Gasper Lawal (born 23 September 1948 in

Ijebu Ode Ijebu-Ode is a town in Ogun State, South Western geopolitical zone in Nigeria, close to the A121 highway. The city is located 110 km by road north-east of Lagos; it is within of the Atlantic Ocean in the eastern part of Ogun State and p ...

, Nigeria) is a Nigerian drummer,

griot A griot (; ; Manding: jali or jeli (in N'Ko: , ''djeli'' or ''djéli'' in French spelling); Serer: kevel or kewel / okawul; Wolof: gewel) is a West African historian, storyteller, praise singer, poet, and/or musician. The griot is a repos ...

, and composer who has publicized traditional African percussive languages in the West. As a performer, his "Afriki" sound created a fusion of Nigerian percussion styles with

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

and

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

. Since the early 1970s, Lawal has been part of the West African music scene in the UK. Described by music magazine ''

Blues & Soul ''Blues & Soul'' is a British music magazine, established in 1967 by John Abbey. ''The Independent'' has noted ''Blues & Soul'' as being the equal of magazines such as ''NME'' and '' Q''. ''Billboard'' magazine has called ''Blues & Soul'' "a r ...

'' in 1989 as the "Nigerian octopus of sticks 'n' drums and anything percussive", he has worked extensively as a session player and arranger. Credits include work with

The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically d ...

Stevie Winwood Stephen Lawrence Winwood (born 12 May 1948) is an English musician, singer, and songwriter whose genres include blue-eyed soul, rhythm and blues, blues rock, and pop rock. Though primarily a keyboard player and vocalist prominent for his disti ...

, Robert Palmer,

Joe Cocker John Robert "Joe" Cocker (20 May 1944 – 22 December 2014) was an English singer known for his gritty, bluesy voice and dynamic stage performances that featured expressive body movements. Most of his best known singles were recordings of son ...

Stephen Stills Stephen Arthur Stills (born January 3, 1945) is an American musician, singer and songwriter best known for his work with Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. As both a solo act and member of two successful bands, Stills has com ...

Elkie Brooks Elkie Brooks (born Elaine Bookbinder; 25 February 1946) is an English rock, blues and jazz singer. She was a vocalist with the bands Dada and Vinegar Joe, and later became a solo artist. She gained her biggest success in the late 1970s and 1980 ...

Babe Ruth (band) Babe Ruth are an English rock band from Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England. They were initially active in the 1970s and reformed in 2005. History A predecessor of the group, called Shacklock after guitarist Alan Shacklock, was formed in 1970. ...

The Pogues The Pogues were an English or Anglo-Irish Celtic punk band fronted by Shane MacGowan and others, founded in Kings Cross, London in 1982, as "Pogue Mahone" – the anglicisation of the Irish Gaelic ''póg mo thóin'', meaning "kiss my arse". T ...

Joan Armatrading Joan Anita Barbara Armatrading, (, born 9 December 1950) is a Kittitian-English singer-songwriter and guitarist. A three-time Grammy Award nominee, Armatrading has also been nominated twice for BRIT Awards as Best Female Artist. She received ...

Eddy Grant Edmond Montague Grant (born 5 March 1948) is a Guyanese-British singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, known for his genre-blending sound; his music has blended elements of pop, British rock, soul, funk, reggae, electronic music, Afr ...

Hugh Masekela Hugh Ramapolo Masekela (4 April 1939 – 23 January 2018) was a South African trumpeter, flugelhornist, cornetist, singer and composer who was described as "the father of South African jazz". Masekela was known for his jazz compositions and for ...

Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers List ...

Elvin Jones Elvin Ray Jones (September 9, 1927 – May 18, 2004) was an American jazz drummer of the post-bop era. Most famously a member of John Coltrane's quartet, with whom he recorded from late 1960 to late 1965, Jones appeared on such widely celebrate ...

, Clancy,

Ginger Baker's Air Force Ginger Baker's Air Force was a jazz-rock fusion supergroup led by drummer Ginger Baker. History The band formed in late 1969 upon the disbandment of Blind Faith. The original lineup consisted of Ginger Baker on drums, Steve Winwood on organ ...

Funkadelic Funkadelic was an American funk rock band formed in Plainfield, New Jersey in 1968 and active until 1982. The band and its sister act Parliament, both led by George Clinton, pioneered the funk music culture of the 1970s.John, Bush. Funkadeli ...

and

Dr. John Malcolm John Rebennack Jr. (November 20, 1941 – June 6, 2019), better known by his stage name Dr. John, was an American singer and songwriter. His music encompassed New Orleans blues, jazz, funk, and R&B. Active as a session musician from t ...

. In 1980, Lawal formed a group called the Oro Band, which nurtured musicians such as Adesose Wallace, and Sola Akingbola (percussionist for

Jamiroquai Jamiroquai () are an English funk and acid jazz band from London. Formed in 1992, they are fronted by vocalist Jay Kay, and were prominent in the London-based funk and acid jazz movement of the 1990s. They built on their acid jazz sound in the ...

