| Aura | |
| Type: | studio |
| Artist: | King Sunny Adé |
| Cover: | Aura (King Sunny Adé album).jpg |
| Released: | 1984 |
| Genre: | Jùjú |
| Label: | Mango[1] |
| Producer: | Martin Meissonnier |
| Prev Title: | Synchro System |
| Prev Year: | 1983 |
| Next Title: | The Return of the Juju King |
| Next Year: | 1987 |
Aura is a studio album by the Nigerian jùjú musician King Sunny Adé, released in 1984.[2] [3] It is credited to King Sunny Adé and His African Beats.
Unlike Adé's previous two Mango Records albums, Aura did not make the Billboard 200.[4] Mango dropped Adé after its release, and Adé broke up His African Beats.[1]
The album was produced by Martin Meissonnier. Stevie Wonder contributed harmonica to "Ase".[5] Aura employed five guitarists and six drummers, including Tony Allen.[6] [7]
Trouser Press thought that "the rhythm tracks are almost pure beatbox in style... The vocal harmonies in [Adé's] work have a distinctive Latin feel."[8] The Philadelphia Inquirer called the album "subtly hypnotic, captivating," writing that "layer over layer of intricate rhythm is combined with swerving melodies, skirling guitar parts and the call-and-response chanting that is the heart of 'juju' music."[9] Jon Pareles, of The New York Times, listed Aura at number two on his list of the 10 best albums of 1984.[10]
AllMusic wrote that, "once again, Adé and a battery of guitarists are particularly impressive, laying down a wealth of nicely integrated solos; as with earlier Adé recordings, the pedal steel work is especially stunning." Mojo deemed the album "even groovier" than Synchro System.[11] Miami New Times argued that, "because Auras cutting-edge songs blended poorly with its more traditional Yoruban-based pieces, it ended up sounding more foreign than his other American LPs."[12]