Sunday, April 13, 2003

A Special Rhino's Blog - Olatunji Passes QUOTE OF THE DAY Gun Go Do, Gun Go Do, Gun Go Do Go Do, Gun Pa Ta - - Babatunde Olatunji RHINO HERE: Babatunde Olatunji passed away earlier this week near Big Sur, California. Originally Michael Olatunji, he came to the United States from his native Nigeria with plans to become a diplomatic ambassador. He used to tell the story of being asked by so many Americans if Africans still carried spears and slept in trees, that he realized a lot more education was needed than could be accomplished as a Nigerian government official. So he formed an African cultural troupe that traveled the U.S. inspiring audiences with traditional drumming and dancing. He founded an African Cultural Center in New York City and traveled the world teaching peace, love and music. I was fortunate to have interviewed him several times and shot video of 2 of his performances. Having been a trap drummer since a kid, I was enamored of his passion about what he called "the evocative power of the drum". He turned me on to the djimbe drum in 1985 and those who know me well know it's been my instrument of choice ever since. He had a wonderfully simple way of teaching people to play hand drums. It was based on just 5 sounds which he called GUN, GO-DO, & PA-TA. I have used that method to teach literally hundreds of friends & relatives that if you have a heart beating inside you, then you too have rhythm enough to be a drummer. I last saw Baba in December of 1999 in Capetown South Africa where he drummed and sang the opening invocation for The Parliament Of The World's Religions. Video of that performance will be included in my next documentary being released this fall entitled, America's Shadow Struggle; Native American Religious Freedom In The New Millennium ANNOUNCEMENT OF BABA'S MEMORIAL TO BE HELD THIS TUESDAY NIGHT IN SAN RAFAEL, CA http://www.olatunjimusic.com/memorial.html BABA's WEBSITE http://www.olatunjimusic.com/ "RHINO'S BLOG" is the responsibility of Gary Rhine. (rhino@kifaru.com) Feedback, and requests to be added or deleted from the list are encouraged. SEARCH BLOG ARCHIVES / SURF RHINO'S LINKS, AT: http://www.rhinosblog.info RHINO'S OTHER WEB SITES: http://www.dreamcatchers.org (INDIGENOUS ASSISTANCE & INTERCULTURAL DIALOG) http://www.kifaru.com (NATIVE AMERICAN RELATIONS VIDEO DOCUMENTARIES) Articles are reprinted under Fair Use Doctrine of international copyright law. http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html All copyrights belong to original publisher. 8:35:18 AM    comment

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