Babatunde Olatunji (April 7, 1927 - April 6, 2003) was a Nigerian drummer, educator, social activist and recording artist. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... April 7 is the 97th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (98th in leap years). ... Year 1927 (MCMXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... // History Lagos State, Nigeria was created on May 27, 1967 by virtue of State (Creation and Transitional Provisions) Decree No. ... is the 96th day of the year (97th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... World music is, most generally, all the music in the world. ... A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. ... Bass drum made from wood, rope, and cowskin A drum is a musical instrument in the percussion group that can be large, technically classified as a membranophone. ... April 7 is the 97th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (98th in leap years). ... Year 1927 (MCMXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 96th day of the year (97th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Bass drum made from wood, rope, and cowskin A drum is a musical instrument in the percussion group that can be large, technically classified as a membranophone. ...

Biography

Born in the village of Ajido, Nigeria, a member of the Yoruba people, Olatunji was introduced to traditional African music at an early age. He read in Reader's Digest magazine about the Rotary International Foundation's scholarship programme, and applied for it. He came to the United States of America in 1950. The Yoruba (Yorùbá in Yoruba orthography) are a large ethno-linguistic group or ethnic nation in Africa; the majority of them speak the Yoruba language (èdèe Yorùbá; èdè = language). ... A tradition is a story or a custom that is memorized and passed down from generation to generation, originally without the need for a writing system. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Rotary International is an organization of service clubs known as Rotary Clubs located all over the world. ...

Education

Olatunji received a Rotary scholarship in 1950 and was educated at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. After graduating from Morehouse, he went on to New York University to study public administration. There, he started a small percussion group to earn money on the side while he continued his studies. Year 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Morehouse College is a private, four-year, all-male, historically black liberal arts college in Atlanta, Georgia. ... Nickname: Location in Fulton and DeKalb counties in the state of Georgia Coordinates: , Country State Counties Fulton, DeKalb Government  - Mayor Shirley Franklin (D) Area  - City  132. ... New York University (NYU) is a private, nonsectarian, coeducational research university in New York City. ...

Musical career

Olatunji won a following among jazz musicians, notably creating a strong relationship with John Coltrane and Columbia Records A&R man John Hammond who signed him to the Columbia label in 1957. With Coltrane's help, he founded the Olatunji Center for African Culture in Harlem. This was the site of Coltrane's final performance. For other uses, see Jazz (disambiguation). ... “Coltrane” redirects here. ... Columbia Records is the oldest brand name in recorded sound, dating back to 1888, and was the first record company to produce pre-recorded records as opposed to blank cylinders. ... In the music industry, Artists and Repertoire (A&R) refers to the division of a record label that is responsible for scouting and artist development. ... John Henry Hammond (December 15, 1910–July 10, 1987) was a record producer, musician and music critic from the 1930s to the early 1980s. ... Year 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar). ... For other uses, see Harlem (disambiguation). ...

In 1959 Olatunji released his first of six records on the Columbia label, called Drums of Passion. Carlos Santana had a major hit with his cover version of this first album's "Gin-goh-lo-ba". Olatunji favoured a big percussion sound, and his records typically featured more than 20 players, unusual for a percussion based ensemble. Drums of Passion became a major hit and remains in print; it introduced many Americans to world music. Drums of Passion also served as the band's name. Notable band members included; Clark Terry, Bill Lee, Horace Silver, Yusef Lateef, Sikiru Adepoju and Charles Lloyd, among others. Year 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Devadip Carlos Augusto Alves Santana (born July 20, 1947), known simply as Carlos Santana or Santana, is a Grammy Award-winning Mexican-born American Latin rock musician and guitarist. ... World music is, most generally, all the music in the world. ... Clark Terry performs with the Great Lakes Navy Band Jazz Ensemble Clark Terry (born December 14, 1920 in St. ... Bill Lee (born July 23, 1928 in Atlanta, Georgia) is an American musician. ... Horace Ward Martin Tavares Silver, born on September 2, 1928 in Norwalk, Connecticut) is a famous jazz pianist and composer born to a Cape Verdean father (of mixed Portuguese-black descent) and a mother of Irish and African descent. ... Album cover of Eastern Sounds Dr. Yusef Lateef (born William Emanuel Huddleston, October 9, 1920) is an American jazz musician. ... Sikiru Adepoju, a master of the talking drum, comes from a musical family from Eruwa in western Nigeria. ... Charles Lloyd with Reuben Rogers and Eric Harland, Santa Barbara, 2006 Charles Lloyd on stage with Billy Higgins Charles Lloyd (March 15, 1938-) is an American jazz musician. ...

