It is with much sadness that we have recently learned about the passing of Nigerian drum master Prince Julius Adeniyi. He was a teaching artist for Young Audiences of Indiana for over 30 years, having only recently retired in 2009. During this time, he taught thousands of school children about West African culture through music and drumming. Prince was also recognized as the National Young Audiences’ Artist of the Year in 2002.
Prince Julius Adeniyi was born into a long line of royal drummers of the Yoruba tribe in his home of Nigeria. He learned the art of drumming from the teachings of his grandfather, and continued to pass those lessons to many students throughout the years. With the help of his friend and Young Audiences colleague, Jack Gilfoy, he formed the ensemble Drums of West Africa. This group became widely popular and performed in many of the area’s ethnic festivals, including the Lotus World Music and Arts Festival. In addition to his musical talents, for a number of years Prince also owned and operated Sambusa Hut, a West African style restaurant located in the Butler-Tarkington neighborhood for a number of years.
Please follow the links below for other memorial posts about Prince Julius Adeniyi:
Memorial Post by Traditional Arts Indiana director- Jon Kay
Memorial Post by Lotus: Education and Arts Foundation
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