[wordup] Babatunde Olatunji, Nigerian drum master and world music pioneer dies at 76

[Adam Shand]

From: http://boingboing.net/#200126885

The great Nigerian drummer Babatunde Olatunji passed away on Sunday from
complications related to diabetes.

His 1960 album /Drums of Passion/ sold over five million copies, and is 
considered by many to be the first "world music" record -- I've always 
hated that phrase, "world music," because it seems like such a lazy way 
to refer to everything "other," without recognizing the specific culture 
from which art emerges. Olatunji didn't make "world music," he played 
Nigerian music. But if calling him the godfather of "world music" means
recognizing the fact that he introduced African music to pop and jazz
audiences throughout the world, then I think that sounds just about
right. I feel thankful for having had the opportunity to see him perfom
live a few times when I was a teenager. The beauty of those performances
will stay with me for a long time.

And he believed in peace. WP story about his death here:

<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A1519-2003Apr9.html>

More about his life and work here

<http://africanmusic.org/artists/olatunji.html>

NPR tribute and audio archive

<http://discover.npr.org/rundowns/rundown.jhtml?prgDate=04/09/2003&prgId=2>