What I want to know, Mr. Football Man, is What do you do about Willy Mays, Martin Luther King, Olatunji?
Died at the age of 75, April 6, 2003.
Sister Ray (raygin@netcom.com):
What Bob Dylan song references the African musician who sold the most
records ever in America in 1962? What is the African musicians name?
x?
Actually, it turns out that it is Babatunde Olatunji. He's mentioned in
"I Shall Be Free" on Freewheelin'. He's an old, old African drummer.
Probably his most famous record is called Drums Of Passion or Drums of
Freedom or something like that.
nates@ll.mit.edu (Nate Smith):
...Olatunji was a current African musician back then, along with Odetta and others.
My wife and I study with him at least once a year, and due directly to his teaching of drumming, Yoruba songs, and dance, we have helped to create a large community of drumming and dancing in the SF Bay Area. His 1959 album was called Drums of Passion, not Drums of Freedom or something like that.
Interesting that Dylan mentioned him in the same breath as Martin Luther King. Olatunji marched with King to Washington. I don't think the Say-Hey kid was there, though.
If you ever get the chance to see one of Olatunji's shows, don't miss it.
Some people would also know Olatunji by Santana's booming cover of his song "Jingo."
Jingo Jingo lo ba Jingo Jingo lo ba Jingo Jingo lo ba Jingo Jingo lo ba Go ba ba Go ba ba Go ba ba Go ba ...Oh, yes. Odetta was born in Birmingham, Alabama, not Africa.
Date: Thu, 31 Aug 1995 14:17:41 EDT
From: Paul Schnee (Paul.Schnee@DARTMOUTH.EDU)
Subject: Babatunde Olatunji
--- Alan Robock wrote:
Yes, Olatunji is an African drummer,
--- end of quoted material ---
For those interested in world/Afrobeat music, the work of Babatunde Olatunji
are an absolute must. The Nigerian drummer recorded a set called "Drums of
Passion" for Columbia in 1959 (!), which actually charted (unheared of, I
believe, at the time for a record of traditional chanting and drumming) and
supposedly piqued Coltrane's interest in African culture. "Drums of Passion"
_is_ available on CD only on the magnificent Bear Family label from Germany--4
CDs, pricey pricey pricey, but astoundingly remastered and with Bear Family's
usual incredible liner notes booklet (all orignial session info, photos, etc.)
There are also two more recent discs on Ryko, also called "Drums of Passion,"
one titled "Drums of Passion: The Beat" and another "Drums of Passion:
Invocation." I have all three titles, but recommend the Bear Family set if
your pockets are deep. (You can get it from CDNow! online). In fact, I'm a Bear
Family freak and have skipped a utility payment here and there to buy one of
their sets. They are definitely the most complete, best remastered and packaged
sets around. Mostly _old_ ("real") country. Amazing stuff, and good material
for those interested in Bob and/or roots music influences: Jimmie Rodgers,
Flatt and Scruggs, Johnny Cash (back when), Faron Young, and the almighty
Louvin Brothers and more. All worth every penny. Let's hope they do a "Bootleg
Series" box the _right_ way at some point...
Date: Thu, 31 Aug 1995 15:22:54 GMT
From: "Sorabh Saxena; Masters" (ssaxena@COE1.ENGR.UMBC.EDU)
Subject: Re: Olatunge?
I was at a performance by, amongst many others, Babatunje (sp?) Olatunge
at the Madison Square Garden, NYC last friday, the 25th of August.
The concert was organized by the Bharatiya Vidhya Bhavan (literal
translation would mean something like, " Indian Knowledge Home")
to pay homage to the United Nations on the occasion of their
50th anniversary.
Since the crystal ball didn't inform me about the upcoming thread
on Olatunge before I went for the show, information provided on
him will be mostly sketchy.
Babatunje Olatunge was the 4th or 5th act on an evening which was,
to say the least, star studded. There were in all, 15 acts scheduled,
with artists like Zakir Hussain, L. Shankar, Peter Gabriel's bass player
(forget his name...is it Tony Levin?), Kathak performers, a Spanish band,
a soul/blues band, to mention a few.
