Michael Babatunde Olatunji 1927-2003

Michael Babatunde Olatunji 1927-2003

Baba Olatunji - Obituary and New York City Memorial Service

Schedule of Events for the Celebration of the Life of M. Babatunde Olatunji.

Sunday, April 27, 2003 There will be a procession from the former site of the:Olatunji Center of African Culture, 125th Street & Madison Avenue, NYC
Assemble at 1:00PM
Procession begins at 2PM
We will mark the occasion and honor Baba with drums, songs and dance, accompanying the hearse, going west along 125th street to the:
Unity Funeral Chapels, Inc.
2352 8th Avenue (corner of 126th Street) NYC

The viewing will begin once the procession arrives at Unity until 6:30PM AND the participants will continue a few blocks south and east to Marcus Garvey Park in Harlem and drum and dance until…

Monday, April 28, 2003
The Riverside Church
490 Riverside Drive (off 120th Street)
NYC

Viewing 9AM
Service 11AM
Reception 1 PM at Grant's tomb which is adjacent to the church. Follow the sound of the drums!

Charitable contributions can be made to the:
Olatunji International School for Life Learning, Inc (tax deductible) P.O. Box 250224 Brooklyn, NY 11225-0224
Thank you in advance for your support and participation in the above listed ceremonies.
The Olatunji Family

Contributed with love and respect by Boo Lynn Walsh, Associate Editor, Afropop NYC Selected Concerts and Events

Photos courtesy of The African Music Encyclopedia http://africanmusic.org/ and Primal Beat Percussions

A premier musical ambassador of African music Michael Babatunde Olatunji, passed over to the ancestors on Sunday, April 6, 2003, one day before his 76th birthday, from diabetic complications, in California where he lived at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur for the past few years. He is survived by his wife, Amy Bush, one son, two daughters, many grandchildren, nieces and nephews, with family here and in Nigeria including his best friend and cousin Professor Akiwowo, as well as a world of devoted friends and fans.

On Sunday, April 13th, Mickey Hart and Bill Graham Presents hosted a free event to celebrate the life of Babatunde Olatunji at Lagoon Park on the Marin County Fairgrounds in San Fransico, called "Celebrate Life in Rhythm", this event featured the following artists:Mickey Hart, Sikiru Adepoju, Bobby Vega, Hamza El Din, Bobi Cespedes, Arthur Hull with Village Music Circles, Remo Belli and special guests.

His was a life well lived. Olatunji, with over 3,000 performances to his credit, accumulated numerous awards and accolades. A few of his outstanding achievements include being presented with The Key to New York City from Mayor Ed Koch and several honorary degrees, leading the World Drummers March for Peace at the National Black Arts Festival and having a pre-recorded positive message begin the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta. In 2002 he opened the ceremonies and was inducted in The National Black Sports and Entertainment Hall of Fame in Harlem. He was featured in the WTBS television special "The Arc of the Spirit" with Avery Brooks as well as several other related films and videos. Babatunde Olatunji's autobiography is projected to be published by Temple University Press in the near future.
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Baba Olatunji's artistic, cultural, and spiritual contributions have left an indelible mark. A lifetime dedicated to drumming, dancing and singing traditional songs from Africa, as well as his personal compositions expressing a sincere personal commitment to peace, love and respect for the world will continue to resonate. He was truly a remarkable individual with an indomidable spirit and far-reaching vision that he shared generously.
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He was a charismatic, gifted idealist born in the village of Ajido, Nigeria in 1927 who originally came to America in the mid-fifties on a Rotary Scholarship, studying first at Morehouse College and then at New York University Graduate School of Public Administration. A humanist, he focused on diplomacy studying political science, sociology, and psychology disciplines. A son of a fisherman, Olatunji had accomplished beyond the expectations of his humble beginnings, but he never forgot his beloved Yoruba spirituality and Motherland.

