Gasper Lawal

Last updated

Gasper Lawal (born 23 September 1948 in Ijebu Ode, Nigeria) [1] is a Nigerian drummer, griot, and composer who has publicized traditional African percussive languages in the West. As a performer, his "Afriki" sound created a fusion of Nigerian percussion styles with rock and jazz. [2]

Since the early 1970s, Lawal has been part of the West African music scene in the UK. [3] Described by music magazine Blues & Soul in 1989 as the "Nigerian octopus of sticks 'n' drums and anything percussive", he has worked extensively as a session player and arranger. [4] Credits include work with The Rolling Stones, Stevie Winwood, John Martyn, Robert Palmer, Joe Cocker, Camel, Stephen Stills, Elkie Brooks, Babe Ruth (band), The Pogues, Joan Armatrading, Eddy Grant, Hugh Masekela, Barbra Streisand, Elvin Jones, Clancy, Ginger Baker's Air Force, Funkadelic and Dr. John. [5] [6]

In 1980, Lawal formed a group called the Oro Band, which nurtured musicians such as Adesose Wallace, and Sola Akingbola (percussionist for Jamiroquai) who would go on to have their own successful careers. The Oro Band performed throughout Europe and the UK, including headline concerts at The Forum, Astoria, and Ronnie Scott's in London; and supporting Peter Gabriel at Earls Court and Crystal Palace Stadium, several WOMAD festivals, Glastonbury Festival, the African Festival in Sardinia, and the Multicultural Festival in Barcelona.

In pursuit of a solo career, Lawal has released three albums entitled Ajomase (Cap Records, 1980), Abiosun'ni (Hot Records, 1985), and Kadara (Globe Style, 1991). "Kita-Kita", the hit single from Abiosun'ni remains one of the most played African records on UK radio. [7]

Lawal performed for Queen Elizabeth II on two occasions: first at a special banquet for the Nigerian president in 1989 and then for the Commonwealth Celebrations Day in 1990. [8]

Television and radio appearances have included Top of the Pops , MTV's Week in Rock, Kaleidoscope , Network Africa, The Old Grey Whistle Test , and David Attenborough's Wildlife on One special The Leopard (BBC1, 1995).

Lawal also composes for film and television, with music for the concert for Nelson Mandela in 1984, parts of the soundtrack for Erica Russell's award-winning animation Feet of Song (Channel 4, 1989), BBC documentary Nigeria: Giant on Trial (BBC2, 1992), African Express (Channel 4, 1996), and several television commercials.

Discography

Solo albums

Featuring artist

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dave Mattacks</span> English drummer

David James Mattacks is an English rock and folk drummer, best known for his work with British folk rock band Fairport Convention.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Music of Nigeria</span>

The music of Nigeria includes many kinds of folk and popular music. Little of the country's music history prior to European contact has been preserved, although bronze carvings dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries have been found depicting musicians and their instruments. The country's most internationally renowned genres are Indigenous, Apala, Aurrebbe music, Rara music, Were music, Ogene, Fuji, Jùjú, Afrobeat, Afrobeats, Igbo highlife, Afro-juju, Waka, Igbo rap, Gospel,Nigerian pop and Yo-pop. Styles of folk music are related to the over 250 ethnic groups in the country, each with their own techniques, instruments, and songs. The largest ethnic groups are the Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba. Traditional music from Nigeria and throughout Africa is often functional; in other words, it is performed to mark a ritual such as the wedding or funeral and not to achieve artistic goals. Although some Nigerians, especially children and the elderly, play instruments for their own amusement, solo performance is otherwise rare. Music is closely linked to agriculture, and there are restrictions on, for example, which instruments can be played during different parts of the planting season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joan Armatrading</span> English musician (born 1950)

Joan Anita Barbara Armatrading is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. Her first major commercial success came with her third and fourth albums, Joan Armatrading (1976) and Show Some Emotion (1977), and she continues to play live and record studio albums. A three-time Grammy Award nominee, Armatrading has also been nominated twice for BRIT Awards as Best Female Artist. She received an Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Contemporary Song Collection in 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gallagher and Lyle</span> Scottish musical duo

Gallagher and Lyle were a Scottish musical duo, comprising singer-songwriters Benny Gallagher and Graham Lyle. Their style consisted mainly of pop, soft and folk rock oriented songs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elkie Brooks</span> English singer (born 1945)

Elkie Brooks is an English rock, blues and jazz singer. She was a vocalist with the bands Dada and Vinegar Joe, and later became a solo artist. She gained her biggest success in the late 1970s and 1980s, releasing 13 UK Top 75 singles, and reached the top ten with "Pearl's a Singer", "Sunshine After the Rain", "Fool (1981), and "No More the Fool" (1986). She has been nominated twice for the Brit Awards.

