I saw and met Baba Olatunji in 1963 at the University of Penn Museum when I was 9 years old. He performed for the African Student Union of which my mother was an honorary member. I was the only child in attendance. I was so excited to meet him! I couldn't wait to tell my classmates the next day, but they didn't have a clue who he was or anything about Africa and laughed at me. My mom said they couldn't help it because they were brainwashed against anything African. So true. I play his Drums of Passion album every week. I need to hear his drums. It replenishes my soul. It was the first African music most African Americans heard back in the 1960s.
My parents took us to see Baba Olatunji when he came to our town in the early 1970s. We were mad at them at first because our friends were going to see the Ice Capades in Philadelphia instead. Then he and his drummers began to play, and the dancers began to dance, and the singers began to sing and I thank my parents to THIS DAY that they put their foot down. There was fire on that stage both poetic and literal!
When I was a child in Harlem New York City, I had attended many of Baba Olatunji concerts and the passion of his drums still connect me to my ancestors...
Saw Olatunji at the World's Fair in 1964 in the African tent a number of times ~ for free! I worked at the Fair. I was a young fellow up from Florida. What a liberating revelation!!
Chucho Valdes once said ( in an interview for french tv) afro-cuban rythms are a Yoruba inheritance but only 20 % of original rythms remains in cuban music.Odunde is a very good example for what do not remain....african rythms are just amazing. Bossa Nova musicians also knows from were came their 3 structural rythms..from Angola. God Bless you Baba and rest in peace. Thanks for sharing.
I was at this show, New Year's Eve with the Drums of Passion, the Neville Brothers, and the good old grateful Dead. I was about 60 feet from the stage and just left of center. Of many, many high evenings, this was one of the best and highest, and no small thanks to the Drums of Passion. We was really out there, baby.
Baba came to Cotati Cabaret in 1986. Small venue so they started in the parking lot and marched in to this song. I was blown away. One of the best night of my life. Thanks Baba.
I saw Baba perform in December at S.O.B.'s in NYC in celebration of Kwanzaa. I'm still trying to figure out how a stilt dancer came up the stairs from the lower level. The show was incredible and spiritual. We always play this song and play our drums whenever we have celebration on a new addition to the family in tribute to The Creator and Our Ancestors. Rest In Power Baba!!! Thank you for sharing Mother Africa with the world! One Love
Baba we miss you here on this Earth! I had the honor and privilege of experiencingBabatunje and his Drummers at Omega Institute for Holistic Studies in Rhinebeck, NY about 40 years ago and his incredible drum energy changed my life forever. Thank you Baba🙏🏻✨✨✨✨❤️. Odunde...❌⭕️🌞
I had an audience recording of this performance when I just started trading Dead tapes; I played the hell out of this recording. 8 months later I was in a West African drumming class led by a master drummer from Ghana. I got to see Olatunji as part of hte Planet Drum tour in 1991; they had to carry him on and off the stage, but MAN ,what a presence. Though I never met him, Olatunji changed my life with this performance.
