The grooves of Afrobeat, from Fela Kuti to Kokoroko, with Ayo Salawu.
Ayo Salawu of Kokoroko on Afrobeat drumming, beginner to advanced, in 4/4 and 6/8: rhythm, dynamics, coordination and independence, shaped by Fela Kuti and Tony Allen, with a nod to highlife music.
Ayo Salawu breaks down the Tony Allen groove from Fela Kuti's "Colonial Mentality." Snare placement, kick patterns and open hi-hats at three levels, with an 80 BPM play-along to build feel.
Ayo Salawu on an intermediate Afrobeat groove. Eighth-note hi-hats, kick on 1 and 3 with 16ths, snare accents, and bass-and-snare combos on 3 and 4 with an open hi-hat, practised at 50, 65 and 80 BPM.
Ayo Salawu on the "Colonial Mentality" groove, built on 16th notes across kick, snare and hi-hat. Break it down step by step, from kick accents to snare placement, with open hi-hats and broken 16ths.
Ayo Salawu on an Afrobeat 6/8 groove, from counting the time to placing the parts. Right hand on the hi-hat, kick and snare placement, the snare between 5 and 6, building from 60 up to 85 BPM.
Ayo Salawu on an advanced 6/8 groove, countable as 4/4 over a triplet base. Tighter hi-hat and snare coordination, more 16ths, triplet accents, open hi-hats and ghost notes, up to a halftime 85 BPM.
Ayo Salawu on the advanced 6/8 Afrobeat groove. Fold 16th notes, kick and snare into the pattern, count in 6/8 and build speed, drawing inspiration from Fela Kuti and Ebo Taylor along the way.
Ayo Salawu on Afrobeat drills built around hi-hat rhythm and broken 16th notes. Start slow and build the tempo, adding snare and kick variations while keeping it consistent, then make them your own.
Ayo Salawu breaks down Kokoroko's "Carry Me Home", an Afrobeat and highlife piece. Two sections moving between eighths and 16ths, a Tony Allen-style sound, 16th-note fills and a drumless play-along.
A playthrough of the Kokoroko track 'Carry Me Home'.
Ayo Salawu tapped out his first beat at the age of two and hasn't stopped since. An Academy of Contemporary Music graduate and award-winning freelance drummer, he plays with Afrobeat band Kokoroko, pop-jazz singer Julia Biel and soul-jazz artist Oscar Jerome, carrying the gospel roots and Afrobeat feel that shaped him.
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