Ayodola Olalekan Babalola

Biography

Lekan Babalola is a two-time Grammy Award-winning musician, film director, and conceptual artist with over 40 years in the arts.

Lekan has worked with many prestigious names in the music industry. Awarded his first Grammy in 2006 for performances on the late Ali Farka Toure’s album ‘In the Heart of the Moon’, he was awarded a second at the 49th Grammy awards in 2008 for his work on the American jazz diva Cassandra Wilson’s album ‘Loverly’.

Global media has given him rave reviews for his percussive ‘wizardry’ and infectious grooves.

Lekan started his career playing in the Yoruba Christian Church owned by his father. As custodians of Yoruba tradition his family taught him first hand Yoruba art and culture and this has influenced all his work. He also received a cultural and political apprenticeship from the late Fela Kuti.

In 1980 he came to Britain and as his skills as a master percussionist grew, Lekan was invited to join Gasper Lawal in 1982. He continued his career where he performed with the likes of Ernest Ranglin, Branford Marsalis, Cassandra Wilson, also performing with African Jazz All Stars, Roy Ayers, Kate Luxmoore Group, Tony Allen, KLLB Band, Axelle Red, Pinse Saul, Queen Salawa Abeni, and Jean Toussaint.

Lekan studied filmmaking at Central St Martin’s College of Art and Design, continuing his studies at Northern School of Film & Television in Leeds.

In 1995, the artist founded the Ifa-Yoruba Contemporary Arts Trust, a UK-based registered charitable trust committed to fostering the development of Yoruba arts and culture.

As Artistic Director of Ifa-Yoruba, Lekan has commissioned and Curated a series of visual arts works, including the “16 Pieces” – an exhibition of contemporary Yoruba paintings by artists throughout the African Diaspora and “Erindinlogun” – a collection of 28 batik drawings by a Nigerian based artist.
In the last few years Olalekan has undertaken education work as part of his artistic programme and has an on-going relationship with music institutions in UK as both percussion tutor and band leader ad composer.

He has developed his band Lekan Babalola and The Afrobeat Messengers and tours with Atomic Bomb – The Music of William Onyeabor, under David Byrne’s Luaka Bop Record label.

Research Interests
African Diaspora Contemporary arts and Culture