Babatunje Olatunge came along with a band of drummers and percussionists --
I am sorry but I am not knowledgeable enough to give you the exact names
of all the instruments. He started of by stressing on the importance
of peace, love and care -- a common theme for the evening -- but his
voice was full of sincerity, and passion. He narrated about his troubled
experiences when he was growing up in Nigeria (I am not 100% sure if it
was Nigeria), how life was so very difficult for him and his family. He
talked about his music school which he established in the 60's in Harlem
to promote peace through music, and then he and his band went on to
play a haunting and reverberating rythm, while African women adorned the
stage with a rustic and raw dance performance. By hte end of it all, the
crowd was singing/humming along the barebone snarls that Olatunge was
emanating. Quite a moving performance which lasted for 15-20 minutes.
He was also presented with one of the three awards that were presented
that night by the former Indian Presdent, Mr. R. Venkataraman. Incidentally,
another one of the awards was given to Mike Love of the Beach Boys!
My apologies to the uninterested.
Subject: Re: Olatunji in California
From: catherine yronwode (cat@luckymojo.com)
Date: Sat, 28 Jun 1997 10:43:08 -0800
Ben Taylor wrote:
>
> "I Shall Be Free":
>
> Oh, I set me down on a television floor,
> I flipped the channel to number four.
> Out of the shower comes a football man
> With a bottle of oil in his hand.
> (Greasy kid stuff.
> What I want to know, Mr Football Man, is
> What do you do about Willy Mays,
> Martin Luther King,
> Olatunji?)
[...]
>
> Why did Dylan mention Olatunji in "I Shall Be Free"?
I presume this was a serious question (one never knows) -- but the
answer is because he is black, like Willie Mays and Martin Luther king,
also mentioned in the song.
The most popular American hair grease of the 1950s and early 1960s was
Brilcream, and "a little dab'll do ya" was their major slogan. Black
people cannot create the slick hair look that was cpopular at the time
if they use a preparation like Brilcream because it is not stiff enough
to affect the texture of their kinky hair. Brilcream ads of the era
contrasted the product's very lightly greasy qualities with the
heavier-bodied hair greases that were then popular with juvenile
deliquents and their role models ("greasy kids stuff" they called it in
their ads) -- overlooking the fact that such similar heavy-bodied hair
greases were also favoured by blacks, who needed the "holding power" of
very stiff hair-greases such as Murray's to keep their hair slicked
down.
Ultimately, the rise of the "afro" hair style for blacks and the
long-haired hippie styles for whites ended for a time the uncomfortable
efforts of blacks to accomodate white hair styles, but in the context of
song's era, the message Dylan is seeking to convey is that white culture
ignores the needs of black people in minor matters such as cosmetics and
that this is part of a larger system of endemic racial predjudice. The
song title "I Shall Be Free" is an ironic reference to a black gospel
song of the same name ("I Shall Be Free When the Good Lord Sets Me
Free") which expresses a lassez faire attitude toward civil rights. .
catherine yronwode
The Lucky W Amulet Archive
Hoodoo Catalogue
Subject: Re: Olatunji in California
From: (davidprice@esalen.org)
Date: Mon, 30 Jun 1997 11:39:18 -0600
Why did Dylan mention Olatunji in "I Shall Be Free"?
I've always assumed that the reference was to black men of substance in
contrast to the superficiality of the advertisement's portrayal.
As to why Dylan included Olatunji - he was a fan of Olatunji. Dylan was a
regular at his shows at that time, as were Jack Kerouac (detailed on the
liner notes of 1960's "Zungo!"), Joan Baez, and many others. Dylan and
Olatunji also shared the same producer, John Hammond.
Some stock bio info on Olatunji:
In 1963, Bob Dylan's lyrics introduced many to Babatunde Olatunji, but
Olatunji's first Columbia album, the legendary "Drums of Passion" had
already charted unusually well in 1959. Produced by, John Hammond,
millions of copies of "Drums of Passion" were sold throughout the world
in an era when Perry Como and Fabian were far more typical on the charts.
