Sunday Are Biography, Net Worth, Age, Career & Facts

Sunday Are is a veteran Nigerian talent manager and CEO of List Entertainment, best known for managing Wizkid and shaping the careers of Lagbaja, Asa, D’Banj, and other top African artists.

Sunday Are is a veteran Nigerian music executive, talent manager, and CEO of List Entertainment, widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the African music industry over the past four decades. He is best known as the manager of global superstar Wizkid (Ayodeji Balogun), a role he has held since 2015. Before Wizkid, he played a defining role in shaping the careers of Lagbaja, Asa, D’Banj, Majek Fashek, Wande Coal, and several other top Nigerian artists.

An accomplished percussionist and conga player in his own right, Sunday Are has been in the entertainment business since 1979, making him one of the longest-serving professionals in Nigerian music.

Field	Value
Full Name	Sunday Are
Date of Birth	Not publicly disclosed
Age	Not publicly disclosed
Place of Origin	Nigeria
Nationality	Nigerian
Religion	Not publicly specified
Marital Status	Not publicly disclosed
Base	Surulere, Lagos, Nigeria
Occupation	Talent manager, music executive, percussionist
Company	List Entertainment Limited
Instagram	@sunday.are
Years Active	1979 – present
Known For	Managing Wizkid; shaping careers of Lagbaja, Asa, D’Banj, Majek Fashek

Early Life and Background

Details about Sunday Are’s date of birth, early family life, and formal education have not been publicly documented. What is well established is that his entire entertainment career has been rooted in Lagos, specifically in Surulere. In his own words, in an interview with The Native magazine: “Everything about me started from Lagos and Surulere. Everything about me; my family house, my entertainment career started from Surulere, that was 1979. Until now I am in Surulere.”

He has described his early days in the industry in humble terms, referring to himself as a “boi boi” — essentially a runner and helper for established bands and musicians. He began by carrying instruments, buying food for band members, washing and ironing their clothes, and setting up equipment for performances. This hands-on apprenticeship gave him a thorough grounding in every aspect of the music business, from instrument handling to band management, stage production, and artist relations.

Career

Early Years (1979–1990s)

Sunday Are’s career began in 1979 when he joined the Root Foundation, a music organisation where he learned the fundamentals of the entertainment business from the ground up. He has recalled meeting his former boss at Root Foundation, Prince Bola Agba, decades later and reminiscing about those early days of physically carrying band drums on his head from one location to another.

After his apprenticeship at Root Foundation, he moved on to the October Band. When the band left Nigeria in 1984 with Orlando Julius on a playing tour of America, Sunday Are was left behind. He then reconnected with Richard Cole, the band leader of Bongos Ikwue’s Grooves Band, and began working at the Face 2 nightclub in Lagos.

During this period, he developed his skills as a percussionist and conga player — skills he retains to this day. He also began to demonstrate an instinct for talent identification and artist development that would define the rest of his career.

The Majek Fashek Years

One of Sunday Are’s earliest major artist relationships was with Majek Fashek, the legendary reggae musician. Are travelled to the United States with Fashek, serving as both a percussionist in the band and an informal manager. He has spoken with deep emotion about his work with Fashek, describing it as a period of total personal investment.

In a 2011 interview with Vanguard, he stated: “I love him so much because he’s the only artist that I put all I had in me into his career. I wanted to achieve something big with him. I wanted to win the Grammy with Majek.”

He brought several musicians into Fashek’s band, including percussionist Baba Chico, talking drummer Kofo Man, bassist Tayo Alonge, and Oscar Elimbi. His dream of winning a Grammy with Fashek went unfulfilled, but the ambition stayed with him — later transferring to his work with Wizkid.

Working with Sony Music and the Lagbaja Story

Sunday Are worked at Sony Music Nigeria alongside Laolu Akins. It was during this period that Lagbaja, the masked musician, approached him for help setting up a band. It took Lagbaja nearly a year to convince Sunday Are to work with him. Once he agreed, Are set up Lagbaja’s band and the musician began performing at Lagos venues including Pintos, Jack N Top, and Bread and Butter.

When it was time to record, Are took Lagbaja to Decca Studios, where they produced his self-titled debut album, released under Motherland Records. For the second album, Cool Temper, Are pushed for a release through Sony Music, arguing that the label’s distribution network would give Lagbaja greater reach — despite Lagbaja’s initial reluctance.

Perhaps most significantly, Sunday Are played a central role in creating Lagbaja’s iconic masked persona. He has recounted the origin story candidly: “We had a concept which was to have a faceless human being that can sing, play the instrument and dance.” Initially, different people wore the mask at various performances. Are eventually insisted that Lagbaja himself wear it permanently, reasoning that the concept required someone who could sing, dance, and play instruments simultaneously. Lagbaja resisted at first but adapted after three months. The masked identity became one of the most distinctive brands in African music.