Olatunji's subsequent recordings include Drums of Passion: The Invocation (1988), Drums of Passion: The Beat (1989) (which included Airto Moreira and Carlos Santana), Love Drum Talk (1997), Circle of Drums (2005) (originally titled Cosmic Rhythm Vibrations, with Muruga Booker and Sikiru Adepoju), and Olatunji Live at Starwood (2003 - recorded at the 1997 Starwood Festival[1]) with guest Halim El-Dabh. He also contributed to "Peace Is The World Smiling: A Peace Anthology For Families" on the Music For Little People label (1989). Year 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... Airto Moreira (born August 5, 1941) is a Brazilian Jazz percussionist and musician. ... Devadip Carlos Augusto Alves Santana (born July 20, 1947), known simply as Carlos Santana or Santana, is a Grammy Award-winning Mexican-born American Latin rock musician and guitarist. ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Sikiru Adepoju, a master of the talking drum, comes from a musical family from Eruwa in western Nigeria. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Logo from 1999 Starwood is a festival presented by the Association for Consciousness Exploration (ACE), along with many volunteers during a week in the month of July. ... Halim El-Dabh (b. ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ...

Olatunji recorded with many other prominent musicians, including Cannonball Adderley (on his African Waltz album), Horace Silver, Quincy Jones, Pee Wee Ellis, Stevie Wonder, Randy Weston, and with Max Roach and Abbey Lincoln on the pivotal Freedom Now Suite aka We Insist, and with Grateful Dead member Mickey Hart on his Grammy winning Planet Drum projects. He is also mentioned in the lyrics of Bob Dylan's "I Shall Be Free" as recorded on the album The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan. Julian Edwin Cannonball Adderley (September 15, 1928 – August 8, 1975), originally from Tampa, Florida, was a jazz alto saxophonist of the small combo era of the 1950s and 1960s. ... Horace Ward Martin Tavares Silver, born on September 2, 1928 in Norwalk, Connecticut) is a famous jazz pianist and composer born to a Cape Verdean father (of mixed Portuguese-black descent) and a mother of Irish and African descent. ... This article is about the producer and songwriter. ... Pee Wee Ellis is an American saxophonist. ... Stevie Wonder (born Stevland Hardaway Judkins on May 13, 1950, name later changed to Stevland Hardaway Morris),[1] is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. ... Randy Weston (b. ... Maxwell Lemuel Roach (January 10, 1924 – August 16, 2007) was a bebop/hard bop percussionist, drummer, and composer. ... Abbey Lincoln (born Anna Marie Wooldridge on August 6, 1930 in Chicago, Illinois) is a jazz vocalist, songwriter, and actress, who is widely respected for her writing skills. ... This article is about the band. ... Mickey Hart (born September 11, 1943) is best known as one of the two drummers from the rock band the Grateful Dead. ... Grammy Award statuette The Grammy Awards, presented by the Recording Academy (an association of Americans professionally involved in the recorded music industry) for outstanding achievements in the recording industry, is one of four major music awards shows held annually in the United States (the Billboard Music Awards, the American Music... This article is about the recording artist. ... The Freewheelin Bob Dylan, released May 27, 1963, was folk musician Bob Dylans second LP. This release established him as a songwriter of premier importance. ...

Film and theatre

Olatunji composed music for the Broadway theatrical and Hollywood film productions of Raisin in the Sun. He assisted Bill Lee with the music for his son Spike Lee's hit film She's Gotta Have It. For other uses of Broadway, see Broadway. ... ... Lorraine Hansberrys 1959 A Raisin in the Sun was the first play written by a black woman to be produced on Broadway. ... Bill Lee (born July 23, 1928 in Atlanta, Georgia) is an American musician. ... Shelton Jackson Lee (born March 20, 1957, in Atlanta, Georgia), better known as Spike Lee, is an Emmy Award - winning, and Academy Award - nominated American film director, producer, writer, and actor noted for his films dealing with controversial social and political issues. ... Shes Gotta Have It is a 1986 comedy-drama film written and directed by Spike Lee. ...

Social activism

Olatunji was known for making an impassioned speech for social justice before performing in front of a live audience. His progressive political beliefs are outlined in "The Beat Of My Drum: An Autobiography," with a foreword by Joan Baez, (Temple University Press, 2005). He toured the American south with Rev. Martin Luther King Jr and joined King in the march on Washington. When he performed before the United Nations General Assembly, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev took off his shoes and danced. Later, he was one of the first outside performers to perform in Prague at Václav Havel's request. On July 21, 1979, he appeared at the Amandla Festival along with Bob Marley, Dick Gregory, Patti LaBelle and Eddie Palmieri, amongst others. This article is about Progressivism. ... Joan Chandos Baez (born January 9, 1941) is an American folk singer and songwriter known for her highly individual vocal style. ... For the private Christian university in Tennessee, see Tennessee Temple University. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Martin Luther King Jr. ... Demonstrator at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom was a political rally that took place on August 28, 1963. ... The foundation of the U.N. The United Nations (UN) is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate co-operation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress and human rights issues. ... Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev (Russian: , Nikita Sergeevič Chruščiov; IPA: , in English, , or , occasionally ); surname more accurately romanized as Khrushchyov[1]; April 17 [O.S. April 5] 1894[2]–September 11, 1971) was the chief director of the Soviet Union after the death of Joseph Stalin. ... Nickname: Motto: Praga Caput Rei publicae Location within the Czech Republic Coordinates: , Country Czech Republic Region Capital City of Prague Founded 9th century Government  - Mayor Pavel Bém Area  - City 496 km²  (191. ... Václav Havel, GCB, CC, (IPA: ) (born October 5, 1936 in Prague) is a Czech writer and dramatist. ... is the 202nd day of the year (203rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ... The Amandla Festival was a world music festival that took place in the Harvard Stadium in Boston, Massachusetts, on July 21, 1979. ... This article is about the reggae musician. ... Dick Gregory (1964) Richard Dick Claxton Gregory, (born October 12, 1932) is an African American comedian, social activist, writer, entrepreneur, and nutritionist. ... Patti LaBelle (born Patricia Louise Holt on May 24, 1944 in West-Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an multi-grammy winning American R&B and soul singer and songwriter who fronted two groups, Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles and Labelle, which changed and birthed a new era of womens music and... Eddie Palmieri (born December 15, 1936 in New York City) - pianist and bandleader. ...

