UNVEILING BABATUNDE OLATUNJI
Born in Ajido, Badagry Local Government Area of Lagos State in 1927, his father was a local fisherman and the mother a potter. Drumming in the life of Ogu people of Badagry Local Government constitutes a significant phenomenon in the mores and ethos of the community.
Drumming has become ingrained in the people’s cultural life that hardly can one tie life essence of an Ogu person be said to be complete without the invocatory influence of the drum, from the period he/she is born, during his/her marriage and death, during which drumming conclude all the necessary funeral rites. Therefore, it was only natural when Babatunde Olatunji took to drumming at the early stage of his life.
EDUCATION
In his teens, he attended Baptist School in Lagos. In 1950, he won a rotary scholarship to study in Morehouse College in Atlanta Georgia. After graduating from Morehouse, he went to New York University to study Public Administration.
There, he started a small percussion group to earn more money while he continued his studies. He started playing African music at the University social gatherings and gave drumming demonstration at both black and white churches across Atlanta.
MUSICAL CAREER
After listening to Olatunji’s musical performance on the City Radio, Columbia records signed Olatunji to the Columbia label in 1957. He released the first of his six records on the Columbia label called Drum of Passion. Drum of Passion became a major hit and remains in print, it introduced many Americans to world music.
Olatunji recorded with many prominent American musicians, including Quincy Jones, Stevie Wonder, Randy Weston, James Brown, Mickey Hart on his Grammy award winning “Planet Drum.” He also recorded with Carlos Santana on his hit album “Jingo.” He was a pioneer drummer releasing 17 studio albums.
He performed at United Nations General Assembly where the Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev records shocked and danced. Later he was one of the few black artistes to perform in Prague. On July 21, 1979 he was part of Amanda festival with Bob Marley, Dede Gregory, Patti LaBelle and Eddie Pelmer, among others.