Stories and African Drumming

Join Javoen* Byrd, performing as Tunji Awodi, at the Olympia Timberland Library at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 19 for a night of storytelling and the contagious rhythms of African drumming. Mr. Byrd will be accompanied by singer and music event organizer, Shawna Hawk.

Byrd has traveled in Cuba, Nigeria and many other places on his journey towards becoming an Afro-folklorist. He spent seven months in Nigeria on two separate occasions exploring the interaction between music, health, and spiritual practices in Nigerian culture and was initiated into the society of traditional drummers as Tunji Awodi.

Byrd dedicates his life to understanding his identity and culture as an African American and sharing it with others. He began attending The Evergreen State College in 2010 to pursue his interest in ethnomusicology and has hosted music festivals on the campus. He has also provided workshops in cultural education on African and African American folklore throughout Washington and facilitated an African drum and song circle in Seattle.