With their harmonic singing and radical fusions of Afrobeat, funk, reggae, rock, disco and soul, The Lijadu Sisters helped lay the foundations for African music’s current global resonance while pioneering a trailblazing path for female artists as one of few women-led acts operating at the outset of Nigeria’s male-dominated cultural golden age during the 1970s. And yet the inspiring story of identical twin sisters Yeye Taiwo Lijadu and the late Kehinde Lijadu is one also marred by illicit exploitation, copyright infringements, unpaid royalties and prejudice, the pair enduring nearly six decades without due respect, protection and recognition.  

Now celebrated Chicago imprint Numero Group is seeking to partially redress these miscarriages with the inauguration of a multi-year, multi-record campaign, finally making The Lijadu Sisters’ entire discography more widely accessible, beginning with the welcome release of a remastered and restored edition of 1979’s classic full-length, Horizon Unlimited (check out heartfelt album hit, ‘Come on Home’).

About the reissue, Yeye Taiwo, says: “I think one of the most exciting things about the reintroduction of Horizon Unlimited is the fact that young folk love our music, and are surprised at the upbeat tempo, and the lyrics, which are not only of today, but also very futuristic as well. Horizon Unlimited was our last album with Decca that came out in 1979… We paid for all the studio and band session fees and were originally meant to record at Decca West Africa in Lagos, but when we got to the studio, no one had told us that it was being upgraded – from eight tracks to 24. So, we brought everyone to London and made the album there instead.”  

The first instalment of a reissue programme encompassing every Lijadu Sisters LP, plus a collection of rediscovered, previously unavailable singles, promos and rarities, Horizon Unlimited will be available from September 20 on vinyl, CD and digital formats.

For more info visit thelijadusisters.com