KSA @ 70: ‘My greatest fear is death’

King Sunny Ade’s greatness on the music scene is breathtaking. Now 70, activities have been lined up to celebrate him.
The King belongs to 72 associations and all the associations want to celebrate him specially. His family and friends too are on the long queue to celebrate him.
While speaking with The Point ahead of his 70th birthday on September 22, KSA said his greatest fear was death.
He stated, “Let me say this quickly; the only fear that comes to me is the fact that I am afraid I do not know when God would say it is time for me to stop giving my fans what they want. But again, God does his things his own way.”
He also used the opportunity to clear the air on talks that he was yet to receive the sum of N500m awarded to him as damages for infringement on his works.
Recall that in November 2015, 30 years after he filed a suit against African Songs and its subsidiary, Juju Maestro, KSA was awarded N500m as damages for infringement on his works, with an additional N3m for prosecuting the suit in a judgment delivered by a Lagos High Court.
He explained, “Yes, the case was won by me by God’s grace and they were told to pay me almost half a billion naira. They are yet to do that and the next thing I saw is an appeal from them. So, I cannot say more than that for now.”
Despite being one of the two Nigerians who have been nominated for the famous music awards ceremony, Grammy, he said he never knew he would go far in music.
According to him, in as much as he likes to win the Grammy, he can do little about it since it is organised in America.
“I have been nominated in the past. When Femi Kuti was nominated, I congratulated him too. I will keep working; perhaps, I could still win it. When I won KORA in South Africa, it was Ras Kimono that brought it for me,” he said.
KSA had just returned from a summer tour in America. He did not make this same tour last year for some reasons and it created some ill feelings.
He explained, “It was important to redeem our image. We did not make the tour last year because we had some problems. This year, they granted us visa with no stress. And if you remember, there were reports that I was dead before I came out to say I was alive. I even needed to go for this tour to show the world that I am alive.”
Though, his body languages showed that he is not satisfied with certain things in today’s music, he said it was not in his place to condemn the new generation of artistes.
He said, “Among artistes who are in line to do collaborations with me are Wizkid, 9ice and Darey. I listen to different artistes and their sounds are different. Wizkid is different, Korede is different and Kiss Daniel is different. I can sing with anyone, provided you know what you are doing and what you want from me. I do not condemn musicians or their works. Provided Nigerians like what they give, it is okay. But there is a limit to what computer music can do; you can do anything with live music.”