotlight and went on another hiatus from music. Reports had it that during this period, the singers retreated into religious practice. Twenty years later, they resurfaced performing in London and Bristol alongside Damon Albarn, Hot Chip’s Alexis Taylor and Kele Okereke from Bloc Party at a one-off concert to celebrate the songs of funk music pioneer, William Onyeabor. The also performed on ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’ together with the Atomic! Bomb Band and proceeded on a tour to New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles in May 2014. Where are the Lijadu sisters? As every era has its trendy entertainer and superstars, it appears the identical twins could not keep their relevance in the contemporary music space. Before fading out of the limelight in 2014, the sisters hinted launching their record label but their plans are yet to be a reality. With stale publications on their victory days, the once vocal twin goddess of exceptional hybrid music genre now maintain silence on topical social issues and have no social media presence. Their lyrical prowess and would have been of immense benefits to contemporary Nigerian artistes had the sisters maintained spotlight. However, the Lijadus’ evergreen tracks never fail to relive a time when the twins delivered harmonised melodies enriched with insightful lyrics and delivered with undoubtedly enigmatic zeal. Copyright 2021 TheCable. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from TheCable.