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Looper's Delight
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I was first introduced to Baba's work thru the Grateful Dead, and hearing his music pushed my musical vocabulary further... For years I listened to his work, and was while I was moved by his drumming, it was his voice that kept me in awe... Many years later I showed up at my friend Muruga's house and was more than pleasantly surprised to find Baba there... They were working on a album together (which I highly recommend hearing if you haven't, Cosmic Rhythm Vibrations is the title) and I had a wonderful opportunity to hang out with him... As Rick has said he was, I also was impacted by Baba's perspective... I am very thankful to have had the opportunity to have been in his presence (and carry his drums) and saddened that others will not have that chance... peace -cpr >-- Original Message -- >From: "Rick Walker/Loop.pooL" <GLOBAL@cruzio.com> >To: "LOOPERS DELIGHT" <Loopers-Delight@loopers-delight.com> >Subject: OT: Babatunde Olatunji passes on >Date: Sun, 6 Apr 2003 16:52:13 -0700 >Reply-To: Loopers-Delight@loopers-delight.com > > >I just recieved the very sad news that the wonderful >Nigerian drummer and Emissary for Peace and Community, >Babatunde Olatunji passed on after a long series of health >crises. > >Baba was an amazing spirit!!! He put desire to unify people >above any other thing in his work and was an Ambassador for >World Peace and multi-cultural diversity and love. > >He was as much a spiritual father to me as a drumming father, even though >I toured and recorded with him for a while and first was attracted to him >because of his drumming skills. > >He was also the first adult male who ever approved of me and my musical >choice in >life and gave me the courage and support to become a true artist. He >nurtured me and he loved me like a son and,indeed, went on to become >my official godfather. He called me 'captain'. Why, I'll never be sure >but >it felt good to me. > >One day, many years ago, he called Arthur Hull (the famous community drum >circle facilitator) and I together for a breakfast business meeting and >asked if I would become his official world touring manager in a dual role >as >a performing member of his ensemble. I was flattered beyond belief but >felt that I really wanted to be an artist and humbly turned him down. He >was very gracious and supportive of me then, even though it didn't serve >his >purposes to have me turn him down. > >At that meeting, he was reading a newspaper headline about the then >president, George Bush, Sr. I made some scathing remark about how much >I >hated >George Bush's politics. Baba scolded me and said, "No, no, captain, I >pray for the president every single day when I shower". > >I was aghast........."But Baba, He is doing horrible things to people >around the world in the name of our country". > >And he replied............"He is the president of this country and people >all over the world look to him for his views, so every single day I pray >that he does the right thing...........I pray that he makes the most >compassionate and selfless decisions that will affect the people of this >country and the world. I pray that he can become a great leader." > > >His response completely changed me. Before this point, I had feared and >resented and hated the people in power who abuse their power. I suddenly >realized that >you praying for them to do the right things represented a paradigm shift >in >the way I looked at politics and change. Baba showed me that the way you >comport yourself in your life has everything to do with the ability of >things to change for the positive. > >If what the Dalai Lama says is true (and I believe it is), that there is >"no >us and then, but that there is only US", then it means our work is cut out >for us in this lifetime for, as Michael Franti of Spearhead says, >"Creating >Peace amongst human beings on this planet will take many generations to >accomplish.............consequently we need to dedicate our selves to a >lifetime of >work in an attempt to create the world that some day, long after we are >gone, will make the world a better place...............the place that we >all >wish was here today." > >God bless you Baba...................Thank you for everything, old >man......I love you. > > >Rick Walker >