Obo Addy's musical background is a combination of the rigorous standards of ritual music he learned from his father, a Wonche Priest, with the flashy international pop music he performed as a young professional with bands in Accra, Ghana. Himself a versatile magician of the drums, Obo Addy embodies the past, present and future of Ghana's musical culture. As a master in the traditional music and dance of the many cultures in Ghana, it is no accident that Obo Addy is a musical bridge between old and new, between Ghanian and foreign.

Obo Addy is a prominent member of the first generation of African musicians to bring their traditional and popular music to Europe and America. An original and respected composer, Addy was the 1996 winner of the National Heritage Fellowship award from the National Endowment For Arts. His twenty-year presence on the international performing arts scene has made him well known for his ability to celebrate past traditions while expanding to embrace new ideas and foreign influences.

FEATURED ARTISTS: Obo Addy- drums, vocals; Jim Cheek and Thara Memory - trumpet; Gary Harris- saxophone; Megale Roberts - electric bass; Janice Scroggins - keyboards; Brian Ward - keyboards; Mike Doulin - guitar; Jeffrey Ward - trap set; April King - trap set; Israel Annoh - trap set; Linda Nelson, Marilyn Keller and Ron George - background vocals

TRACKS: Obaaye Onye; Alagao (Welcoming the Spirits); Don't Go; Kanuwaa; Montswe (Hold It Fast);Alode; Play the Drum for Me; Gidi Gidi Betse; Kaaye Oye; Drumming Peace Into the Twenty-First Century

"One of the most appealing qualities of Addy's music is his use of a wide palette of colors." —Diane Gordon, The Beat

"…a proponent of the traditional rhythms of his homeland, and he has blended jazz and European pop in his quest for musical innovation." —JET