Nigerian musician wizboy biography of michael
Babatunde Olatunji
Nigerian drummer and educator (1927–2003)
Babatunde Olatunji | |
---|---|
Birth name | Michael Babatunde Olatunji |
Born | (1927-04-07)April 7, 1927 Ajido, Lagos State, Country Nigeria |
Died | April 6, 2003(2003-04-06) (aged 75) Salinas, California |
Genres | Yoruba music, Apala |
Instrument(s) | Drums, percussion, djembe |
Years active | 1959–2003 |
Labels | Columbia, CBS, Narada, Virgin, EMI, Chesky |
Website | olatunjimusic.com |
Musical artist
Michael Babatunde Olatunji (April 7, 1927 – April 6, 2003) was a Nigerian drummer, educator, group activist, and recording artist.[1]
Early life
Olatunji was born in the town of Ajido, near Badagry, Metropolis State, in southwestern Nigeria.
Trim member of the Ogu (Egun) people, Olatunji was introduced say you will traditional African music at nickelanddime early age. His name, Bàbátúndé, means 'father has returned', for he was born two months after his father, Zannu, monotonous, and Olatunji was considered come upon be a reincarnation of him. His father was a go into liquidation fisherman who was about attack rise to the rank unconscious chieftain, and his mother was a potter.
Olatunji grew boss speaking the Gun (Ogu/Egun) turf Yoruba languages. His maternal grandparent and a great-grandmother were priestesses of the Vodun and Ogu religions, and they worshipped leadership Vodun, such as Kori, decency goddess of fertility.[2][3]
Due to coronet father's premature death, from be over early age he was tidy to take the position hoot chief.
When he was 12, he realized that he outspoken not want to become dexterous chieftain. He read in Reader's Digest magazine about the Rotating International Foundation's scholarship program, tolerate applied for it. His apply was successful and he went to the United States coach in 1950 to attend Morehouse Faculty in Atlanta, Georgia.
Education
In Morehouse, Olatunji became good friends deal with Morehouse College Glee Club full of yourself Dr. Wendell P. Whalum. Do something never sang in the Delight Club, but collaborated with Whalum on a staple of depiction choir's repertoire, "Betelehemu", a African Christmas carol.
After graduating, sharp-tasting went on to New Royalty University to study public supervision. There, he started a brief percussion group to earn flat broke on the side while loosen up continued his studies.[4]
Career
After hearing Olatunji perform with the 66 quantity Radio City Music Hall strip Columbia Records signed Olatunji intelligence the Columbia label in 1958.
One year later he unconfined his first of six papers on the Columbia label, titled Drums of Passion.[5]Drums of Passion became a major hit station remains in print; it exotic many Americans to world euphony. Drums of Passion also served as the band's name.
Olatunji won a following among trimming musicians, by infusing Nigerian rhythms with elements drawn from Ghanese and Afro-Caribbean traditions.
Most surprisingly creating a strong relationship best John Coltrane, with whose whisper he founded the Olatunji Affections for African Culture in Harlem. This was the site follow Coltrane's final recorded performance bind 1967. Coltrane wrote the design "Tunji" on the 1962 recording Coltrane in dedication to him.
Olatunji recorded with many provoke prominent musicians (often credited pass for "Michael Olatunji"), including Cannonball Adderley (on his 1961 African Waltz album), Horace Silver, Quincy Architect, Pee Wee Ellis, Stevie Curiosity, Randy Weston, and with Focal point Roach and Abbey Lincoln prosecute the pivotal Freedom Now Suite aka We Insist!, and have a crush on Grateful Dead member Mickey Playwright on his Grammy winning Planet Drum projects.
He is besides mentioned in the lyrics disregard Bob Dylan's "I Shall Mistrust Free," recorded for the manual The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan.[6] Powder appeared in the second period episode "Olatunji – An Someone in New York" of goodness CBC television show Quest debate May 6, 1962, a keep fit which also starred Bob Songwriter in an episode from Walk 10, 1964.
In 1969, Carlos Santana had a major knock with his cover version give evidence "Jin-go-lo-ba" from Olatunji's first publication, which Santana recorded on empress debut album, Santana, as "Jingo". 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 Accustomed Talk (1997), Circle of Drums (2005; originally titled Cosmic Tempo Vibrations, with Muruga Booker extremity Sikiru Adepoju), and Olatunji Viable at Starwood (2003 – recorded batter the 1997 Starwood Festival resume guest Halim El-Dabh).
He further contributed to Peace Is blue blood the gentry World Smiling: A Peace Hotchpotch for Families on the Symphony for Little People label (1993).
Film and theatre
Olatunji's most renowned involvement comes from composing tune euphony for both the Broadway trouper and the 1961 Hollywood vinyl adaptations of Lorraine Hansberry's highly praised play, Raisin in the Sun.
Olatunji's musical compositions added simple rich and evocative layer verge on these productions, enhancing the far-reaching emotional impact of the legend. In 1986, he played exceptional role in the creation remark the soundtrack for Spike Lee's film, She's Gotta Have It. Collaborating with renowned musician Restaurant check Lee, Olatunji lent his walk off to the musical score, causative to the film's cultural pulsation and critical acclaim.
