The Beat Of My Drum: An Autobiography

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Foreword - Joan BaezIntroduction - Eric CharryBibliographyDiscography, Videography, WebographyPart I: Learning the Rhythm
1. The Spirit of Drumming
2. Yorubaland
3. From Lagos to AtlantaPart II: Adapting to a New Rhythm
4. Jim Crow and College Life
5. Harlem on my Mind
6. Drums of PassionPart III: Passing the Rhythm On
7. Social Change and Civil Rights
8. World Music Comes of Age
9. Voices of AfricaAfterword - Robert AtkinsonIndexPhotograph gallery follows page 122

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Babatunde Olatunji's record album Drums of Passion proclaimed that the time had come for America to recognize Africa's cultural contributions to the music world. Through his many albums and live performances, the Nigerian drummer popularized West African traditional music and spread his message of racial harmony. In this long-awaited autobiography, Olatunji presents his life story and the philosophy that guided him. Olatunji influenced and inspired musicians for more than forty years—from luminaries to music students and the many ordinary people who participated in his drum circles. He writes about rhythm being \u0022the soul of life,\u0022 and about the healing power of the drum. Ultimately, The Beat of My Drum shows why at the time of his death in 2003, Olatunji had become, according to The New York Times, \u0022the most visible African musician in the United States.\u0022

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This book is unmistakably a portrait of a committed, accomplished man, a great man, in some respects a role model for us all.... [a] fascinating explanation of what it was that influenced him and drove him to greatness

In this beguiling autobiography, Olatunji traces his life... [he] writes with humor, passion and occasional bitterness as he delineates both his successes and disappointments over the years... The Beat Of My Drum is an inspiring book that makes a convincing case for a prominent place for Olatunji among the social and artistic leaders of the last half of the 20th century

Global Rhythm

[A]n absorbing read that highlights [Olatunji's] sometimes-forgotten role in the Civil Rights movement, as well as his groundbreaking musical career

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