Veteran Juju musician, Ahuja Bello, who rose to fame in the 1970s but spent much of his later life battling setbacks, has died at the age of 83. He reportedly died on Monday, less than 24 hours after celebrating his birthday.
Born Ismaila Bello on August 24, 1942, in Iseyin, Oyo State, Bello moved to Lagos in 1963 to train as an electronics technician. His career took a new turn when he joined King Sunny Ade’s band as an instrument technician, earning the nickname “Ahuja” from the sound system brand he set up for the group.
Bello later went solo, releasing his debut album Awa Ti Danfo in 1976. He followed with hits like Ariya Ti De, Ijo Olomo, Fellow Nigerians and Ahuja in London, becoming a favourite of Lagos socialites and music patrons. His vocal style and guitar mastery drew constant comparisons with King Sunny Ade, a likeness that both helped and haunted his career.
At the peak of his fame, tragedy struck. On July 24, 1982, a month before his 40th birthday, he was involved in a ghastly car crash in Lagos that left him with a broken femur and halted his momentum. More accidents followed, including a motorcycle fall in 1987 and a staircase mishap in the 1990s.
Though he staged comebacks in the late 1980s, released an album in 2011 and performed live as recently as 2020, Ahuja Bello never regained the heights that made him the darling of the peppersoup elite of the 70s and 80s.
