Odadaa! Excerpts from "Congo Square"

Excerpts of elder Ghanaian drum master Yacub Addy and his exceptional ensemble Odadaa!'s performance of "Congo Square", a 2-hour co-composition by Yacub Addy and jazz titan Wynton Marsalis, at the Montreal Jazz Festival 07. "Congo Square" is the ground-breaking 2-hour co-composition by Yacub Addy and Wynton Marsalis that celebrates the historic Congo Square in New Orleans. The only place in America where African slaves were allowed to perform their own music and dance in the 1700s-1800s, it established the roots of American music by providing a means for African music to enter and mingle with American forms.

An exceptional ensemble of artists from Ghana, Odadaa! includes drummers, instrumentalists, singers and dancers of the Ga ethnic group, and a single American-born singer.

Odadaa!'s founder and leader is the irrepressible elder Ga drum master Yacub Addy, a hip and cosmopolitan traditionalist who bucked the status quo to live a life of culture. A drummer, composer and choreographer, Yacub is a master of traditional classics of the Ga people and creator of new works rooted in tradition.

Yacub is senior among the renowned Addy family of drummers from Accra, Ghana, the elder brother of Obo Addy and Mustapha Tettey Addy, the uncle of Aja Addy and many others.

Yacub was the first to stage genuinely traditional music and dance in Ghana in the 1950s. Determined to present his tradition on the world's stages, his art took him from Ghana to Europe and America, where he created the acclaimed performance ensemble Odadaa!, described by the New York Times as an irresistible, hypnotically charged, earthy and stately treasure."

Addy's work preserves and advances the vibrant musical and movement heritage of Ghana-- it is the power of ancient rhythm breathing new life into the 21st century.

Also a respected educator, Yacub Addy lectures in the Music Department at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY.

Credits: "Congo Square" by Yacub Addy & Wynton Marsalis. Produced by Jazz at Lincoln Center. Featuring Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis and Yacub Addy and Odadaa!. Shared with the contractual permission of Skayne's Music and Amerimage-Spectra.
© Skaynes Music 2007.
Edited by Amina Addy and Steve Dinyer.

Yacub Addy: http://www.yacubaddy.com
"Congo Square": http://www.yacubaddy.com/wynton.html

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Yacub Addy
• Odadaa!
• Wynton Marsalis
• jazz
• African jazz
• African music
• African drumming
• Ghana music
• Ghana drumming
• Ga music
• drumming
• Ghana traditional
• ethnic music
• world beat
• Obo Addy
• Mustapha Tettey Addy
• Kusun Ensemble
• Yousou N'Dour
• Toumani Diabate
• Atongo Zimba
• Bernard Woma
• Congo Square
• HBO
• Treme
• Katrina
• African drummer
• Ghana drummer
• Ga drummer
• When the Levees Broke

[aminaaddy]

The idea of this particular video was to feature Odadaa!'s portions of this performance for those who are specifically interested in the African elements. All other videos and documentaries re "Congo Square" feature Wynton Marsalis and LCJO and their interactions with Yacub Addy and Odadaa!.

[aminaaddy]

This music was the idea of Ghanaian drummer Yacub Addy who brought it to Marsalis as a project with the goal of combining traditional Ghanaian music with jazz forms to honor Congo Square in New Orleans. Marsalis responded, working very hard to make the collaboration effective and the result was the ground-breaking 2 hour co-composition of the same name. It was premiered in Congo Square in New Orleans 9 months after Hurricane Katrina as a gift for the spiritual revival of the city.

[Majorna414]

TVÄRBRA SÅ VA

[aminaaddy]

Can you please translate your comment to English.

Amina Addy

[MrDrewboggess]

Not the best choices of excerpts from a wonderful performance

[sexbrain]

Superb.



[ngassalogy]

the music my dad plays. from 1950 to today from nigeria to Ghana. we have alot of vinyl records of this at home. Fine fine baby ino go fine pass your mother.

great that marsalis bringt this in the face of the world. maybe the world community can one day relly pay true dues to this .

[kaboogo]

magnifique merci