Definitive Dairo

Dairo, I.K. and His Blue Spots

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Before King Sunny Ade, There Was I. K. Dairo

To many consumers of American pop, "world music" is code for esoterica—the audio equivalent of a museum diorama about the customs of people in far-off lands. That's a shame, because musicians from Africa and elsewhere are tuned to the irresistible melodies and infectious syllabic combinations that Madonna worshippers know as the pop hook.

Case in point: Nigerian guitarist I. K. Dairo, whose band the Blue Spots was one of the most popular outfits in Africa during the 1970s. Dairo (1930–1996) is mostly remembered as an early pioneer of juju music, and one of the first to utilize the talking drum, key to centuries-old Yoruba ceremonies, in an entertainment context. But he deserves attention as a master of the repetitive catchphrase. Just about every track on this compilation erupts in a recurring, easily sung, two-or four-measure motif. Dairo establishes a theme and the backing singers crank it out endlessly, leaving room for the leader to create variations and embellishments with his voice or guitar.

These bright motifs become a powerful form of uplift—even if you don't get the words, it's hard to miss the spirit of praise that drives "Baba Ngbo Ti Wa" (Father Hears Us) and others on this set. They are far shorter than the usual juju marathons, which can last more than thirty minutes. Dairo later told people that these tunes were all recorded in a single day. That seems hard to believe, in part because it can take Western pop acts years to come up with one hook as riveting as the twenty or so on display here.

Genre: World, Nigeria
Released: 1996, Xenophile
Key Tracks: "Okin Omo Ni," "Baba Ngbo Ti Wa," "Ta Lo Ba Mi Ri."
Next Stop: Ebenezer Obey: Juju Jubilee
After That: Amadou and Mariam: Wati
Book Page: 202

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