Adetunji Bello, confirmed the news in a statement on Sunday, revealing that the celebrated musician died in the early hours of the day, just a day after marking his 83rd birthday.<\/p>\n
Born Ismaila Dele Bello on August 24, 1942, in Iseyin, Oyo State, Ahuja Bello initially worked as an electronic technician before fully embracing music.<\/p>\n
In 1976, he founded Ahuja Bello and His Golden Eagles Band, a group that went on to dominate Nigeria\u2019s Juju music scene in the late 1970s and 1980s.<\/p>\n
Bello became widely admired for his vibrant stage performances and evergreen songs such as Awa ti Danfo and Ariya ti de.<\/p>\n
In 1979, he travelled to London, where he recorded Ahuja in London, a project that exposed him to global audiences and brought him in contact with music greats, including reggae legend Bob Marley.<\/p>\n
His flourishing career suffered a setback after a ghastly accident on July 24, 1982, just weeks before his 40th birthday.<\/p>\n
Despite the disruption, Ahuja Bello\u2019s contribution to Juju music secured him a revered place in Nigeria\u2019s cultural history, with fans remembering him as one of the pioneers who helped popularise the genre.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"