Teaching career

Olatunji was also a music educator, and invented a method of teaching and recording drum patterns which he called the "Gun-Go-Do-Pa-Ta" method after the different sounds made on the drum. Olatunji taught drum and dance workshops year-round starting in the late 1950's. Over the years he presented workshops nationally and internationally at too many colleges, universities, civic, cultural and governmental organizations to list here. He co-wrote, "Musical Instruments of Africa: Their Nature, Use and Place in the Life of a Deeply Musical People" with Betty Warner-Dietz (John Day Company, 1965). He taught a summer drumming and African dance course with his wife, at the Omega institute in Rhinebeck, NY (http://eomega.org) for many summers during Family week, and taught at the Esalen Institute in California starting in 1985 until his death from diabetes in 2003. Year 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. ... Esalen Institute is a center for humanistic alternative education, a nonprofit organization devoted to multidisciplinary studies ordinarily neglected by traditional academia. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Largest metro area Greater Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... Year 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar). ... This article is about the disease that features high blood sugar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Discography

• Circle of Drums (2005 Chesky)
• Healing Session (2003 Narada)
• Olatunji Live at Starwood (2003) Recorded Live at the Starwood Festival 1997
• Drums of Passion [Expanded] (2002)
• Love Drum Talk (1997 Chesky)
• Drums of Passion and More (1994 Bear Family) Box Set
• Babatunde Olatunji, Healing Rhythms, Songs and Chants (1995 Olatunji Music)
• Drums of Passion: Celebrate Freedom, Justice & Peace (1993 Olatunji Music)
• Drums of Passion: The Beat (1989 Rykodisc)
• Drums of Passion: The Invocation (1988 Rykodisc)
• Soul Makossa (1973 Paramount) (Single/EP)
• Dance to the Beat of My Drum
• Olatunji
• Flaming Drums (1962 Columbia Records CS8666)
• Zungo! (1961)
• Drums of Passion (1959)

Video/DVD Logo from 1999 Starwood is a festival presented by the Association for Consciousness Exploration (ACE), along with many volunteers during a week in the month of July. ...

• Olatunji Live at Starwood [DVD] (2005 ACE) Recorded Live at the Starwood Festival 1997
• African Drumming [Instructional Video] (2004 Interworld)
• Love Drum Talk [Video] (1998 CHE, TMS, Chesky)

Also Appears On Logo from 1999 Starwood is a festival presented by the Association for Consciousness Exploration (ACE), along with many volunteers during a week in the month of July. ...

• 2000 Afeni Shakur Discusses "The Rose That Grew from Concrete, Vol. 1"
• 2000 Club Africa, Vol. 2: Hard African Funk, Afro-Jazz, & Original Afro-Beat
• 2000 The Rose That Grew from Concrete
• 1998 Mondo Beat: Masters of Percussion
• 1998 New Visions: World Rhythms
• 1998 Selections from Mondo Beat
• 1995 The Big Bang
• 1994 The Best of Both Worlds: Rykodisc/Hannibal World Music Sampler
• 1994 The Big Bang: In the Beginning Was a Drum
• 1991 Around the World for a Song (Rykodisc)
• 1991 Planet Drum - Mickey Hart (Rykodisc)
• 1990 At the Edge - Mickey Hart (Rykodisc)

Bibliography

• Musical Instruments of Africa: Their Nature, Use and Place in the Life of a Deeply Musical People (1965) with Betty Warner-Dietz. John Day Company OCLC: 592096
• The Beat Of My Drum: An Autobiography (2005) (with a foreword by Joan Baez). Temple University Press ISBN 1592133541, ISBN 978-1592133543

Joan Chandos Baez (born January 9, 1941) is an American folk singer and songwriter known for her highly individual vocal style. ... For the private Christian university in Tennessee, see Tennessee Temple University. ...

References

• Reference to Starwood Festival appearance in poet Ray McNiece bio [2]

See also

• Polyrhythm

Polyrhythm is the simultaneous sounding of two or more independent rhythms. ...

External links

• Babatunde Olatunji's official website
• Second official website
• Babatunde Olatunji at the African Music Encyclopedia
• Babatunde Olatunji's personal page
• Salon Feature on Olatunji
• Interview with Olatunji, October 2000
• Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame article