|
Farewell to an African Legend - Baba Olatunji |
|
|
"Rhythm is the
soul of life. The whole universe revolves in rhythm.
Everything and every human action revolves in rhythm." |
|
On Sunday April 27th members of the
African music community saluted one of their own,
giving Olatunji a musician's farewell with a procession across 125th street.
Harlem paused for a moment
with throngs dancing, drumming, and singing
bye bye Baba in the Yoruba language
followed behind the hearse which held his body
|
|
| A thousand emotions
can be read from the face of this mourner |
|
| "Yesterday
is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. And today? Today is a gift. That's why we
call it the present." |
|
|
A member of the
procession breaks into dance as the procession passes the famed Apollo
Theater |
The album that
introduced Nigerian music to millions in the west |
|
The following day Olatunji of
Ajido, Badagry, Lagos State was formally remembered by hundreds with an all
day service at Riverside Church. Reverend James Forbes of Riverside Church
recalls the most memorable moment of his 40 years in the clergy was when a
cry from Olatunji welcomed Nelson Mandela at Riverside after his many years
of imprisonment. |
|
|
Every seat in the
vast church was filled at the day-long memorial |
|
|
Omosalewa Amy Bush Olatunji
addresses the gathering from the pulpit of the church. She led the audience
in song, the chorus of which - "every time we listen to the sound of the
drum we feel connected to the oneness of the
universe" - captured the sentiment of the day. |
|
|
Charles Davis founder and director of Dance Africa dancing to the rhythms of
the Drums Of Passion, Baba's group, during the memorial at
Riverside Church on Monday April 28th. |
|
|
Dr.
Joseph Okpaku presided over the daylong event. Jazz musician Randy Weston,
WBAI's Elombe Brath, Chuck Davis founder of DanceAfrica,
Counsel-General Oseni, Mr. Dean Badaru, and Dr. Teteh Kofi took part
in the ceremonies. Olatunji was born on April 7th
1927 and died April 6th 2003. |
|
| He
then went to embrace the Baba's wife Omosalewa Amy Bush Olatunji |
|
|
Baba's
Grandchildren pay respect with spoken word |
|
|
A mourner wiping
a tear in Riverside Church |
|
| The
pallbearers carrying the coffin down the aisle after the service. |
|
|
Pallbearers carry
Baba's body from Riverside Church to the hearse |
|
|
Drummers bid a
final farewell before as the body is placed in the hearse, faces of
onlookers are reflected its window |
|
|
