Babatunde Olatunji Vinyl Records

Babatunde Olatunji (April 7, 1927 – April 6, 2003) was a Nigerian drummer, educator, social activist, and recording artist. He is most known for popularizing African music in the United States. Olatunji was born in Ajido, Nigeria and began playing drums at the age of three. He studied with many traditional African musicians, eventually becoming a master drummer and dancer.

Olatunji released his first album, Drums of Passion, in 1959. This album featured traditional African music, including such songs as “Jin-Go-Lo-Ba” and “Akiwowo.” This album is considered to be one of the first African albums to be released in the United States and helped to popularize African music in the country. His later albums included Love Drum Talk (1969) and Circle of Drums (1975).

Some of his most popular songs include “Jin-Go-Lo-Ba,” “Drums of Passion,” “Akiwowo,” and “Oya.”

An interesting fact about Babatunde Olatunji is that he was a teacher at the American Society of African Culture in New York City and taught classes on African drumming and culture. He was also a social activist who was involved in civil rights and anti-war movements.