Nigerian drummer and educator (1927?2003)
Babatunde Olatunji
|
---|
Birth name
| Michael Babatunde Olatunji
|
---|
Born
| (
1927-04-07
)
April 7, 1927
Ajido,
Lagos State
,
British Nigeria
|
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Died
| April 6, 2003
(2003-04-06)
(aged 75)
Salinas, California
|
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Genres
| Yoruba music
,
Apala
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Instrument(s)
| Drums, percussion,
djembe
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Years active
| 1959?2003
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Labels
| Columbia
,
CBS
,
Narada
,
Virgin
,
EMI
,
Chesky
|
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|
Website
| olatunjimusic
.com
|
---|
Musical artist
Michael Babatunde Olatunji
(April 7, 1927 ? April 6, 2003) was a Nigerian drummer,
educator
,
social activist
, and
recording artist
.
[1]
Early life
[
edit
]
Olatunji was born in the village of Ajido, near
Badagry
,
Lagos State
, in southwestern
Nigeria
. A member of the
Ogu people
, Olatunji was introduced to traditional African music at an early age. His name, Babatunde, means 'father has returned', because he was born two months after his father, Zannu, an Ogu (
Egun
) man, died. Olatunji was considered to be a
reincarnation
of him. His father was a local fisherman who was about to rise to the rank of
chieftain
, and his mother was a potter who was a member of the
Ogu people
. Olatunji grew up speaking the
Gun
(Ogu/Egun) and
Yoruba languages
. His maternal grandmother and a great-grandmother were priestesses of the
Vodun
and Ogu religions, and they worshipped the Vodun, such as Kori, the goddess of fertility.
[2]
[3]
Due to his father's premature death, from an early age he was groomed to take the position as chief. When he was 12, he realized that he did not want to become a chieftain. He read in
Reader's Digest
magazine about the
Rotary International
Foundation's scholarship program, and applied for it. His application was successful and he went to the United States in 1950 to attend Morehouse College.
Education
[
edit
]
Olatunji received a Rotary scholarship in 1950 and was educated at
Morehouse College
in
Atlanta, Georgia
, where he desired to, but never sang in the
Morehouse College Glee Club
. Olatunji was a good friend of Glee Club director Dr. Wendell P. Whalum and collaborated with him on a staple of the choir's repertoire, "Betelehemu", a Nigerian Christmas carol. 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.
[4]
Career
[
edit
]
After hearing Olatunji perform with the 66 piece
Radio City Music Hall
orchestra
Columbia Records
signed Olatunji to the Columbia label in 1958. One year later he released his first of six records on the Columbia label, called
Drums of Passion
.
[5]
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.
Olatunji won a following among
jazz
musicians, by infusing Nigerian rhythms with elements drawn from Ghanaian and Afro-Caribbean traditions. Most notably creating a strong relationship with
John Coltrane
, with whose help he founded the Olatunji Center for African Culture in
Harlem
. This was the site of Coltrane's final recorded performance in 1967. Coltrane wrote the composition "Tunji" on the 1962 album
Coltrane
in dedication to him. Olatunji recorded with many other prominent musicians (often credited as "Michael Olatunji"), including
Cannonball Adderley
(on his 1961
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
," recorded for the album
The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
.
[6]
He appeared in the second season episode "Olatunji ? An African in New York" of the CBC television show
Quest
broadcast May 6, 1962, a series which also starred Bob Dylan in an episode from March 10, 1964.
In 1969,
Carlos Santana
had a major hit with his cover version of "
Jin-go-lo-ba
" from Olatunji's first album, which Santana recorded on his 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 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
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 (1993).
Film and theatre
[
edit
]
Olatunji's most notable involvement comes from composing music for both the
Broadway
theatrical and the 1961 Hollywood film adaptations of Lorraine Hansberry's acclaimed play,
Raisin in the Sun
. Olatunji's musical compositions added a rich and evocative layer to these productions, enhancing the overall emotional impact of the storytelling. In 1986, he played a role in the creation of the soundtrack for
Spike Lee
's film,
She's Gotta Have It
.
Collaborating with renowned musician
Bill Lee
, Olatunji lent his expertise to the musical score, contributing to the film's cultural resonance and critical acclaim. His involvement in this project underscored his ability to seamlessly blend traditional African rhythms with contemporary sounds, creating a musical backdrop that complemented the narrative and resonated with audiences.
Furthermore, Olatunji's collaboration with Bill Lee on
She's Gotta Have It
exemplifies his commitment to fostering intergenerational musical partnerships. Assisting
Bill Lee
, and by extension, contributing to the success of
Spike Lee
's directorial debut, Olatunji showcased not only his musical prowess but also his ability to mentor and inspire emerging talents in the industry.
[7]
Activism
[
edit
]
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
Vaclav 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.
Teaching career
[
edit
]
Olatunji was a music educator, and invented a method of teaching and recording drum patterns which he called the "Gun-Dun, Go-Do, Pa-Ta" method after the different sounds made on the drum. He taught drum and dance workshops year-round starting in the late 1950s. Over the years he presented workshops nationally and internationally at colleges, universities, civic, cultural, and governmental organizations.
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, New York for many summers during Family week. He also taught at the
Esalen Institute
in California beginning in 1985.
Later life and death
[
edit
]
Starting in the late 1980s Olatunji had a resurgent late career with the release of recordings on the
Rykodisc
label,
Olatunji - Drums of Passion,The Invocation and
Olatunji - Drums of Passion, The Beat
. The 1990s brought further recordings with
Babatunde Olatunji, Healing Session, (
originally released as a limited edition cassette tape and later on CD in 2003), and
Drums of Passion - Freedom, Justice and Peace
.