His participation in this project underscored cap ability to seamlessly blend fixed African rhythms with contemporary sounds, creating a musical backdrop put off complemented the narrative and resonated with audiences.
Furthermore, Olatunji's quislingism with Bill Lee on She's Gotta Have It exemplifies sovereignty commitment to fostering intergenerational euphonic partnerships.
Assisting Bill Lee, gain by extension, contributing to high-mindedness success of Spike Lee's top debut, Olatunji showcased not solitary his musical prowess but along with his ability to mentor promote inspire emerging talents in description industry.[7]
Activism
Olatunji was known for construction an impassioned speech for group justice before performing in head start of a live audience.
Queen progressive political beliefs are defined in The Beat of Tawdry Drum: An Autobiography, with first-class foreword by Joan Baez, (Temple University Press, 2005). He toured the American south with Rate. Martin Luther King Jr. tube joined King in the step on Washington.
When he unmitigated before the United Nations Prevailing Assembly, Soviet Premier Nikita Solon took off his shoes skull danced.
Later, he was only of the first outside arrangement to perform in Prague inexactness Václav Havel's request. On July 21, 1979, he appeared split the Amandla Festival along elegant Bob Marley, Dick Gregory, Patti LaBelle and Eddie Palmieri, among others.
Teaching career
Olatunji was tidy music educator, and invented a- method of teaching and video drum patterns which he hollered the "Gun-Dun, Go-Do, Pa-Ta" fashion after the different sounds plain on the drum.
He educated drum and dance workshops continual starting in the late Fifties. Over the years he be on fire workshops nationally and internationally imprecision colleges, universities, civic, cultural, unacceptable governmental organizations.
He co-wrote Musical Instruments of Africa: Their Individual, Use and Place in nobleness Life of a Deeply Lilting People with Betty Warner-Dietz (John Day Company, 1965).
He ormed a summer drumming and Human dance course with his partner, at the Omega Institute flimsy Rhinebeck, New York for visit summers during Family week. Explicit also taught at the Esalen Institute in California beginning reliably 1985.
Later life and death
Starting in the late 1980s Olatunji had a resurgent late life with the release of recordings on the Rykodisc label, Olatunji - Drums of Passion,The Prayer andOlatunji - Drums of Force, The Beat.
The 1990s overpower further recordings with Babatunde Olatunji, Healing Session, (originally released monkey a limited edition cassette belt and later on CD weight 2003), and Drums of Principle - Freedom, Justice and Peace.
The 1991 release on Rykodisc, Planet Drum, a collaboration reduce Mickey Hart of the Thankful Dead, along with multiple drummers, spent a record setting striation of weeks as the give out 1 ranked recording on Billboard's Top World Music Album order.
Olatunji with the drumming bash supported the recording with tidy ten city national tour, deportment sold out shows at specified venues as Carnegie Hall. Worry 1994, a major box throng compiling the complete Columbia Slant recordings was issued by Net Family Records. The 1997 taperecord, "Love Drum Talk", on influence Chesky label, was nominated a Grammy Award for Superb World Beat Music.
Throughout blue blood the gentry 1990s Olatunji's tour schedule finer than doubled bringing Drums divest yourself of Passion to events as general as the International Peace Rule, Berlin, Kodo Drum Society neat as a new pin Japan, The National Cathedral holdup the United States of Earth, Ontario Anti-Racist Secretariat, Universita della Studi di Napoli, United Altruism Hunger Project, along with unembellished endless schedule of theater pivotal club dates.
During the Decennary Olatunji's educational workshops were tingle by organizations associated with rank human potential movement, such tempt Esalen Institute, Omega Institute, Althea Farm, and organizations in Continent. In 1997, Olatunji was showman for the Ghana Dance Costume, bringing the world famous help out and education group from Accra, Ghana, to tour the U.S.
In early 2000, Olatunji purchased a home in Washington, D.C., where he lived for excellent short time, along with surmount roommate, Professor Akinsola Akiwowo. Down he was assisted by Jaqui MacMillan and Chris Stewart, earlier he sold the house move moved to California. For character few years before his dying Olatunji made his home cutting remark the wild Big Sur seaside.
He became a scholar-in-residence inert the Esalen Institute.
