Planet Drum is a
world musicWorld music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
album by
Mickey HartMickey Hart is an American percussionist and musicologist. He is best known as one of the two drummers of the rock band the Grateful Dead. He was a member of the Grateful Dead from September 1967 to February 1971, and from October 1974 to August 1995...
, a musician and musicologist who was a member of the rock band the
Grateful DeadThe Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
.
Hart's concept for
Planet Drum was to play drum music with
percussionistsA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
from around the world, and incorporate their different musical styles and traditions into a new global sound. The musicians on the
Planet Drum album were from the United States (Hart), India (
Zakir HussainZakir Hussain , , is an Indian tabla player, musical producer, film actor and composer.-Early life:Hussain was born in Mumbai, India to the legendary tabla player Alla Rakha. He attended St...
and
T.H. "Vikku" VinayakramThetakudi Harihara Vinayakram , also known as Vikku Vinayakram is a Grammy Award–winning Indian percussionist. Vinayakram plays Carnatic music with the ghatam, an earthen pot. Vinayakram is credit for the progress and development as well as popularizing of the ghatam.-Early life:Vikku Vinayakram...
), Nigeria (
Sikiru AdepojuSikiru Adepoju is a percussionist and recording artist from Nigeria, primarily in the genres of traditional African music and world music. He plays a variety of instruments and styles.- Background :...
and
Babatunde OlatunjiBabatunde Olatunji was a Nigerian drummer, educator, social activist and recording artist.- Biography :Olatunji was born in the village of Ajido, a small town near Badagry, Lagos State, in southwestern Nigeria. A member of the Yoruba people, Olatunji was introduced to traditional African music at...
), Brazil (
Airto MoreiraAirto Moreira is a Brazilian jazz drummer and percussionist. Airto is married to jazz singer Flora Purim, and their daughter Diana Moreira is also a singer. He currently resides in Los Angeles.-Biography:...
and his wife, vocalist
Flora PurimFlora Purim is a Brazilian jazz singer known primarily for her work in the jazz fusion style. She became prominent for her part in Chick Corea's landmark album Return to Forever...
), and Puerto Rico (
Giovanni HidalgoGiovanni Hidalgo a.k.a. "Mañenguito" is an educator and percussionist associated with Latin jazz.-Early years:Hidalgo was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico where he received his primary education. His grandfather had also been a musician as well as his father, José Manuel Hidalgo "Mañengue", who was...
and
Frank ColónFrank Colón is an American musician and martial artist, of Puerto Rican descent.-Biography:Born in Washington, D.C., Colón moved from there to Puerto Rico at the age of five...
).
Planet Drum won the
Grammy AwardA Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for Best World Music Album of 1991, the first year for which the award was given.
Planet Drum, the band
Since
Planet Drum was released,
Mickey HartMickey Hart is an American percussionist and musicologist. He is best known as one of the two drummers of the rock band the Grateful Dead. He was a member of the Grateful Dead from September 1967 to February 1971, and from October 1974 to August 1995...
has sometimes toured with many of the same musicians who played on the album, performing live concerts. This ensemble is also called Planet Drum.
Planet Drum, the book
Hart also wrote a book called
Planet Drum: A Celebration of Percussion and Rhythm, co-written by Fredric Lieberman and D.A. Sonneborn. The book explores the role of drumming in the musical, cultural, and spiritual traditions of different cultures. It was first published in 1991, the same year that the
Planet Drum album was released, and has the same cover illustration by Nancy Nimoy.
Track listing
- "Udu Chant" (Sikiru Adepoju
Sikiru Adepoju is a percussionist and recording artist from Nigeria, primarily in the genres of traditional African music and world music. He plays a variety of instruments and styles.- Background :...
, Mickey HartMickey Hart is an American percussionist and musicologist. He is best known as one of the two drummers of the rock band the Grateful Dead. He was a member of the Grateful Dead from September 1967 to February 1971, and from October 1974 to August 1995...
, Zakir HussainZakir Hussain , , is an Indian tabla player, musical producer, film actor and composer.-Early life:Hussain was born in Mumbai, India to the legendary tabla player Alla Rakha. He attended St...
, Airto MoreiraAirto Moreira is a Brazilian jazz drummer and percussionist. Airto is married to jazz singer Flora Purim, and their daughter Diana Moreira is also a singer. He currently resides in Los Angeles.-Biography:...
) – 3:40
- "Island Groove" (Adepoju, Hart, Hussain, Moreira, Babatunde Olatunji
Babatunde Olatunji was a Nigerian drummer, educator, social activist and recording artist.- Biography :Olatunji was born in the village of Ajido, a small town near Badagry, Lagos State, in southwestern Nigeria. A member of the Yoruba people, Olatunji was introduced to traditional African music at...
