" folder in the same directory.

Babatunde Olatunji

Interview by Jason Gross (October 2000)

Thirty-two years ago, African music made a huge dent
into the Western market. Nigerian drummer Babatunde Olatunji's ensemble
heard on Drums of Passion not only was released on a major label
but became a top 10 record in America. Though it was many decades this
occurred before the 'world music' explosion, it shouldn't have been that
much of a surprise that this comparatively minimal music would make such
an impact in the States. Even at that time, folklorists and historians
had recognized the enormous debt that homegrown styles like blues and jazz
owed to African music and its rhythms.

Olatunji was much more than a gifted, groundbreaking
artist. By the time that his music was making the charts, he was also making
the lecture circuit, going around colleges to talk about African culture.
He also decided to create his own arts center to promote the work of other
musicians and teach young people about music. His work schedule was punishing
but Olatunji was tireless: from 1968 to 1982, he taught at Roxbury (Massachusetts)
two days a week then teaching two days a week a class at Kent State and
then traveling back to New York for the weekends to teach at his own school.

His quest has spanned to today and found him many
musicians as supporters (and collaborators) of his work, including John
Coltrane, Carlos Santana, Taj Mahal and the Grateful Dead. His latest album,
Love
Drum Talk (on Chesky,
1997) earned him a Grammy nomination and a new generation of admirers.
I met Olatunji in April 1999 to talk about the span of his career.

Special thanks to Olatunji enthusiast Maureen 'Moe'
Tucker for her encouragement.

2003 update: Sad news as Baba passed away in California on April 6th at the age of 76 from diabetes. He will be missed and he will be remembered.

PSF: Before you came to America, when you were growing
up in Nigeria, how did your interests and studies with music begin?

I grew up in a village where music was a way of life