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
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