Some of Olatunji's early milestones include seminal performances at Radio
City Music Hall and the 1964 New York World's Fair. He also made many
network television appearances on the Tonight Show, the Mike Douglas
Show, and the Bell Telephone Hour.
Babatunde has been a true cultural ambassador, introducing the West to
African music. Long before the terms "world music", "world beat", and
"multi-culturism" had become part of our language, Olatunji was bringing
his love and music to the Americas.
Olatunji was born to the Yoruba people of Nigeria in 1927 in the fishing
village of Ajido. He came to the United States by merchant ship via the
port of New Orleans in 1950 on a Rotary Club scholarship to Morehouse
College in Atlanta. He later attended New York University Graduate
School. In 1996 he received a Ph.D. in Fine Arts from Medgar Evers
College, CCNY.
Inspiring and educating with a message of love and personal power, "Baba"
has always sought to transcend simple entertainment. He has shared the
bill at the Apollo with James Brown, and toured the American south with
Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. When he performed before the United Nations
General Assembly, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev took off his shoes and
danced. Later, he was one of the first "western" performers to perform
in Prague at Vaclav Havel's request. In recognition of his efforts
towards positive cultural exchange, Olatunji received the Liberty Award
from the Mayor of New York in 1986.
Olatunji's impact on New York's jazz scene of the 1950s and '60s was
profound, both musically and culturally. Many African-American musicians
wishing to explore their African heritage looked to Olatunji as a source.
This group of musicians included saxophone giant John Coltrane, who many
say looked to Olatunji as a personal mentor. With Coltrane's help,
Olatunji established the Olatunji Center for African Culture in the heart
of Harlem. This center was the site of Coltrane's last public
performance.
Max Roache included Olatunji on his "Freedom Now Suite", and Cannonball
Adderley asked him to contribute to his "African Waltz" album.
Olatunji's influence was felt in the rock era as well. Carlos Santana
scored a hit with his adaptation of Olatunji's "Jingo Lo Ba" on the first
Santana album in 1969. Olatunji made memorable appearances with his
entire entourage opening for the Grateful Dead on New Years Eves of 1985
and 1991.
Musicians who have recorded on Olatunji's own records include Yusef
Lateef, Clark Terry, Bill Lee (fellow Morehouse alum and director Spike
Lee's father), Mickey Hart, Airto Moreira, and Carlos Santana. Some of
the other musicians who have performed with him include, John Coltrane,
Horace Silver, Herbie Mann, Coleman Hawkins, Charles Lloyd, and Jerry
Garcia. In 1991, Mickey Hart and Olatunji formed the Grammy winning
Planet Drum ensemble. "World Music Album of the Year."--DOWNBEAT
(Reader's Poll 1992)
Films are another medium familiar to Olatunji. He composed music for the
Broadway and Hollywood productions of "Raisin in the Sun". He assisted
Bill Lee with the music for his son Spike's hit film "She's Gotta Have
It".
In 1997, at 70 years of age, 'Baba' Olatunji continues to teach, travel,
and perform. He teaches regularly at Esalen Institute in Big Sur,
California, Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, New York, and the Hollyhock
center on Cortez Island, British Columbia. He works towards the goal of
reopening the Olatunji Center for African Culture in New York and in his
hometown of Ajido.
In the words of the Grateful Dead's Mickey Hart: "He is the godfather of
two generations of drummers in the West. In 1950 he came to the United
States bringing with him the powerful rhythms of Nigeria. His are the
rhythms of the Saints, of the Orisas: Ogun and Santo. He blended them
with the exotic sounds of New York City to form a new kind of music."
"Master drummer Babatunde Olatunji champions his instrument, the
timekeeper and heartbeat of music, as a religious salve. When he speaks
of the drum's sound as not only a universal language but one that is
capable of articulating prayers and offering, he speaks, without boast,
of his own deftness and virtuosity."- The Chicago Tribune
Baba Olantunji fans might like to e-mail mahoney@cyclops.dcache.net
New York Times obituary by Jon Pareles (archived)
