ARTIST BIOGRAPHY

Obo Addy was a musician and composer who performed and taught throughout the country. The son of a Wonche medicine man in Accra, Ghana, he was designated a “master drummer” at the age of six. Surrounded by his enormous family (his father had fifty-five children by ten wives) and immersed in the core musical traditions of his people, Addy absorbed the skills and deep values of Ga music as few would.

During his teenage years, he was influenced by international pop music but later gravitated to Highlife, a blend of African and European instrumentation. In 1969, he was employed by the Arts Council of Ghana as a Ga master of the national music, and in 1972, he and his brothers performed at the Olympic Games in Munich and embarked on an international tour. They lived in London and toured until 1978 when he moved to the United States and settled in Portland. With his wife, Susan, he created Homowo African Arts and Cultures, an organization which has introduced thousands of people to the music of Ghana.

Addy taught music at Lewis and Clark College and traveled throughout the country teaching and performing both solo and with his two ensembles. Okropong is dedicated to the tribal music and dance of Ghana and Kukrudu performs Addy’s original music, which blends African rhythms with classical instrumentation. His numerous recordings include two recent works, Wonche Bi and Afieye Okropong released on the Alula label. In 1996 Addy was awarded the National Heritage Fellowship Award by the National Endowment for the Arts, the highest honor a traditional artist can receive in this country.

APPRENTICE BIOGRAPHY - Alexander Addy 2012

Alexander Addy is the son of Obo Addy and in this apprenticeship, he was taught the proverbs that are played on Ghanaian drums. Because of his family, he grew up in a drumming environment and was able to learn through watching his family. He began drumming in his church around the age of 9 or 10 and had been drumming for the past 36 years. His goal is to continue to perform and teach drumming to younger generations.

Q+A WITH THE MENTOR ARTIST