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Born
1970
1970
From
Nigeria
Nigeria
Journey
Abiodun Abraham Oke, professionally known as Wura Samba aka The Master Percussionist, is a Nigerian singer-songwriter, the pioneer of Afro-folklore music, and a modern-day griot known for playing the Sambabe Drum.
Born to an average family in Mushin Lagos, as the third of six children, Abiodun's passion for music wasn't far-fetched at a tender age. His love for drumming was evident from his childhood church days, but his path was sealed at age five when his father, following a prophecy, bought him a Samba Drum, affirming his destiny as a drummer. Since then, he has never looked back.
With his style, which combines different genres including jazz, juju, Afrobeat, and reggae, he has created his signature sound, which he calls 'Afro-folklore, traditional percussive music.' Although faced with challenges in the early days of his career, Oke has steadily built a reputation, with two albums to his name: Ajo (2009) and ONALA (2020).
He has collaborated with notable artists such as the legendary Tony Allen, Nneka, and Keziah Jones, and has contributed to projects like Ten Cities (Goethe-Institut) and Gidi Jand (British Council). With the continued global rise of Afrobeats, Abiodun remains confident that percussion-driven music will soon claim its rightful place.