King Sunny Ade Tours U.S., African-Style

By Scott Simon

Published April 23, 2005 at 12:00 AM EDT

King Sunny Ade (pronounced ah-DAY) is one of the founders of world music, offering the sounds of Nigeria to the rest of the globe for the last 30 years. The star and his band have toured the U.S. many times, but his latest visit is a bit different.

This time, the tour is being performed African style, which includes interactive elements known as "spraying" and "praise singing." The performer also known as the Minister of Enjoyment tells Scott Simon how American fans are responding to the traditional performance.

Scott Simon

Scott Simon is one of America's most admired writers and broadcasters. He is the host of Weekend Edition Saturday and is one of the hosts of NPR's morning news podcast Up First. He has reported from all fifty states, five continents, and ten wars, from El Salvador to Sarajevo to Afghanistan and Iraq. His books have chronicled character and characters, in war and peace, sports and art, tragedy and comedy.

See stories by Scott Simon

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