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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 14, 2011)
September 14, 2011 Jïortlanh (Dtiseruer World continued from front After World War II and during his teenage years, Addy first heard American and European pop music seeping from a radio in his village. At 15, he moved to the city four miles away where he became further influenced by Western pop. Unin terested in school, he joined a city orchestra as a drummer, but left after four brief, disappointing shows. Broadcasting Band and the Farm ers Council Band, but later gravi tated to Highlife, the new blend of African and European music. In 1969, Addy was em ployed by the Arts Council of Ghana as a Ga m aster of the national music. He and his brothers perform ed at the Olympic Games in Munich in 1972 before em barking on an interna tional tour. Living in London, he toured ex- and Clark College. He has done resi dencies at African-American cen ters in N orth C a ro lin a , the Sweetwater Art Center in Pennsyl vania, Washington State Univer sity, and Williams College in Mas sachusetts. Addy is recognized by many young people, mostly former stu dents, as the first to introduce them to the culture and music of West Africa and Ghana. His goal is to help you came to my school when I was in second grade.” For Addy, writing, teaching and performing all come down to one thing, the music. As a percussionist and singer, he leads two ensembles that tour nationally. Okropong, which means “eagle” in the Ga language, is his group dedicated to the traditional tribal music and dance of Ghana; and Kukrudu, Ga for “earthquake” is his group that performs original pieces he has created. The traditional instruments in Okropong utilize Ghana hand and (Joo Addy s charismatic spirit, rapid-fire hands and powerful voice has driven thousands o f people to dance to the infectious beat o f his drums. Addy joined Joe Kelly’s Band after he and his friend stunned a crowd of musicians at an audition. Small and nervous, Addy began rolling beats on unfamiliar bongos, not realizing how good he was until onlookers were left laughing and clapping. He was hired. For m any years, he played m ostly European and Am erican m usic, drum m ing for The Ghana tensively until 1978, when Addy moved to the United States and settled in Portland where he met his wife Susan, a coordinator for arts and education. She was the one who in troduced him to a life of teaching as part of a multicultural program that employed him as a visiting artist to schools throughout the state. Addy has taught at the Cornish Institute and most recently at Lewis people understand African music. “I want them to get a piece of tradi tional Ghanaian music and culture,” he said. Teaching kids how to make their own music out of traditional drum ming is a joy for Addy, but his true appreciation shows when he can walk into the nearby Safeway or Fred Meyer and a store clerk recog nizes him by saying, “I know you. Page 5 stick drum s, bells, and shakers to create a layered rhythm ic effect. Dance and singing are equally im portant parts of the perform ance. Kukrudu is an eight-piece African jazz group that blends African and European instruments. A d d y ’s re c o rd in g s in clu d e AfieyeOkropong, Wonche Bi, Let Me Play My Drums, The Rhythm of Which a Chief Walks Gracefully, and Okropong. He has collaborated with numerous musicians and his music has been performed by cham ber groups across the country. He has also written for the Kronos Quartet, Saxoforte, Third Angle New Music Ensemble and modem dancer Mary Osland. H e 's p la y e d th e A rle n e S c h n itz e r C o n c e rt H a ll, the Kennedy Center in W ashington, D.C., and New York's Lincoln Cen ter. He was awarded The M asters Fellowship from the Regional Arts and Culture Council, the M asters Fellow ship from the Oregon Arts Com m ission, and the G o v e rn o rs Award for the Arts in Oregon. The Obo Addy Legacy Project car ries forth the work begun by Homowo while focusing on creating, perform ing and teaching African arts under the continuing di re c tio n o f Obo Addy. Under his leadership and vi sion, the Obo Addy Legacy Project will concentrate on pro ducing major artis tic perform ances, teaching in both K- 12 schools and at the college level, and writing compo sitions. A ddy has warmly shared his music with Oregonians and people throughout the country for decades, but even at 75 years of age he says, “I’m haven’t finished yet.” Sponsor tables for eight are being pre-sold for $500 and indi vidual tickets are $50. The event includes dinner, a silent auction, and live entertainm ent. Tickets c an be p u rc h a s e d at ob o ad d y leg acy p ro ject.o rg . Just as we strive to build a workforce that reflects our community, TriMet promotes diversity in our business relationships, including our selection of suppliers, contractors and business partners. This helps ensure that all qualified firms and individuals have an opportunity to succeed, and that TriMet receives the highest quality products and services. For more information about TriMet contracting opportunities, visit ebidexchange.com/trimet or contact Kimberly Sutton at 503-962-2213. T R IM M E T See where it takes you.
