FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- 8/6/10
Morgan Arts Council • Berkeley Springs, WV
www.macicehouse.org

Press contact only: Mary Hott -- 304-258-2300




AFRICAN DRUMMER IN PARK

BERKELEY SPRINGS, WV ---- Master percussionist, Babatunde Lea, fills 
Berkeley Springs State Park with rousing African and island rhythms at 
Saturday's concert in the park. Although the concert does not begin 
until 5:30pm, the public is invited to bring their own instruments at 
4:30pm for a workshop/jam session with Lea. "Berkeley Springs is a 
hotbed of drum groups," said Mary Hott, MAC's Executive Director. 
"This promises to be a memorable jam session that could turn into 
jammers performing with Lea during the concert."

The concert is produced by the Morgan Arts Council (MAC.) Rain 
location is the Ice House.

Lea's taste in instruments is as global as his music. Using his 
tremendous inventiveness and showmanship, Lea innovated the Traponga, 
a set up that has him playing a trap drumkit simultaneously with a 
surrounding arsenal of congas and percussion. His flowing rhythms, 
chants and beckoning of ancient cultural memory blends seamlessly into 
music that can easily be classified as soulful jazz. Lea is backed up 
by a bass and keyboard.

Babatunde Lea grew up in New York and has been perfecting his musical 
art since the late 1960s. He counts Oscar Brown Jr. as one of his 
most important mentors. Lea's first recording was released in 1979 and 
he has performed on albums with a long list of prominent musicians 
including Van Morrison. He currently has six albums. The culture is 
as important as the music and Lea operates the Educultural Foundation 
in San Francisco to educate youth in global rhythms. "Music is 
functional; in African life music accompanies everything," said Lea. 
"The music is there to open people up to the deepest experiences of 
life."

This concert is sponsored by the Fairfax Coffee House, and funded in 
part by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and West 
Virginia Commission on the Arts as well as hotel/motel tax from the 
town and county. In addition, it is part of Pennsylvania Performing 
Arts on Tour.

For a full schedule and links to the music of the seven concert 
series, check online at www.macicehouse.org.