Haruna Ishola
ApalaActive
Biography
Haruna Ishola (1919–1983) was a legendary Nigerian musician widely regarded as the King of Apala music, a percussion-based genre rooted in Yoruba Muslim culture. Born in Ijebu-Igbo, Ogun State, he popularized Apala across Nigeria and West Africa through prolific recordings from the 1960s through the early 1980s. His rich baritone voice, religious themes, and cultural storytelling made him one of the most influential figures in Yoruba music history. He is revered as a national icon whose legacy continues to shape Nigerian traditional music.
