Hidden in plain sight

North American and European musicians that are successful in their home countries routinely expand their fame and influence into other countries and continents as their careers progress. For one reason or another, it seems like musicians from Asian, African, and South American countries rarely see their success spread beyond their native region, but that does not mean that these artists are any less talented or captivating as their North American and European counterparts. In the 1960s and 70s, the Lijadu Sisters were stars in Nigeria, but they remain relatively unknown to the rest of the world. The identical twin sisters’ song “Come on Home,” off of their 1979 album, Horizon Unlimited, is a gleeful, shimmery mixture of afrobeat, funk, and soul that hasn’t lost even a bit of its luster in the last 38 years.

The Lijadu Sisters were known for incorporating both their Nigerian roots and more Euro-centric elements into their music; “Come on Home” features lyrics both in English and their native Yoruba, and starts off with a West African talking drum sequence, and then jumps straight into a bass guitar pattern. As they likely did in many aspects of their life together, the sisters mastered vocal harmony. While you can tell there are two voices, they sing as one, and their voices intertwine seamlessly, backed by cheerful piano rhythms and funky bass slaps. “Come on Home” is a summery piece of art, the sonic equivalent of a flowery sun dress, and a timeless testament to the internationally ubiquitous feeling of joy.