) – 5:43
- "Light Over Shadow" (Moreira, Olatunji, Flora Purim
Flora Purim is a Brazilian jazz singer known primarily for her work in the jazz fusion style. She became prominent for her part in Chick Corea's landmark album Return to Forever...
) – 3:51
- "Dance of the Hunter's Fire" (Adepoju, Moreira, Olatunji, Purim, T.H. "Vikku" Vinayakram
Thetakudi Harihara Vinayakram , also known as Vikku Vinayakram is a Grammy Award–winning Indian percussionist. Vinayakram plays Carnatic music with the ghatam, an earthen pot. Vinayakram is credit for the progress and development as well as popularizing of the ghatam.-Early life:Vikku Vinayakram...
) – 2:59
- "Jewe (You are the One)" (Olatunji) – 4:06
- "The Hunt" (Adepoju, Hart, Hussain, Moreira, Olatunji, Vinayakram) – 3:51
- "Temple Caves" (Adepoju, Hart, Hussain, Moreira, Olatunji) – 3:13
- "The Dancing Sorcerer" (Hussain, Moreira) – 2:57
- "Bones" (Hart, Hussain, Olatunji, Purim) – 4:10
- "Lost River" (Adepoju, Hart, Hussain, Moreira, Olatunji, Purim) – 2:58
- "Evening Samba" (Adepoju, Hart, Hussain, Moreira, Olatunji, Vinayakram) – 4:30
- "Iyanu (Surprises)" (Olatunji) – 2:02
- "Mysterious Island" (Hart, Moreira, Purim, Jeff Sterling) – 5:49
Musicians
- Sikiru Adepoju
Sikiru Adepoju is a percussionist and recording artist from Nigeria, primarily in the genres of traditional African music and world music. He plays a variety of instruments and styles.- Background :...
- Molonga Casquelord
- Frank Colón
Frank Colón is an American musician and martial artist, of Puerto Rican descent.-Biography:Born in Washington, D.C., Colón moved from there to Puerto Rico at the age of five...
- Mickey Hart
Mickey Hart is an American percussionist and musicologist. He is best known as one of the two drummers of the rock band the Grateful Dead. He was a member of the Grateful Dead from September 1967 to February 1971, and from October 1974 to August 1995...
- Giovanni Hidalgo
Giovanni Hidalgo a.k.a. "Mañenguito" is an educator and percussionist associated with Latin jazz.-Early years:Hidalgo was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico where he received his primary education. His grandfather had also been a musician as well as his father, José Manuel Hidalgo "Mañengue", who was...
- Zakir Hussain
Zakir Hussain , , is an Indian tabla player, musical producer, film actor and composer.-Early life:Hussain was born in Mumbai, India to the legendary tabla player Alla Rakha. He attended St...
- Bruce Langhorne
Bruce Langhorne is an American folk musician. He was active in the Greenwich Village folk scene in the 1960s, primarily as a session guitarist for folk albums and performances...
- Airto Moreira
Airto Moreira is a Brazilian jazz drummer and percussionist. Airto is married to jazz singer Flora Purim, and their daughter Diana Moreira is also a singer. He currently resides in Los Angeles.-Biography:...
- Caryl Ohrbach
- Babatunde Olatunji
Babatunde Olatunji was a Nigerian drummer, educator, social activist and recording artist.- Biography :Olatunji was born in the village of Ajido, a small town near Badagry, Lagos State, in southwestern Nigeria. A member of the Yoruba people, Olatunji was introduced to traditional African music at...
- Flora Purim
Flora Purim is a Brazilian jazz singer known primarily for her work in the jazz fusion style. She became prominent for her part in Chick Corea's landmark album Return to Forever...
- Gordy Ryan
- Jeff Sterling
- T.H. "Vikku" Vinayakram
Thetakudi Harihara Vinayakram , also known as Vikku Vinayakram is a Grammy Award–winning Indian percussionist. Vinayakram plays Carnatic music with the ghatam, an earthen pot. Vinayakram is credit for the progress and development as well as popularizing of the ghatam.-Early life:Vikku Vinayakram...
Production
- Producer – Mickey Hart
- Co-producers – Sikiru Adepoju, Zakir Hussain, Airto Moreira, Babatunde Olatunji, Flora Purim, T.H. "Vikku" Vinayakram
- Recording and mixdown engineers – Tom Flye, Jeff Sterling
- Production manager – Howard Cohen
- Equipment managers – Ram Rod
Laurence Shurtliff , also spelled Lawrence Shurtliff and a.k.a., Ram Rod, was President of Grateful Dead Productions, Inc., from 1976, the year that the Grateful Dead incorporated, until the death of guitarist Jerry Garcia in 1995...
, Rudson Shurtliff
- Technical support – Jack Crymes
- Digital mastering – Paul Stubblebine
- Cover illustration – Nancy Nimoy
External links