LEGENDARY MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST Bayo Bello‘s name is synonymous with the Steel Pan or Steel Drum, an organic melodious percussion instrument originating in Trinidad, made out of an oil drum with one end beaten down and divided by grooves into sections to give different notes.
Bayo Bello on the Steel Pan.
He is the only known African professional Steel Pannist or Steel Pan Player in the US/Diaspora. Extremely talented, Bayo Bello was surrounded heavily by music while growing up in Lagos, Nigeria where he hails from, he also plays the Saxophone, Keys, Percussions, Flute, Vocals, Guitar and maybe some more that we might not even be aware of.
With fellow PK students during a performance break at the Museum Kitchen Lagos 1982
As a young lad, he was a regular known face at Fela Kuti’s organization and had internal access to the afrobeat pioneer’s presence, music and library where he was heavily influenced by his PanAfrican values and outlook. Bayo Bello’s musical journey started when he enrolled at the renowned Peter King College of Music in Nigeria and was the first student ever admitted into the school. He later became a member of the PK Band playing Afro Jazz music, sometimes covering other instruments when the musicians were MIA. He toured various parts of the country with the PK Band and established a stage presence while developing his musical skills tremendously. Peter King will remain his most impactive musical mentor till date.
At Fela’s Shrine..Just bought my first sax from Brother YS (Fela’s saxophonist)..I was on cloud nine on that particular day after dreaming of owning a sax for about a year… – Bayo Bello
PK Band, Bayo on Sax (Credit: Bayo Bello’s Archives)
He moved to the US in 1984 to continue his education at the Clark College (now Clark Atlanta University) where he studied Accounting. He co-formed a band called Tyehimba while he was there. The band played Highlife, Reggae and traditional African songs. He then picked up playing the Steelpan with Pan People Steel Band in Atlanta and became the Arranger for the Band.
Bayo Bello with his favorite instrument, the Steel Pan
He later played with numerous bands like Addis Ababa (a Reggae band), Panorama Steel Band, Tropical Steel, Mombasa and Songhai International before forming his own band – Crucial Vibes in 1994. Crucial Vibes performed cross-genre music including Highlife, Reggae, Calypso, Soca, Jazz and Bossa Nova. Crucial Vibes was the resident Band for the Jamaica Tourist Board, Air Jamaica and the Jamaican Olympic Contingent. In all the bands, he played multiple instruments including the Saxophone, Pan (Steel Drums), Rhythm Guitar, Bass Guitar, Keyboards, Flute and Percussions. Bayo has performed in numerous venues and festivals including the Montreux International Jazz Festival at Piedmont Park, March of Dimes, Cherry Blossom and others in different states.
Jamaica 🇯🇲 Tourist Board With the Jamaican Athletes – 1996 Atlanta Olympics
He took a pause from making and performing music to focus on fatherhood and raising his two children who are now young adults, a decision he made with no regrets. In the meantime, he changed career paths to become a software engineer/developer while music took a back seat. In 2021, with motivation from Atlanta based Nigerian Singer/Songwriter, Tosinger, he was inspired to come back to the music scene and together they formed a collective duo/band named ‘ABiKE Music’ He plays the steel pan with so much spirit and soul as a soloist with a unique twist, a rare occurrence with steel band players who usually play in a group or orchestra setting.
With the Panorama Steelband in the 90s
Here is an interview where Bayo speaks more about his musical journey.
Bayo is currently working on producing and releasing original recorded music soon. He plays tennis and dances Salsa in his spare time, in fact, he is very well known in the Latin Dance community in Atlanta. What a renaissance man!
How is your 2020 going? New Year, New Blessings I pray and I have New Music to share with you.
When you hear the names : Orlando Julius, Manu Dibango, Hugh Masekela and Fela Kuti, what comes to mind? You are correct! Classic and Legendary African Saxophonists whose music has influenced the diaspora and the world at large.
These legends were so widely influential and seriously talented that their music has been sampled and international and western musicians yearned to work with them and some succeeded in collaborating with them, thus spreading the impact of African music globally.