Angus Boyd "Gus" Dudgeon was an English record producer, who oversaw many of Elton John's most acclaimed recordings, including his commercial breakthrough, "Your Song". Their collaboration led to seven US No. 1 albums, and established John as one of the most successful singles artists of the 1970s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vinegar Joe (band)</span> English blues rock band

Vinegar Joe were an English Blues rock band, formed in 1971 in London. They released three albums on Island Records, but were best known for their live shows and launching the solo careers of Elkie Brooks and Robert Palmer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dudu Pukwana</span> South African saxophonist and composer (1938–1990)

Mthutuzeli Dudu Pukwana was a South African saxophonist and composer.

Enrico Antonio Giorgio Spinetti is a Welsh session drummer whose playing has featured on many prominent rock and pop albums.

The Graham Bond Organisation (GBO) were a British jazz/rhythm and blues group of the mid-1960s consisting of Graham Bond, Jack Bruce (bass), Ginger Baker (drums), Dick Heckstall-Smith and John McLaughlin (guitar). They recorded several albums and further recordings were issued when the group's members achieved fame in progressive rock and jazz fusion. On original releases, the spelling of the band's name varied between the British "S" and the American "Z".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ian Parker (keyboardist)</span> Musical artist

Ian Parker is a Scottish keyboardist, vocalist, composer, DJ and producer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Giblin</span> British musician (1952–2023)

John Giblin was a Scottish musician who worked as an acoustic and electric bass player spanning jazz, classical, rock, folk, and avant-garde music. He was a member of Simple Minds from 1985 to 1988, and worked as a session musician for a variety of artists including Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins and Kate Bush.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Palmer (musician)</span> British rock musician (born 1943)

John Michael "Poli" Palmer is an English rock musician who was a key member in the progressive rock band Family. Though he was not an original member, he was regarded as being integral to the group's sound. He played the vibraphone, flute, piano, synthesizers and occasional drums, and he was with the band from late 1969 until late 1972.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phil Palmer</span> English musician (born 1952)

Philip John Palmer is a British rock sideman and session guitarist who has toured, recorded, and worked with numerous artists. He is best known for his work with Eric Clapton and Dire Straits.

Timothy Alan Hinkley was an English singer-songwriter, keyboardist and record producer. Born in London, Hinkley started playing in youth club bands in the early 1960s, with bands including the Copains, Boys and the Freeman Five. During this time he turned down an offer to join the Konrads, which featured Davy Jones, who later changed his name to David Bowie. Other early associations were with the Bo Street Runners, Chicago Blues Line and Patto's People.

Frank E. Ricotti is an English jazz vibraphonist and percussionist.

Plummet Airlines, was a British pub rock band of the mid-1970s, which was originally formed in Nottingham. Band members later joined The Pogues and Darts.

Peter Gage is an English rock guitarist, pianist, composer and record producer, best known for his work with Geno Washington & the Ram Jam Band and Vinegar Joe.

<i>Back to the Night</i> 1975 studio album by Joan Armatrading

Back to the Night is the second studio album by the British singer-songwriter Joan Armatrading. The album was released in April 1975 by A&M Records.

This is the discography of English singer Elkie Brooks.

References

  1. ↑ Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 1437. ISBN   0-85112-939-0.
  2. ↑ Stapleton, Chris, and Chris May. African All-Stars: The Pop Music of a Continent. London: Quartet, 1987
  3. ↑ Partridge, Rob. 'Black Music on its own in UK'. Billboard 84.49 December 02 (1972), p. 62
  4. ↑ Blues & Soul 526-27 (1989), p. 35
  5. ↑ Clerk, Carol. The Story of the Pogues: Pogue Mahone: Kiss My Arse. London: Omnibus, 2006
  6. ↑ Brooks, Elkie. Finding My Voice: The Elkie Brooks Story. London: Robson, 2012
  7. ↑ Chapter 4 'West Africa in the West End' in Bradley, Lloyd. Sounds Like London: 100 Years of Black Music in the Capital. London: Serpent's Tail, 2013. p. 165
  8. ↑ Commonwealth Currents. London: Commonwealth Secretariat, 1994, p. 64
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.