BAOKU & The Image Afro-beat Band

Who wants to know the reason rich people flourish even as poor folks continue struggling for the most basic necessities in life? That is a question Baoku Moses, the front man for The Image Afro-beat Band, asks melodically in his song “Oro Sunukun (Deep Issue).” Born in Ilesa, a city in the Osun state of Nigeria, Baoku knew nothing but extreme poverty for the first twenty-one years of his life. His only objective was to work enough so that he could survive from one day to the next. That struggle for survival led Baoku to Lagos, Nigeria’s largest city. It was in Lagos that Baoku developed the only ambition he ever had, to become an artist and a Yoruba cultural ambassador.

In Lagos, the rhythm of a drum led Baoku to his life’s destiny… literally. It was 1994, and at the time Baoku worked manual labor jobs that he would not wish on his worst enemy. However, it was in Lagos that Baoku discovered his love for theatre and eventually music. One day he followed the sound of drums and gong to Ajumobi Theater Group’s rehearsal. Baoku met the director and became involved, first as an actor. Within two months of participating in the theater group, he claimed that his “creative mind opened up.” Baoku began writing scripts and songs, and within a year he moved up and became an apprentice with a bigger company, Odunfa Theatre Institute, an internationally renowned company whose actors star in major Nigerian films. Finally, he became a student with the Ivory Ambassadors, one of the highest rated private cultural troupes in Nigeria. As an apprentice, he refined his acting skills and danced. His dance career didn’t last long, because at 6’4” it was difficult for choreographers to match him with a partner. Frustrated, he decided to learn the drums. All the while the singer and songwriter penned songs that were critical of the world, and which sought to spread messages of hope, unity, and power.
In 1997, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti – the father of Afrobeat – died. Upon his death, the Nigerian government lifted a ban on Fela’s music. As it played freely on the radio, it was like the spirit of Fela found a new home in Baoku, who quickly decided that he would play Afrobeat from that point forward.
Baoku released his first demo in 1998, which showed people that he was more than just a drummer.

CHECK THE LINK FOR MORE, PEACE. - EDWARD ONACI

Baoku Moses: A Unity of Sounds

Like so many that have come before him, Baoku Moses left everything he knew in Nigeria and immigrated to the United States in hopes of a better life. Along with a few personal items, Moses brought something entirely unique and intangible: his exceptional skills as a drummer and dancer. Combining traditional African drumming and dancing into the modern sound of Afrobeat, Moses came equipped with hopes and a rare talent.

CHECK THE LINK FOR MORE, PEACE. - Dorothy Johnson-Laird - AFROPOP.ORG