Aura (King Sunny Adé album)

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.

Aura
Studio album by King Sunny Adé
Released	1984
Genre	Jùjú
Label	Mango[1]
Producer	Martin Meissonnier
King Sunny Adé chronology
Synchro System (1983) Aura (1984) The Return of the Juju King (1987)

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

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

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[10]
Robert Christgau	A[6]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[11]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide	[12]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[5]
Spin Alternative Record Guide	9/10[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

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

Personnel

• King Sunny Adé - guitar, vocals
• Ademola Adepoju - steel guitar
• Tony Allen - drums

References

1. "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. The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. pp. 7–8.
6. "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. "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.