Nurudafina Pili Abena – Drum Call

“Rhythm is life. Vibration is breath. The heartbeat is the core of one’s being.” So says Nuru – Nurudafina Pili Abena – congera, djembe player, and Afro-Caribbean and West African percussionist, who some of you know from the OneSpirit duo… and we proudly release this mid-1994 album on the Ladyslipper label! It opens with an inspired program of calls, celebratory chants and prayers, to the orisa (pronounced “orisha”), or Yoruba dieties. They’re performed in the Yoruba/Lucumi language in a call-and-response style, with Nuru in lead, and several voices in response, with chants to dieties such as Yemaya, ocean goddess and mother of all; Oshun, river goddess of love; Shango, god of thunder and lightning. Nuru then performs 3 all-instrumental djembe pieces; then to a Cuban instrumental, La Rumbera; and lastly the unexpected hip-hop of the title track, with chorus and children’s voices, and its critical message. Throughout, Nuru plays an astounding array of percussion, including 3 different congas (conga, quinto, tumba), djembe, shekere, rain rattle, Ghanian rain stick, bells, ago go, maracas, claves, djoung djoung, and more!! Experience the talent of this master percussionist!