Orlando Julius

Few artists played a more pivotal role than Orlando Julius in shaping the creation, growth, and global reach of Afro-pop. From the 1960s onward he began blending indigenous African rhythms and melodies with American pop, soul, and R&B. While maintaining performances and recordings in his home country of Nigeria, he also lived for extended periods in the United States, where he collaborated with Lamont Dozier, the Crusaders, and Hugh Masekela. His 1966 release Super Afro Soul turned him into a household name across Nigeria and exerted a measurable influence on American music as well. Its bold, richly melodic fusion of soul, pop, and funk arrived well before its era, and observers have credited the album with helping lay groundwork for the funk wave that later dominated the United States.

Following Super Afro Soul, Julius issued numerous additional albums that circulated solely within Nigeria, cementing his domestic renown. Wider international recognition remained elusive until 2000, when Strut reissued Super Afro Soul for worldwide distribution and the recording earned extensive critical praise. In 2011 Voodoo Funk re-released his 1972 album Orlando Julius and the Afro Sounders, prompting renewed live performances both in Nigeria and overseas. Early in 2014 the Heliocentrics invited him to their fully analog studio in North London to record a collection of previously untracked vintage material alongside fresh compositions. Jaiyede Afro appeared that September.