Are worked with Lagbaja for six years. He also pushed Lagbaja’s performance fees into the ₦3 million bracket — a significant increase at a time when even King Sunny Ade and Fela Kuti were reportedly earning around ₦500,000 per show.

Discovering Asa

Sunday Are discovered Asa (Bukola Elemide) at a monthly jazz event at BJs in Lagos. The singer had come to the venue with Muyiwa Majekodunmi of Jazz Ville. After her performance, she was introduced to Are, who gave her his card. She called the following day.

When Asa told him she wanted to pursue music but had no support, he asked whether she wanted to record in a studio or set up a live band. She chose live performance. Before allowing her to introduce original songs, he had her record covers of Lauryn Hill, Tracy Chapman, and Bob Marley — a test of her ability to interpret other artists’ work.

To help her rehearse, he personally took her to the Olosha area of Mushin to buy a fairly used CD recording system, as she had no equipment at home. He then financed and set up her first band. Asa went on to become one of the most acclaimed singer-songwriters in African music, with major international success.

Mo’Hits Records: D’Banj, Don Jazzy, and Wande Coal

Sunday Are’s involvement with Mo’Hits Records began in 2004 when D’Banj and Don Jazzy approached him at TBS in Lagos. He has recalled the encounter vividly: “D’Banj prostrated on the ground while Jazzy simply bowed his head.”

He agreed to work with them, financed and set up their live band, and helped build the Mo’Hits brand. He pushed their show fees from ₦700,000–₦800,000 per appearance to significantly higher levels. D’Banj’s first major endorsement — the Power Fist energy drink deal worth approximately ₦20 million — came during Are’s management.

He also facilitated the discovery of Wande Coal. According to Are, he encountered Wande and other young men singing and beating their chests in a car park at the University of Lagos. He introduced them to Don Jazzy and D’Banj, and Wande Coal eventually joined the Mo’Hits roster.

Are also played a role in D’Banj’s international breakthrough. He encouraged the team to pursue American collaborations and live performances, and he was involved in the chain of events that led to the Kanye West–Good Music partnership. He has confirmed that the Mo’Hits–Good Music arrangement was a joint business venture, not a traditional record label signing.

Other artists Sunday Are has worked with over his career include JMartins, Omawunmi, Bracket, King Sunny Ade, 2face Idibia, Shina Peters, Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, Obesere, Tunde and Wunmi Obe, Miatta Fahnbulleh, veteran actress Patience Ozokwor (“Mama G”), and DJ Spinall.

Managing Wizkid (2015–Present)

In April 2015, Wizkid announced Sunday Are as his manager in Africa via Instagram, formalising a relationship that had existed informally for years. Are had known Wizkid since his early days in the industry, when the young artist would visit Wande Coal’s house during the Mo’Hits era.

In an interview with The Native magazine, Are explained: “He was hanging around with Wande when I was managing Mo’Hits, so there was a time when he was always at the house with Wande. He’s a talented boy. I already knew that if he gets good representation, somebody to care for him, he should be able to go.”

The formal announcement came when Wizkid publicly declared on social media that all business enquiries should be directed to Sunday Are. Since then, Are has managed Wizkid’s African operations as part of a broader management team that includes Jada Pollock (international management and image consultancy) and Dumi Oburota of Disturbing London.

Under Are’s management, Wizkid’s continental touring operation scaled dramatically. His branding strategy focused on positioning Wizkid as the dominant live act across Africa through consistent high-profile shows, professional documentation, and strategic imagery — all of which preceded Wizkid’s global breakthrough with Drake’s “Come Closer” collaboration and the massive international success of the Made in Lagos album.

Describing his role, Are has said: “I’m there like a father figure for him, I’m there as a manager, I’m there as a friend, I’m there as a brother — so we just work.” He has also described the scale of the job with characteristic humour: “Managing Wizkid — only one — but managing only Wizkid is like managing ten other A-list artists.”

Are has spoken candidly about his Grammy ambitions. After failing to achieve the award with Majek Fashek, he told Wizkid he wanted a Grammy before he could consider retirement. As he recounted to The Native: “I told him that I wanted a Grammy. I tried my best, I couldn’t get a Grammy, and I want a Grammy. So, since I couldn’t get a Grammy, let me just go and rest. He said, ‘Baba, I will give you that Grammy.'”

