Nigerian music sensation, Rema, has made history by breaking the 41-year-old record of juju maestro, King Sunny Ade, on the US Billboard Albums chart.
Rema’s album, ‘Raves and Roses,’ has maintained its position on the charts for an astonishing 30 weeks. This achievement has sparked curiosity about why it took so long for a Nigerian artist to surpass King Sunny Ade’s milestone. King Sunny Ade’s 1982 album, ‘Juju Music,’ held its spot on the US Billboard chart for 29 weeks.
King Sunny Ade also called KSA, a trailblazer for Juju music in the 80s, became the first Nigerian artist to appear on the Billboard album charts. After Bob Marley’s untimely demise in 1981, Island Records, an international music label sought to find a replacement for the late reggae star and introduced Sunday Adegeye, popularly known as Sunny Ade, to the global stage.
KSA’s albums, ‘Juju Music,’ and ‘Synchro System,’ released under the Island Records imprint, secured spots on the Billboard 200.
However, following King Sunny Ade’s success, Nigerian music struggled to capture the attention of international labels.
Rema’s historic achievement in surpassing King Sunny Ade’s record on the Billboard Albums chart is a testament to the growing recognition of Nigerian music on the world stage. It marks a significant shift in the perception and acceptance of African music on the international stage and the pivotal role of digital steaming platforms in music distribution.
As Afrobeats continues to captivate audiences worldwide, it is expected that more Nigerian artists will rise to prominence and break even more records in the future, while also helping a growing number of people worldwide to connect with their roots.
