ADAAWE is six dynamic, diverse women creating rich organic music of the voice and drum, which comes from the heart and speaks to the soul!
In the Adaawe tradition of Ghana, West Africa, women gather in the moonlight to create music and sing songs about life's joys and sorrows. Through constant improvisation, they breathe new life into ancient music. Their spirit of celebration and strength is the inspiration behind ADAAWE.
These beautiful and skilled percussionists and vocalists come from all over the world, and their music is an international fusion of African Diaspora music and rhythms, R&B/pop vocals, arresting Gospel vocal harmonies, and funky original creations. ADAAWE's music is organic, spiritual, and exciting. They reclaim music as a force for healing and celebration. In this time of national turmoil, ADAAWE seeks to unite, with music that can reach every segment of our diverse American population. ADAAWE brings world music to the mainstream, African drums to pop culture, and meaning back to music.
Since 1996, ADAAWE has performed locally and nationally at colleges, universities, performing arts venues, music festivals, and community events. They have opened for James Brown, Mickey Hart, Los Lobos, Yolanda Adams, Sugar Hill Gang, Michelle Shocked, Spearhead, James Ingram, Harry Belafonte and many others. Their celebratory concert appearances are not to be missed, and their informative school shows reach the next generation with humor, fun and musical understanding.
They were featured in "The World Festival of Sacred Music - the Americas" documentary (Catchlight Films,2000); "Sister Celebration 2001", presented July 13th as part of the John Anson Ford Amphitheater's 2001 Summer Series; "Drum Magazine", March/April 2002 issue; and L.A. Direct Magazine, May 2004. ADAAWE's vocal percussion style was recently featured in a national Hyundai commercial. They currently appear in a movie trailer for KCRW, a Los Angeles radio station, in Laemmle Theaters.
ADAAWE is currently available for booking: school shows, festivals and concerts. Their debut CD, "Six Women Strong" is a feast for the ears that will keep you dancing and yearning for more! Buy it now!
"But the top music story at this year's festival was undoubtedly Adaawe, an L.A.-based rhythm and vocals outfit that featured seven talented and diverse women. Oh, there were other anticipated performers (Mickey Hart) who dazzled the crowd, but Adaawe blew away its audiences with its mix of high-octane percussion, funk, Gospel-infused lyrics and pure joy. The women, a melting pot of talent from Kenya, Morocco and Brazil as well as the United States, performed three times and became the talk of the festival.
- Alan Sheckter, Sixth Annual California Worldfest
Other Links:
www.joselynwilkinson.com/adaawe
http://www.bass-schuler.com/adaawe.html
http://www.newsreview.com/issues/chico/2002-07-25/review.asp
www.henhousestudios.com/artists/ mkpgartist.php?artistID=1001
http://arts.santa-monica.org/events/smfest2003.pdf
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