Career Timeline

Year	Milestone
1979	Joined Root Foundation in Lagos; began entertainment career in Surulere
Early 1980s	Worked with October Band; later joined Richard Cole and Face 2 nightclub
Late 1980s–1990s	Toured with Majek Fashek as percussionist and informal manager
1990s	Worked at Sony Music Nigeria; set up Lagbaja’s band and co-created the masked persona
1990s	Produced Lagbaja’s debut album at Decca Studios; secured Sony Music deal for Cool Temper
Early 2000s	Discovered Asa at a jazz event in Lagos; financed her first band
2004	Began working with D’Banj and Don Jazzy; set up the Mo’Hits live band
2004–2011	Managed Mo’Hits operations; facilitated D’Banj endorsements and Kanye West deal
2015	Formally announced as Wizkid’s manager in Africa
2020	Played strategic role in the release and promotion of Wizkid’s Made in Lagos album
2026	Continues as Wizkid’s Africa manager and CEO of List Entertainment

Personal Life

Sunday Are is a deeply private individual who has kept the details of his family life, marital status, and personal relationships out of the public eye. What is publicly known is that he has lived in Surulere, Lagos, for the entirety of his entertainment career — from 1979 through to the present day. His home in Surulere also serves as a base for his operations, and several artists he has managed over the years have rehearsed at his studio there.

He is known among industry colleagues for his discipline, directness, and the close, familial bonds he forms with the artists he manages. Multiple artists have described their relationship with him in paternal terms. He is also known for his collection of vintage cars, which he has showcased on his Instagram page (@sunday.are).

In the Vanguard interview, he reflected on his philosophy: “My job isn’t just about making money. I want my name to grow with an artist and the only way to grow with an artist is to win what I wanted him to win.”

Net Worth and Assets

Sunday Are’s net worth has not been publicly disclosed or independently estimated by financial publications. As CEO of List Entertainment and long-time manager of one of Africa’s biggest music stars, his earnings from management commissions, event coordination, and industry relationships are expected to be substantial, though specific figures are not available.

He is known to own a home and studio in Surulere, Lagos, and maintains a collection of vintage automobiles. His lifestyle, while comfortable, is characterised more by industry influence and longevity than by public displays of wealth.

Interesting Facts About Sunday Are

1. He has been in the Nigerian entertainment industry since 1979 — over 45 years of continuous activity.
2. He is the person who convinced Lagbaja to wear the mask that became his signature identity. Lagbaja initially resisted the idea.
3. He personally bought Asa’s first piece of recording equipment — a fairly used CD system from Mushin — and financed her first band.
4. He started in the industry by carrying drums on his head, washing musicians’ clothes, and buying them food.
5. He is an accomplished percussionist and conga player who has performed alongside several of the artists he managed.
6. He took Obesere to Sony Music and helped him record multiple albums, including Asakasa.
7. His unfulfilled dream of winning a Grammy with Majek Fashek was later transferred to Wizkid, who he says promised to deliver the award.
8. He set up the bands for Lagbaja, Asa, D’Banj, and Tunde and Wunmi Obe — financing many of them from his own pocket.

Quotations by Sunday Are

“Most people don’t really know what I’ve achieved in my life. How would anyone know that I was the one that set up Tunde and Wunmi Obe’s band? How many people know I set up D’Banj and the Mo’Hits band?” — Sunday Are, interview with Vanguard, October 2011

“Managing Wizkid — only one — but managing only Wizkid is like managing ten other A-list artists. Meaning that you have to be ready.” — Sunday Are, interview with The Native magazine

“Everything about me started from Lagos and Surulere. My family house, my entertainment career started from Surulere, that was 1979. Until now I am in Surulere.” — Sunday Are, interview with The Native magazine

“My job isn’t just about making money. I want my name to grow with an artist and the only way to grow with an artist is to win what I wanted him to win.” — Sunday Are, interview with Vanguard, October 2011

Final Thoughts

Sunday Are’s career is a masterclass in the art of talent management in an industry that, for most of his working life, had no formal infrastructure for it. He did not emerge from a business school or a corporate entertainment firm. He learned the trade by carrying drums, setting up stages, washing clothes, and watching how music was made at the closest possible range. That apprenticeship, beginning in 1979, gave him an understanding of artists and the music business that no textbook could replicate.

His fingerprints are on some of the most important moments in Nigerian music history: the creation of Lagbaja’s masked identity, the discovery of Asa, the structuring of Mo’Hits Records, the international push of D’Banj, and the continental scaling of Wizkid’s brand. In each case, he followed the same pattern — identify talent, finance the band, build the live performance infrastructure, push for higher fees, and refuse to leave until the job is done.

At over 45 years in the industry and still actively managing one of Africa’s biggest global stars, Sunday Are stands as one of the most consequential figures in the history of Nigerian entertainment — even if, by his own admission, most people still do not fully know the extent of what he has achieved.