Nigerians mourn Kehinde of the Lijadu Sisters

Kehinde and her identical twin sister, Taiwo, made up the Lijadu Sisters, a duet that was involved in a variety of genres including Afrobeat, reggae, soul, disco and psychedelic rock.

The two sisters worked with various musicians including King Sunny Ade, Jimi Solanke, and performed with Ginger Baker & Salt at the World Music Festival during the 1972 Munich Olympic Games. They are cousins of Afrobeat progenitor Fela Kuti.

It was reported that Lijadu died after suffering a stroke on Saturday morning, with tributes pouring in on social media after Taiwo Lijadu and the sisters’ cousin, David Olanrewaju Lijadu, confirmed the news.

“Kehinde Lijadu left us and sings in heaven now. She and her sister, Taiwo, and I were born the same year, we created good music together for two years (1970-72) with my band. May she rest in perfect peace,” Nigerian flautists Tee Mac wrote on social media.

Writer and director Biyi Bandele said: "Hours after news of Kehinde’s passage reached me, the lyrics and melody of the song 'Reincarnation' from their album Sunshine took possession of my brain. I still listen avidly to their music. When I do, I tend to favour 'Life’s Gone Down Low', a masterpiece that manages to be both infinitely sad and boundlessly joyous at the same time. I don’t think it matters that they stopped recording after that initial flush of incredible creativity in the ‘70s. Their music will be around for generations to come."

The Lijadu Sisters, who grew up in Ibadan, were highly popular in Nigeria in the 1970s and mid-1980s, constantly featuring on radio and TV at the time. They relocated to the US in the mid-‘80s and disappeared from public view almost entirely. They released six albums, namely Iya Mi Jowo, Danger, Mother Africa, Sunshine, Horizon Unlimited and Double Trouble.

Their most recent appearances were with David Byrne and the Atomic Bomb! Band in 2015.