Singer, songwriter, producer, guitarist, and percussionist Leon “Kaleta” Ligan-Majekodunmi was born in Porto Novo, Benin (formerly Dahomey) but started his musical journey in Lagos, Nigeria during the 1970s. Beginning with legendary Juju and World music singer King Sunny Ade. Together they worked on and produced many of the “High-life” and “JuJu” sounds of the 1970s Nigerian music scene. Shortly after he began working with another notable artist popular in Nigeria at the time, Shina Peters. Known for combining the dynamic musical elements of Fela’s “Afrobeat” and King Sunny Ade’s “Highlife Juju", Kaleta further refined his sound and expertise while learning and touring with the best of his contemporaries. Soon, he caught the eye of another legend at the time, Fela Kuti, who quickly developed a liking to the young guitarist’s talents and invited him to join his highly respected ensemble. Who knew the young and talented musician would be on tour as a frontman in the Godfather of Afrobeat’s Egypt ‘80 ensemble for much of the ‘80s and ‘90s.
Kaleta & King Sunny Ade
After his time with Fela came to an end, Kaleta turned towards his roots of Afropop melodies like in his earlier days producing and touring with King Sunny Ade and Shina Peters. In 2001, he released his first solo debut album, Kaleta Jaa, to positive reviews from music critics around the world.
Due to the chaotic political climate of the early 2000s, his focus shifted, musically, towards a more socially conscious vibe. After being approached by many other admirers of the genre to join some of the early Afrobeat bands in the growing Afrobeat scene in 90s such as Kokolo and Antibalas, Kaleta chose to form a band with former members from each and create a sound authentic to the spirit and legacy of his former mentor.