Yacub Addy

Yacub Addy (15 April 1931 – 18 December 2014) was a Ghanaian traditional drummer, composer, choreographer and educator who collaborated with many musicians in various genres, including Wynton Marsalis. He has been referred to as "the leading ambassador of Ghanaian music and culture".

Starting in 1995, Addy taught percussion and West African drumming at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York. He also taught at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York.

Early life Addy was born in 1931 into the Ga ethnic group in the village of Avenor, outside of Accra, Ghana. His mother was Akua Hagan, a lead singer in her husband's medicine music. His extended family included many drummers, singers, and dancers, including brothers Obo Addy and Mustapha Tettey Addy. Addy formed the ensemble Odadaa!, composed primarily of Ga artists and which remained active for decades. The group's name translates as "Let the music begin!" On his 1984 trip to New Orleans, Addy made his first visit to Congo Square, located within present-day Louis Armstrong Park.

Collaborations with Wynton Marsalis Addy first saw Marsalis perform on television in 1981 playing with a symphony orchestra and was impressed with the younger musician's "spirit and his dedication". was the only legal public gathering place where black people were allowed to dance and perform music, on Sunday afternoons. The mingling in Congo Square of those African rhythms with European brass traditions led to the birth of jazz. At the beginning of their collaboration, Addy asked Marsalis his years-old question about the music the slaves played in Congo Square. Marsalis replied that no one knew with certainty, but he was sure that together "they could capture that spirit", The plan was to repeat the performance on a seven-city tour of the U.S. South and East Coast, Following the devastation of New Orleans by flooding, Marsalis and Addy committed to going forward with the premiere as scheduled Marsalis, Addy and their ensembles toured again with Congo Square in summer 2007, with performances across the U.S. and Canada. The musical suite was filmed at the 2007 Montreal International Jazz Festival and released on DVD.

On 19 January 2009, Addy's Odadaa! and Marsalis' Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra performed together at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. as part of a celebration of the First inauguration of Barack Obama and the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., titled as Let Freedom Swing. They performed the piece "Ajeseke" from Congo Square.

As an educator Over the years as leader of various ensembles, Addy trained numerous Ghanaian musicians. 1982: Blema Bii: Children of the Ancients Yacub Addy with Obo Addy 1999: Children of the Ancients with Odadaa! 2007: Congo Square with Odadaa!, Wynton Marsalis, and Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra 1997: Odadaa! Drumming and Dances of Ghana 2008: Congo Square: Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Yacub Addy and Odadaa 2011: "Wynton at 50" from Live at Lincoln Center (PBS), a celebration of Marsalis' 50th birthday includes Addy and Odadaa! among the special guests

Awards and honors 2000: Regional Arts Award, Albany-Schenectady League of Arts 2010: National Heritage Fellowship, National Endowment for the Arts