The 1991 release on Rykodisc,
Planet Drum
, a collaboration with Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead, along with an all star line up of world renowned drummers, spent a record setting streak of weeks as the number 1 ranked recording on Billboard's Top World Music Album chart. Olatunji with the drumming ensemble supported the recording with a ten city national tour, playing sold out shows at such venues as Carnegie Hall. In 1994, a major box set compiling the complete Columbia Record recordings was issued by Bear Family Records. The 1997 recording, "Love Drum Talk", on the Chesky label, was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best World Beat Music.
Throughout the 1990s Olatunji's tour schedule more than doubled bringing Drums of Passion to events as far-flung as the International Peace University, Berlin, Kodo Drum Society of Japan, The National Cathedral of the United States of America, Ontario Anti-Racist Secretariat, Universita della Studi di Napoli, United Nations Hunger Project, along with an endless schedule of theater and club dates. During the 1990s Olatunji's educational workshops were presented by organizations associated with the human potential movement, such as Esalen Institute, Omega Institute
,
Hollyhock Farm, and organizations in Europe. In 1997, Olatunji was impresario for the Ghana Dance Ensemble, bringing the world famous performance 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 a short time, along with his roommate, Professor Akinsola Akiwowo. There he was assisted by Jaqui MacMillan and Chris Stewart, before he sold the house and moved to California. For the few years before his death Olatunji made his home at the wild
Big Sur
coastline. He became a scholar-in-residence at the
Esalen Institute
. During this time, he already suffered severely from
diabetes
and was assisted by Nora Arjuna, Leo Thompson, Jamie "Joriahna" Lee, and Leon Ryan until shortly before his death from
diabetes
in
Salinas, California
in 2003, one day before his 76th birthday. He was survived by his wife Amy, 3 children (Omotola Olatunji, Folashade Olatunji Olusekun, and Modupe Olatunji), 7 grandchildren, and a cousin, Akinsola Akiwowo.
[8]
[9]
Awards
[
edit
]
- Olatunji was part of Mickey Hart's Planet Drum projects, including the album
Planet Drum
, which won the
Grammy Award
for Best World Music Album of 1991, the first year for which the award was given.
[10]
- He was an inductee into the Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame in 2001.
[11]
Discography
[
edit
]
Albums
[
edit
]
- 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 to the Beat of My Drum
(
Bellaphon
, 1986)
- Drums of Passion: The Invocation
(
Rykodisc
, 1988)
- Drums of Passion: The Beat
(Rykodisc, 1989)
- Drums of Passion: Celebrate Freedom, Justice & Peace
(Olatunji, 1993)
- Drums of Passion and More
(
Bear Family
, 1994)
- Babatunde Olatunji, Healing Rhythms, Songs and 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
[
edit
]
- Olatunji and His Drums of Passion
(Video) (1986 Video Arts International) Recorded Live at Oakland Colisium 12/31/85
- Love Drum Talk
(Video) (1998, CHE, TMS, Chesky)
- African Drumming
(Instructional video) (2004, Interworld)
- Olatunji Live at Starwood
(DVD) (2005, ACE) Recorded Live at the
Starwood Festival
1997
As guest
[
edit
]
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 Common Ground
,
Herbie Mann
- 1964
Gainsbourg Percussions
,
Serge Gainsbourg
- 1977
Home in the 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
,
Crimson Glory
- 1995
Dance of the Rainbow Serpent
,
Carlos Santana
- 1997
Jazz 'Round Midnight
,
Quincy Jones
- 2000
The Rose That Grew from Concrete
,
2Pac
- 2019
History
,
Youssou N’Dour
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"The Nigerian drummer who set the beat for US civil rights"
.
BBC News
. 2020-09-01
. Retrieved
2020-09-05
.
- ^
Olatunji, Babatunde; Atkinson, Robert (2005).
The Beat of My Drum: An Autobiography
. Temple University Press.
ISBN
9781592133543
.
- ^
Martin, Andrew R.; Matthew Mihalka Ph, D. (30 September 2020).
Music around the World: A Global Encyclopedia [3 volumes]: A Global Encyclopedia
. Abc-Clio.
ISBN
9781610694995
.
- ^
"Babatunde Olatunji 1927 ? 2003"
. African Music Encyclopedia. May 2003.
Archived
from the original on June 5, 2011
. Retrieved
June 6,
2011
.
- ^
Gansinger, Martin A. M.; Kole, Ayman (2016).
"Nigerian Music and the Black Diaspora in the USA : African Identity, Black Power, and the Free Jazz of the 1960s"
.
philpapers.org
. Retrieved
2023-10-26
.
- ^
Dylan, Bob (2014).
The lyrics
. London: Simon & Schuster. p. 94.
ISBN
9781471137099
.
- ^
She's Gotta Have It (1986) - Soundtracks - IMDb
, retrieved
2023-10-26
- ^
"B. Olatunji, 75; He Showed Power of African Music"
.
Los Angeles Times
. 10 April 2003.
- ^
Pareles, Jon (9 April 2003).
"Babatunde Olatunji, Drummer, 76, Dies; Brought Power of African Music to U.S."
The New York Times
.
- ^
"The Grammy Winners",
New York Times
, February 27, 1992
- ^
"Hall of Fame"
. Archived from
the original
on November 17, 2009
. Retrieved
2010-02-16
.
Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame website
Bibliography
[
edit
]
- 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
- Foreword to "The Drummer's Path: Moving the Spirit with Ritual and Traditional Drumming" (1992) by Sule Greg Wilson, Destiny Books
ISBN
0-89281-359-8
- The Beat Of My Drum: An Autobiography
(2005) (with a foreword by
Joan Baez
).
Temple University
Press
ISBN
1-59213-354-1
,
ISBN
978-1-59213-354-3
External links
[
edit
]
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International
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National
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Artists
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Other
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