Olatunji listened to the drumbeat in his heart. World music critic J. Poet describes Olatunji's contributions by stating that "He planted a seed that gave birth to the whole interest in African music in the United States."
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He enthusiastically shared and taught others about African culture, creating a talented troupe of singers, dancers, and drummers and bringing a dazzling 66-piece orchestra African Fantasia to Radio City Music Hall! Olatunji continued taking the world by storm in 1957 by recording the first African song and drum album, in stereo, Drums of Passion which remains a fresh, energetic classic.
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Olatunji had a special affection for New York City and America, loving the energy and diversity of the people here. In the late 1960's he founded the Center for African Culture in Harlem where he continued to inspire and teach generations of dancers and drummers including directing and performing in two bands and a professional Drums of Passion dance troupe. The list of people he's played with over the years would fill this page, to mention but a few of his most famous students and co-musicians include Carlos Santana, John Coltrane, Tony Vacca, Madou Dembele, Sanga of the Valley (Anthony Francis), Sikiru Adepoju, Gordy Ryan, James Cherry, Arthur Hull, Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart who co-founded the musical troupe Planet Drum with Olatunji and credits him as a major influence. They shared credit for the the Best World Music Album Grammy Award in 1991 for the CD Planet Drum.

Olatunji's music infused the African American people with a significant sense of cultural pride. He drummed at civil rights rallies along side Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcom X and Nelson Mandela, but his musical activism also crossed racial identities as Mickey Hart stated, "He got us white folks into the magical music of Africa. It was irresistible." In 1993 Baba was awarded the All One Tribe Drumming Education Award for his commitment to children, interracial harmony and education. In 1996, cultural ambasador Baba Olatunji manifested another of his goals by inviting thousands of drummers to congregate at the Washington Monument, prior to Clinton's Presidential Election to participate in Drum Dance and Pray for Peace. Spearheaded and managed by a long-term friend Mary Durbano of The Golden Group, she explained, "Its mission, according to Baba, was to remind our leaders through this social action gathering, that worldwide peace is our priority and to bless this invocation as we move into the next millennium."

Olatunji, a unique phenomenon by any measure, continued to tour, sing, teach and perform into his seventies. He was seriously commanding and at the same time a merry trickster who loved to laugh and tease. People have been so inspired by his melodic, strong voice, irresistible charismatic personality and hypnotic percussiveness and commitment to the healing power of the drum that Baba became the "godfather" of the contemporary communal drum circles that have become extremely popular social and musical gatherings worldwide during which people joyfully sing, dance and drum the classic "Baba songs." For Baba, it was not about being "the best" drummer, singer or dancer, what elated him was that people participated from the heart. Thousands of people worldwide were called forward at the call of his drum and embraced his simple message of LOVE. There are abundant websites in many languages documenting his enormous contribution to the collective drumming community. Here are just a few:
olatunjimusic.com
drums.org
spiritofthearts.org/news.html
mickeyhart.net

Baba Olatunji recorded with numerous artists over five decades, as well as releasing several CD's including Healing Rhythms Songs and Chants and the digitally remastered classic that tingles with his effervescent live performances Olatunji Master of the Drum, forerunner of Drums of Passion. His last CD released in 1997, Love Drum Talk was nominated for a Grammy Award… but his greatest gift to us is his love and commitment to creating a world of people that sing, dance, and make music together.

As Baba expounds in the linear notes of one of his many CDs: "Positive thoughts, positive affirmations, positive prayers and the compelling rhythms of these recordings will help align our minds with the constant flow of the cosmic process so that we can consistently and consciously think speak, walk, and act in harmony with it. Be sure that you are not driving a car or operating any kind of machinery when you are listening to this music."

Ashe!

As you know the cost associated with the above mentioned services as well as the transportation and grand funeral in Africa are immense and a contribution is not only traditional but a necessity. If you wish to make a contribution gift for Baba Olatunji you may do so directly at the funeral services or if unable to attend please read below. Afropop is not affiliated with the organization(s) or individual(s) below and lists this information as a courtesy.
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Olatunji International School for Life Learning, Inc (tax deductible)
P.O. Box 250224
Brooklyn, NY 11225-0224