The Lijadu Sisters

Biography

Taiwo and Kehinde Lijadu were identical twins born on 22 October 1948 in Jos, Nigeria, and raised in Ibadan.[1] They began singing together at age 10, drawing inspiration from Western jazz, rock, and soul records purchased by their mother, Adelaide Efunyemi Lijadu, as well as Nigerian artists including Aretha Franklin, Victor Olaiya, and Miriam Makeba.[1][3] After performing as backup vocalists, they released their debut single 'Iya Mi Jowo' in 1968 and signed with Decca Records in 1969, becoming rare front-women in Nigeria's male-dominated pop music scene during the 1960s-1980s.[1]

The Lijadu Sisters achieved international recognition in the 1970s through their distinctive fusion of Nigerian juju, traditional Yoruba music, funk, disco, and afrobeat—a style sometimes called afrofunk or afropop.[2] Between 1969 and 1979, they released five albums: Iya Mi Jowo (1969), Danger (1976), Mother Africa (1977), Sunshine (1978), and Horizon Unlimited (1979).[1] American drummer Ginger Baker invited them on tour, and they performed with his band Salt at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games, significantly expanding their global audience.[1] Throughout their career, they were outspoken advocates for gender equality and addressed political unrest in Nigeria through their socially conscious lyrics.[1][2]

In the 1980s, the sisters relocated to New York, performing at venues including Wetlands in lower Manhattan and in Harlem with King Sunny Adé.[1] However, they faced significant exploitation by the music industry, including unauthorized reissues of their work without proper compensation or credit—most notably when American rapper Nas sampled their song 'Life's Gone Down Low' in 2006 without attribution.[1] After Kehinde suffered severe spinal injuries in 1996, the sisters withdrew from public life for nearly two decades.[1] In 2024, the Numero Group acquired full rights to their catalogue and began reissuing their classic albums with proper credits and royalty payments, marking a significant vindication of their legacy.[2] Kehinde passed away from breast cancer on 8 November 2019 at age 71, while Taiwo continues to reside in New York, overseeing the reissue campaign and keeping the sisters' legacy alive.[1][2]

Fun Facts

• The Lijadu Sisters were second cousins to Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo-Kuti and Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka, placing them within Nigeria's most influential cultural family.[1]
• For their 1979 album Horizon Unlimited, the sisters paid for the studio and band session fees themselves—an unusual arrangement for the time—and the 2024 Numero Group reissue included the first-ever transcription of lyrics in both Yoruba and English.[2]
• The twins practiced the Yoruba Ifá religion and explored herbal medicine throughout their lives.[1]
• After nearly 20 years of rejecting record label offers following their departure from Decca Records, the Lijadu Sisters' 2014 appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon marked a significant return to the public eye, followed by a live tribute performance at the Barbican Centre in London.[1]

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Adelaide Efunyemi Lijadu (Mother) - Primary musical influence who introduced the twins to Western jazz, rock, and soul music through records (Early musical education and inspiration) [1950s-1960s]

Key Collaborators

• Ginger Baker - American drummer who invited the Lijadu Sisters on tour and featured them with his band Salt (Salt band performances, 1972 Munich Olympic Games performance) [1972]
• King Sunny Adé - Nigerian musician who performed with the sisters in Harlem (Live performances in New York) [1980s]

Artists Influenced

• Nas - American rapper who sampled their song 'Life's Gone Down Low' (though without proper credit) ('Life's Gone Down Low' sample) [2006]

External Links

• Spotify
• [Wikipedia](Not found in search results)