(b Offa, 1930; d Efon-Alaiye, 7 Feb 1996). Nigerian musician and religious leader. ‘Father’ of modern Jùjú, Dairo practised numerous professions while playing in jùjú bands in the 1940s before forming his own early jùjú bands in the mid-50s, the Morning Star Orchestra, which later reformed as the Blue Spots. Perhaps the first internationally recognized African recording musician, Dairo's successful jùjú performances and recordings helped to displace highlife as the principal popular genre in Nigeria in the early 1970s. His jùjú music drew on traditional Yoruba drumming and praise-singing, while introducing Cuban rhythms, the button accordion and elements of Christian hymnody. Dairo released hundreds of recordings, influencing the younger generation of jùjú artists, including ‘King’ Sunny Adé, Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey and Sir Shina Peters. Dairo was awarded the MBE in 1963 by Queen Elizabeth for his musical contributions to the Commonwealth, the only African musician ever to be so honoured. The founder of the Aladura Christian movement in Lagos, Dairo also served as the president of the Performing Rights Society, Nigerian Chapter, and founded the Musical Copyright Society of Nigeria.
I Remember, Music of the World 212 (1991)
Jùjú Master I.K. Dairo MBE, Original Music OMCD 009 (1993)
Ashiko, Green Linnet GLCD 4018 (1994)
Definitive Dairo, Xenophile CDXENO 4045 (1996)
GREGORY F. BARZ