Presenting one of such, for our current generation is:
Shola Emmanuel – Afro Jazz Saxophonist and Music Interpreter
Shola Emmanuel
Carrying this musical torch, Nigerian sax maestro, Atlanta based and world traveling Shola Emmanuel is one of the current wave of afro-musicians in the continuing lineup of legends for the history books, who is also making a mark in the diaspora. It’s not only about “afrobeats” from Africa which is the rave right now, talents abound in all forms of music (from Africa, in different genres) including and not limited to classical, broadway, folk, pop, folk, rock, soul and Shola Emmanuel represents the Jazz world perfectly.
Following his recently concluded sold out, full house concert ‘Kind of Music’ ( see video) he is releasing a single titled “IFẸ ” which means “Love” in his native Yoruba tongue. IFẸ (pronounced “E-Feh”) is the first single to be released off Shola’s ‘Kind of Music’album. And guess who the female vocals on the track belong to? Yep, you got it right. Yours Truly. 🙂 The lyrics of the song says “Ife Lo L’aye” which means “Love makes the world go round” and ain’t this the truth.
Shola Emmanuel at his ‘Kind Of Music’ Concert, featuring Tosinger on a piece
Click here to stream the IFẸ song when it comes out on January 31st. Hope you enjoy it. If you do. Feel free to spread the word and share.
In honor of Fela Kuti, his music legacy and in commemoration of his birthday, Felabration! an annual celebration is taking place in various cities all around the world during the month of October. (October 15, 2014 would be Fela Kuti’s 76th birthday).
“The idea and concept of Felabration as an annual celebration of Fela’s music, life and times, originated from his eldest child Yeni who conceived it in 1998”. …Read more here
The impact of Fela’s Afrobeat music cannot be overemphasized and his musical legacy surely lives on, greatly influencing the works of the today’s crop of Afro artists.
And so I am honored to be a part of Harlem-New York’s Felabration concert as a special guest of Laolu and The Afromysterics , also featuring the Super Yamba Band, where I’ll be doing some favs and a couple of originals. See you there if you are in NYC!
Click on images for more info:
and
See
I am also featuring at OritseFemi’s concert in NY organized by Vibesland Entertainment. I have always been drawn to his music, his afro indigenous and passionate sound and style (Mercies of the Lord and Better are some of my favs) and I am glad to open for him. He recently did a spin on Fela’s Double Wahala which is currently a great hit in the Nigerian music industry.
Knitting Factory has a special offer going on that you might want to check out if you are an ardent Afrobeat lover
Culled from Knitting Factory FB page
“Happy Birthday Fela Kuti!!! The Original Black President!
Felabrations are taking place around the world in celebration of his life and legacy. Knitting Factory Records is offering 15% off the entire Fela Kuti catalog (excluding box sets) for the month of October.
Use code: HAPPYBDAYFELA at checkout)”
Beautifully Dreaming… Positively Doing and keeping the flag of Afro music flying….
It is a proven fact that the creative arts can be weapons of social and political change. The Arts have and do still play a rolein the struggle for justice. History confirms that some works of art, music, poetry, film are linked to waves of social, economic and political change all over the world e.g Playwright and Writer Pushkin’s work as it affected Russian politics in the 1800s, or Fela Kuti’s Afrobeat music as a tool to address the corrupt government, numerous ‘Free Mandela’ songs in the fight for apartheid and many more.
Listed below, are creative works, specifically Art, Photography, Music, Fashion and Literature that have in one way or the other attracted public awareness and media attention to the unsettling issue of the abducted Chibok girls in Northern Nigeria. The social media outcry which got the attention of international media eventually moved the complacent government to seek the help needed. As at today, the kidnapped girls by extremist Islamic group Boko Haram, are still being held with reports of 2 already dead, and 20 sick. Boko Haram also released a video saying they intend to sell the girls.
