About the Musicians


Kakraba Lobi is from the Lobi nation, known for their musical abilities, and was born into a family of gyil players/makers in Kalba Saru, in upper western Ghana. He moved to Accra in his early 20s, where he began his performing career doing broadcasts for "Radio Ghana." From 1962 until 1987, he was a full-time member of the staff at the University of Ghana's Institute of African Studies, and is currently an advising member. Kakraba was one of the musicians in Ghana's first National Dance Company. Upon hearing his solo presentation within the company's program, many concert promoters invited him to return alone. It was in this context that he honed his art as a composer, arranger, and soloist; often using the applause of his international audiences as his quality gauge. Kakraba has taught at universities and colleges throughout the Americas and Europe, and has performed in many countries, including the Czech Republic, Sweden, Denmark, England, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Mexico, Nigeria, Poland, Russia, Malawi, Senegal, Nigeria, South Africa, and Togo.

His repertoire and technique have been studied by ethnomusicologists from around the world, and his original music has been performed by leading artists on various instruments worldwide. His art is contemporary, yet deeply rooted in tradition, and by virtue of his personality and extraordinary life circumstances, he has evolved into a legendary solo performer.

Valerie Dee Naranjo - has been the percussionist on the NBC television Show "Saturday Night Live" for over eleven years. Known for her pioneering efforts in West African keyboard percussion, Valerie has studied gyil since 1984. She has been a student of Maestro Kakraba Lobi since 1991, and has been featured with him on CNN. Valerie and Barry were honored with a First Place Award at Ghana's Kobine festival in 1996, the only to date non-West Africans to do so. Valerie has also studied with many other master percussionists in 8 African countries: Ghana, Burkina Faso, Egypt, Morrocco, South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Madagascar. She has performed with such artists as Tori Amos, Airto Moriera, Glen Velez, David Byrne, Zakir Hussein, Milton Cardona, The Philip Glass Ensemble, and The Paul Winter Consort; and is an arranger and performer for Broadway's "The Lion King". For the past 23 years she has co-led with Barry Olsen "Mandara" a quintet of instrumentalist-vocalists from diverse ethnic and musical backgrounds. She was named "World Music Percussionist of the Year 2005" by Drum! reader's poll, and has been featured in Drum!, Modern Drummer, Percussive Notes, and World Percussion Rhythm magazines. She has performed on six continents, including nine African countries, and in such diverse situations and locations as Lincoln Center; Carnegie Hall; New York's City Center; London's Royal Festival Hall; Mexico City's UMAS; Perth, Australia's Opera House; The Pyramids in Cairo, Egypt; The Arts Alive and Grahamstown Festivals (South Africa); The Kaisuka Festival (Japan); The Vancouver Jazz Festival; and Scotland's Edinburgh Festival. She has released several CDs as a leader. She endorses Avedis Zildjian Cymbals, Pearl/Adams (Latin and Concert Percussion), and Vic Firth drumsticks and mallets.

Barry Olsen is a native New Yorker who began his career in the late 70's playing trombone in that city's Latin dance music scene. Over the years he has performed with almost all the major artists in this field, including Ray Barretto, Eddie Palmieri, Hector Lavoe,Tito Puente, Celia Cruz, Marc Anthony, and La India. He recently completed a Rhythm Road Jazz Ambassadors tour of four East African countries, playing piano, trombone and percussion. He has also worked with Paul Simon, David Byrne, The Paul Winter Consort, Charlie Persip and many others. He has been a frequent guest with the jazz group Ingoma, led by South African saxophonist and composer Zim Ngqawana, having toured with them in Europe and the U.S., as well as in their home country. Barry is the regular pianist for the Latin-Jazz group Syotos, led by trombonist Chris Washburne, and is featured on their recordings "Nuyorican Nights.," "The Other Side" and "Paradise in Trouble". On marimba and percussion he is frequently heard in the orchestra of the Broadway hit "The Lion King." Since 1988 he has been performing Lobi and Dagara music, playing the drums known as kuar and gangaa, which accompany the gyil . In 1996 he performed with Valerie Naranjo in the Kobine Festival of Traditional Music in Lawra, Ghana, where they were honored as the only non-Ghanaians to date to be awarded a first prize.

Kakraba Valerie and Barry began performing together in 1997, and have released three CDs combining Kakraba's solo performances with trio pieces : Song of Legaa (Lyrichord, 2000); Song of Niira (Mandara Music 2001); and Da Yillena - Wood that Sings (Mandara Music 2002). Together they compiled and published the transcription and recorded series "West African Music for the Marimba Soloist" transcriptions of Kakraba's music onto chromatic marimba.

They are on their 5th East Coast tour.