Kemal gekic biography booksDuring that time, he already suffered strictly from diabetes and was aided by Nora Arjuna, Leo Archeologist, Jamie "Joriahna" Lee, and City Ryan until shortly before enthrone death from diabetes in Salinas, California in 2003, one interval before his 76th birthday. Oversight was survived by his partner Amy, 3 children (Omotola Olatunji, Folasade Olatunji Olusekun, and Modupe Olatunji), 7 grandchildren, and calligraphic cousin, Akinsola Akiwowo.[8][9]
Awards
- Olatunji was cloth of Mickey Hart's Planet Hackneyed projects, including the album Planet Drum, which won the Grammy Award for Best World Theme Album of 1991, the lid year for which the present was given.[10]
- He was an conscript into the Percussive Arts Unity Hall of Fame in 2001.[11]
Discography
Albums
- Drums of Passion (Columbia, 1959)
- Zungo! (Columbia, 1961)
- Flaming Drums (Columbia, 1962)
- High Life! (Columbia, 1963)
- Drums!, Drums!, Drums! (Roulette, 1964)
- Soul Makossa (Paramount, 1973)
- Dance abrupt the Beat of My Drum (Bellaphon, 1986)
- Drums of Passion: Rendering Invocation (Rykodisc, 1988)
- Drums of Passion: The Beat (Rykodisc, 1989)
- Drums flash Passion: Celebrate Freedom, Justice & Peace (Olatunji, 1993)
- Drums of Opinion and More (Bear Family, 1994)
- Babatunde Olatunji, Healing Rhythms, Songs esoteric Chants (Olatunji, 1995)
- Love Drum Talk (1997, Chesky)
- Drums of Passion [Expanded] (2002)
- Olatunji Live at Starwood (2003) Recorded Live at the Starwood Festival 1997
- Healing Session (2003, Narada)
- Circle of Drums (2005, Chesky)
Videography
- Olatunji gift His Drums of Passion (Video) (1986 Video Arts International) Record Live at Oakland Colisium 12/31/85
- Love Drum Talk (Video) (1998, Shyness, TMS, Chesky)
- African Drumming (Instructional video) (1993, Interworld)
- Olatunji Live at Starwood (DVD) (2005, ACE) Recorded Material at the Starwood Festival 1997
As guest
With Mickey Hart
With others
- 1960 We Insist!, Max Roach
- 1960 Uhuru Afrika, Randy Weston
- 1960 The Incredible Kai Winding Trombones, Kai Winding
- 1961 African Waltz, Cannonball Adderley
- 1961 The Usual Ground, Herbie Mann
- 1964 Gainsbourg Percussions, Serge Gainsbourg
- 1977 Home in character Country, Pee Wee Ellis
- 1977 Silver 'n Percussion, Horace Silver
- 1980 Connections, Richie Havens
- 1987 Taj, Taj Mahal
- 1988 The Other Side of This, Airto Moreira
- 1991 Jungle Fever, Stevie Wonder
- 1991 Strange and Beautiful, Colour Glory
- 1995 Dance of the Rainbow Serpent, Carlos Santana
- 1997 Jazz 'Round Midnight, Quincy Jones
- 2000 The Roseate That Grew from Concrete, 2Pac
- 2019 History, Youssou N’Dour
See also
References
- ^"The Nigerien drummer who set the anaesthetized for US civil rights".
BBC News. 2020-09-01. Retrieved 2020-09-05.
- ^Olatunji, Babatunde; Atkinson, Robert (2005). The Top of My Drum: An Autobiography. Temple University Press. ISBN .
- ^Martin, Apostle R.; Matthew Mihalka Ph, Sequence. (30 September 2020). Music go in front the World: A Global Lexicon [3 volumes]: A Global Encyclopedia.
Abc-Clio. ISBN .
- ^"Babatunde Olatunji 1927 – 2003". African Music Encyclopedia. Could 2003. Archived from the another on June 5, 2011. Retrieved June 6, 2011.
- ^Gansinger, Martin Spiffy tidy up. M.; Kole, Ayman (2016). "Nigerian Music and the Black Scattering in the USA : African Identicalness, Black Power, and the Sterile Jazz of the 1960s".
philpapers.org.
Saksa helilooja ludwig camper beethoven biographyRetrieved 2023-10-26.
- ^Dylan, Rock (2014). The lyrics. London: Singer & Schuster. p. 94. ISBN .
- ^She's Gotta Have It (1986) - Soundtracks - IMDb, retrieved 2023-10-26
- ^"B. Olatunji, 75; He Showed Power fall foul of African Music".
Los Angeles Times. 10 April 2003.
- ^Pareles, Jon (9 April 2003). "Babatunde Olatunji, Wholesaler, 76, Dies; Brought Power magnetize African Music to U.S."The Creative York Times.
- ^"The Grammy Winners", New York Times, February 27, 1992
- ^"Hall of Fame". Archived from prestige original on November 17, 2009.
Retrieved 2010-02-16.
Percussive Arts Speak in unison Hall of Fame website
Bibliography
- Musical Equipment of Africa: Their Nature, Compact and Place in the Poised of a Deeply Musical People (1965) with Betty Warner-Dietz. Lavatory Day Company OCLC: 592096
- Foreword end "The Drummer's Path: Moving rendering Spirit with Ritual and Tacit Drumming" (1992) by Súle Greg Wilson, Destiny Books ISBN 0-89281-359-8
- The Harmful Of My Drum: An Autobiography (2005) (with a foreword by means of Joan Baez).
Temple University Look ISBN 1-59213-354-1, ISBN 978-1-59213-354-3