World Music Institute & 92Y Welcome King Sunny Ade & His African Beats Tonight

The World Music Institute and 92nd Street Y announce a rare U.S. appearance by Nigerian superstar King Sunny Adé & His African Beats tonight, June 26, 2015 at 8:00 p.m. at 92Y, to kick off WMI's 30th Anniversary Season, the first curated by recently appointed artistic director Par Neiburger.

Tickets for this concert, which range from $45-$65 - with 35 & Under tickets available for $25 - are available at both 92Y (www.92Y.org, 212.415.5500) and WMI (www.worldmusicinstitute.org, 212.545.7536).

Legendary singer, composer, multi-instrumentalist and master of Nigeria's hugely popular Juju music, King Sunny Adé and His African Beats-a cadre of 17 musicians and singers and a rotation of 5 dancers-return to the United States for the first time since 2009. The concert is part of a North American tour that will see Adé travel to over 35 cities, including Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, and Montreal.

Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of all time, a trio of breakthrough recordings-including his 1982 album Juju Music released by Chris Blackwell's Island Records-gained Adé a world-wide following and labeling as "The African Bob Marley."

Adé, a two-time Grammy nominee and pioneer of world beat, has earned critical praise over his five-decade career for refraining from westernizing his sound-remaining loyal to Juju stylings while releasing more than 120 albums and still innovating with the use of such varied instruments as pedal-steel guitar and synthesizers.

"Adé made his mark on Juju music early on, but since then, he's resisted the fads and fashions of four tumultuous decades. That confidence and fidelity is what makes him a king, not a mere politician," wrote NPR in 2009.

An electrified version of traditional, acoustic Yoruban music, with added breadth and inclusiveness that cross ethnic distinctions, Adé's lush and groove-driven sound is led by the iconic talking drums, mass African percussion, chanting vocals and guitar lines resulting in a hypnotic dance party-emblematic of one of his Nigerian nicknames, "Minister of Enjoyment."

ABOUT WMI (www.worldmusicinstitute.org) - Founded in 1985 as a not-for-profit, World Music Institute has served as the leading presenter of world music and dance within the United States. For the past 30 years, WMI has built the most comprehensive concert series of diverse music and dance performances, presenting the finest in traditional and contemporary music and dance from around the world. WMI encourages cultural exchange between nations and ethnic groups and collaborates with community organizations and academic institutions in fostering greater understanding of the world's cultural traditions. WMI works extensively with community groups and organizations including Indian, Iranian, Chinese, Korean, Middle Eastern, Latin American, Hungarian, Irish, and Central Asian. This has enabled WMI to be at the forefront of presenting the finest ensembles from these countries.

WMI curates a full season of concerts each year in New York City in venues throughout the city, including Symphony Space, Town Hall, Roulette, Skirball Performing Arts Center at NYU, New York City Center, Le Poisson Rouge, the Rose Theater (Jazz at Lincoln Center), and Carnegie Hall. It has presented more than 1,500 concerts and events featuring artists from more than 100 countries including Africa, Asia, Oceania, Europe, the Americas and the Middle East. Many concerts have been presented as thematic series; these have included Global Salon, The Musical World of Islam, Masters of Indian Music, Dancing The Gods, Africa in the Americas, Music around the Mediterranean, and National Heritage Masters.

In addition to its regular programming, WMI has brought many musical, dance and ritual traditions to the New York or U.S. stage for the first time, including Laotian sung poetry, folk music of Khorason and Bushehr (Iran), songs of the Yemenite Jews, Bardic divas of Central Asia, trance ceremonies from Morocco, music from Madagascar, and Theyyams (masked dances) of Kerala, South India.

ABOUT 92ND STREET Y (www.92Y.org) - 92nd Street Y is a world-class, nonprofit cultural and community center that fosters the mental, physical and spiritual health of people throughout their lives, offering: wide-ranging conversations with the world's best minds; an outstanding range of programming in the performing, visual and literary arts; fitness and sports programs; and activities for children and families. 92Y is reimagining what it means to be a community center in the digital age with initiatives like the award-winning #GivingTuesday, launched by 92Y in 2012 and now recognized across the US and in a growing number of regions worldwide as a day to celebrate and promote giving. These kinds of initiatives are transforming the way people share ideas and translate them into action both locally and around the world. More than 300,000 people visit 92Y annually; millions more participate in 92Y's digital and online initiatives. A proudly Jewish organization, 92Y embraces its Jewish heritage and welcomes people of all backgrounds and perspectives. For more information, visit www.92Y.org.