In today’s age, new media is playing a great role as a great platform to exercise the voice of the people through social media, as seen in the case of Libya and Egypt also. On Twitter, the hashtag #BringBackOurGirls led to rally formations and protests across different cities globally
Photography
At the Atlanta rally, where I was present, Atlanta based Photographer Terrell Clark had an artistic vision to capture all the ladies who came out to #RockACrownfor234 and highlighted their headwraps against a dark and moody backdrop of their faces.
Terrell says:
In the spirit of “darkness” surrounding our sisters, I intentionally underexposed the photographs under the banner of “until our girls are found and brought home, we are all living in the shadows”
Headwraps hold a significant meaning and symbolism to Africans everywhere.It is the African woman’s crown, a fashion statement, an accessory. Head wraps have served as a head cover for Africans, since the early 1700s.The colorful cloths represent the history of the African people and are worn proudly by both men and women – ehow. It was worn as a representative of a cultural significance and an item of solidarity for the missing girls.
KennyK’ore , a popular Nigerian Gospel Singer released a song ‘Bring Down Boko Haram’
Annoyed and livid at the gruesome killings and bombings happening in Nigeria, popular gospel artiste Kenny Kore has decided to cry and plead to God in this new single ‘Bring Down Boko Haram’ for Nigeria’s deliverance and salvation. “I love the northerners, but I hate Boko Haram. Bring down Boko Haram, cut down Boko Haram, shut down Boko Haram”…K’ore sings. He features vocals from the Late Benson Idahosa – PraiseWorld
Numerous graphics are everywhere on social media with the trending hashtag #BringBackOurGirls . Visuals are the running engine of social media, and these are just a few that caught my eye.
with the names of the girls embedded by MADC
Art by Abinibi
Art by E5Studioz
Unknown
Art by Laolu Senbanjo of Afromysterics
Literature
A short story by Patrick Elay, a Switzerland based Nigerian Writer/Scriptwriter
“If you open your mouth, I’ll kill you!” His eyes shone red in the night and his hands held firm to the axe as he drew her hair with her lips quivering beneath her hands. They all sat lost in the reality of the moment. The cries had gradually turned into sobs, fading into gasps and finally had become silence. … continue to read here
So what can you do?
Let’s continue to use the hashtag #BringBackOurGirls. Every little bit goes a long way. Call or write your government – Change.org petition Let us come together and tell the world that we do not condone violence and we want our girls rescued, the Nigerian government should work hand in hand with international governments and organizations to rescue the girls, because at this point it is obvious help is needed. Pray for the girls and the families, this is also a spiritual battle. Join www.facebook.com/bringbackourgirls for news and updates. Prayers, Protests, Petitions and Platforms of expressions …all go a long way in effecting the change we want to see.
Have you heard of the Guitar Wiz Musician Keziah Jones? What?! You haven’t? Well, now you do, no dozing on a musical bicycle 🙂 The continents are loving his “Afro BluFunk” music, Europe in particular. An eccentric Afro ~ Bohemian, he is very relevant to the new wave of the Afro musical scene even though he has been around for a while. I personally love his branding, the uniqueness and incorporation of Afro elements ( especially on his latest project which depicts him as having superpowers dressed in a simple yet dramatic costume made out of African Ankara fabric) Here are a few picks from his photoshoot, so distinctly intriguing, a representation of a musical African SuperHero.. His new album ‘Captain Rugged’ is available on iTunes.
Biography
A Nigerian-born rocker heavily influenced by Jimi Hendrix and Fela Kuti, Keziah Jones gained popularity in England and France with singles like “Rhythm Is Love” and “Beautiful Emile.” Jones was sent to a boarding school in London when he was eight, and he started busking in the London Underground when he was in his teens. He gigged up a storm in Covent Garden and Portobello Road, which led to his discovery by manager Phil Pickett. One bassist (Phil “Soul” Sewell), one drummer (Richie Stevens), and many gigs later, Jones found himself with his first album, Blufunk Is a Fact!, in 1992. Several more albums ensued over the next 15 years (African Space Craft, Liquid Sunshine, and Black Orpheus among them), fixing Jones as one of the more prominent blues-rock musicians on the European music scene in the late ’90s and early 2000s.
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