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You Can’t Beat Olatunji, so Join Him

We end this week’s deep dive into Nigeria with Babatunde Olatunji, whose “Drums of Passion” brought African rhythmic drumming to an international audience for decades.

Babatunde Olatunji traveled the world as an ambassador for the powerful music of his native Nigeria, inspiring generations of percussionists. One of his most-widely known songs is his performance of “Akiwowo.”

We had grand fun in Nigeria. Next week we head to Central Africa where we meet two Congos.

Drums Talk, We Listen

Want to talk with Nigerian master percussionist Ayan Bisi Adeleke? Pick up a drum….

The “talking drum,” most widely known in Nigeria as the “dundun,” is a West African hourglass drum a percussionist can manipulate to mimic a human voice, giving it a way to “talk.” The drummer does this by constricting the ropes that run along its sides to tighten or loosen the drum head and by using a mallet to hit the head in particular ways to elicit particular sounds. This is as cool as it sounds.