BIOGRAPHY
Taiwo and Kehinde Lijadu, twins born in Jos, Nigeria in 1948 and second cousins of Fela Kuti, began singing together in childhood before working as session vocalists and releasing their first single, Iya Mi Jowo, in 1968. With producer Biddy Wright, they recorded four albums for Decca's Afrodisia imprint between 1976 and 1979: Danger, Mother Africa, Sunshine, and Horizon Unlimited, blending Afro-beat, reggae, pop, and soul into a distinctive style that made them major stars in Nigeria and drew international notice. The pair toured and appeared on British television through the 1980s before settling permanently in Brooklyn in 1988. A serious injury to Kehinde in 1996 halted their creative output for years. After decades away from the stage, they reconnected with reissue labels in the 2010s, and Kehinde died in 2019 following a stroke.