) who would go on to have their own successful careers. The Oro Band performed throughout Europe and the UK, including headline concerts at The Forum, Astoria, and Ronnie Scott's in London; and supporting Peter Gabriel at Earls Court and Crystal Palace Stadium, several WOMAD festivals, Glastonbury Festival, the African Festival in Sardinia, and the Multicultural Festival in Barcelona. In pursuit of a solo career, Lawal has released three albums entitled ''Ajomase'' (Cap Records, 1980), ''Abiosun'ni'' (Hot Records, 1985), and ''Kadara'' (Globe Style, 1991). "Kita-Kita", the hit single from ''Abiosun'ni'' remains one of the most played African records on UK radio. Lawal performed for

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...

on two occasions: first at a special banquet for the

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

n president in 1989 and then for the Commonwealth Celebrations Day in 1990.Commonwealth Currents. London: Commonwealth Secretariat, 1994, p. 64 Television and radio appearances have included ''

Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British Record chart, music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show ...

'', MTV's ''Week in Rock'', ''

Kaleidoscope A kaleidoscope () is an optical instrument with two or more reflecting surfaces (or mirrors) tilted to each other at an angle, so that one or more (parts of) objects on one end of these mirrors are shown as a regular symmetrical pattern when v ...

'', ''Network Africa'', and David Attenborough's Wildlife on One special ''The Leopard'' (BBC1, 1995). Lawal also composes for film and television, with music for the concert for Nelson Mandela in 1984, parts of the soundtrack for Erica Russell's award-winning animation ''Feet of Song'' (Channel 4, 1989), BBC documentary ''Nigeria: Giant on Trial'' (BBC2, 1992), ''African Express'' (Channel 4, 1996), and several television commercials.

Discography

Solo albums * ''Ajomase'' (Cap Records, 1980) * ''Abiosun'ni'' (Hot Records, 1985) * ''Kadara'' (Globe Style, 1991) Featuring artist *

– ''Funkadelic'' (Westbound, 1970) *

Graham Bond Graham John Clifton Bond (28 October 1937 – 8 May 1974) was an English rock/blues musician and vocalist, considered a founding father of the English rhythm and blues boom of the 1960s. Bond was an innovator, described as "an important, und ...

– ''We Put Our Magick On'' (Vertigo Records, 1971) *

- '' Stephen Stills 2'' (Atlantic Records, 1971) * Graham Bell – ''Graham Bell'' (Charisma, 1972) * Vinegar Joe – ''Vinegar Joe'' (Island Records, 1972) * Atlantis - ''It's Getting Better'' (Vertigo Records, 1973) * Clancy – ''Seriously Speaking'' (Warner Brothers Records, 1975) *

Babe Ruth George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Su ...

– ''

First Base A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...

'' (Harvest, 1972); and ''Amar Caballero'' (Harvest, 1974) *

Vivian Stanshall Vivian Stanshall (born Victor Anthony Stanshall; 21 March 1943 – 5 March 1995) was an English singer-songwriter, musician, author, poet and wit, best known for his work with the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, for his exploration of the British upper ...

– '' Men Opening Umbrellas Ahead'' (Warner Brothers Records,1974; Harkit Records, 2010; Poppydisc Records, 2012) * Clancy – ''Every Day'' (Warner Brothers Records, 1975) *

– ''

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'' (A&M Records, 1975) *

Camel A camel (from: la, camelus and grc-gre, κάμηλος (''kamēlos'') from Hebrew or Phoenician: גָמָל ''gāmāl''.) is an even-toed ungulate in the genus ''Camelus'' that bears distinctive fatty deposits known as "humps" on its back. C ...

- ''Nude'' (Gamma/Decca, 1981) *

Wishbone Ash Wishbone Ash are a British rock band who achieved success in the early and mid-1970s. Their popular albums included ''Wishbone Ash'' (1970), ''Pilgrimage'' (1971), '' Argus'' (1972), ''Wishbone Four'' (1973), ''There's the Rub'' (1974), and '' ...

- ''

Number the Brave ''Number the Brave'' is the 11th studio album by rock band Wishbone Ash. It is the first album in the band's history recorded without founding bassist/vocalist Martin Turner. Turner was replaced (for this album only) by John Wetton, formerly of ...

'' (MCA, 1981) * The Associates - ''Perhaps'' (WEA, 1985) *

- ''

Techno-Bush ''Techno-Bush'' is a 1984 studio album by South African jazz trumpeter Hugh Masekela. It was recorded in Gaborone, Botswana. Reception Robert Christgau stated: "Like Malcolm McLaren with a birthright, Masekela has given up the dull demijazz of h ...

'' (TELDEC, 1984) *

Icehouse Icehouse or ice house may refer to: * Ice house (building), a building where ice is stored * Ice shanty, a shelter for ice fishing also known as an ''Icehouse'' * Ice skating rink, a facility for ice skating. * Ice hockey arena, an area where ice ...

– ''Measure for Measure'' (Chrysalis Records, 1986) * 3 Mustaphas 3 – ''Heart of Uncle'' (Ace Records, 1989) *

- ''Peace and love'' (Island Records, 1989)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lawal, Gasper 1948 births Living people People from Ijebu Ode Nigerian drummers Nigerian percussionists Conga players Nigerian emigrants to the United Kingdom