239:
He began his professional career after joining a band called Samba Samba Band and later New York City-based Art Blakey's Jazz
Messengers band, where he perfected playing the Bongo drums and performing jazz music. Upon his return to the U.K, Babalola later went on to work with notable acts including
216:
for his secondary school education. At the age of six, he had started playing the conga at his father's
Aladura church and later formed a patchwork band with his peers.
220:
77:
208:
Babalola was born in Lagos State, South-Western
Nigeria where he attended Bishop Oluwole Primary School, Agege for his basic education before proceeding to
303:
223:
after he won a Lagos State
Scholarship. Babalola however dropped the engineering programme for music and later enrolled at the
542:
360:
547:
537:
224:
82:
532:
429:
181:
527:
522:
482:
452:
335:
261:
517:
276:
which he was credited in three tracks. He also won a second Grammy in 2009 for his work on
228:
8:
424:
498:
470:
425:"Hiding in plain sight: The story of Lekan Babalola, Nigeria's 1st Grammy Award winner"
219:
In 1980, he left
Nigeria for the United Kingdom to study automobile engineering at the
269:
458:
249:
241:
277:
392:
55:
245:
511:
462:
308:
265:
197:
257:
304:"Afrobeat uprising: the musicians fighting against a tide of sugary pop"
145:
402:
253:
213:
209:
118:
502:
397:
282:
196:
at a young age, he has released seven albums and jointly won two
189:
313:
193:
185:
141:
51:
450:
122:
221:
Chelsea
College of Aeronautical and Automobile Engineering
78:
Chelsea
College of Aeronautical and Automobile Engineering
365:
336:"Meet Lekan Babalola, Nigeria's 1st Grammy Award winner"
361:"Musician Lekan Babalola: I love freedom of expression"
264:amongst others. In 2006, he became Nigeria's first
227:where he studied filmmaking. He proceeded to the
509:
225:Central Saint Martin's College of Art and Design
457:. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. pp. 46–.
451:Nielsen Business Media, Inc. (14 June 2008).
393:"Nigeria: Lekan Babalola – Lord of the Drums"
390:
203:
231:where he completed his master's degree.
16:Nigerian jazz percussionist and musician
444:
510:
422:
386:
384:
333:
301:
13:
381:
14:
559:
492:
391:Olatunbosun, Yinka (3 May 2005).
423:Taiwo, Jide (12 October 2016).
334:Taiwo, Jide (13 October 2016).
416:
353:
327:
295:
1:
302:Mark, Monica (29 July 2014).
289:
174:
430:Nigerian Entertainment Today
340:Nigerian Entertainment Today
83:Saint Martin's School of Art
7:
192:where he began playing the
10:
564:
543:Musicians from Lagos State
252:, African Jazz All Stars,
548:Atomic Bomb! Band members
234:
161:
151:
136:
128:
114:
107:
99:
91:
70:
62:
30:
23:
274:In the Heart of the Moon
204:Early life and education
538:Nigerian jazz musicians
268:winner for his work on
132:musician, percussionist
184:and musician. Born in
280:'s 2008 album titled
229:Northern Film School
533:Jazz percussionists
481:has generic name (
182:jazz percussionist
250:Branford Marsalis
171:Olalekan Babalola
168:
167:
66:Nigerian, British
35:Olalekan Babalola
555:
528:Yoruba musicians
487:
486:
480:
476:
474:
466:
448:
442:
441:
439:
437:
420:
414:
413:
411:
409:
388:
379:
378:
376:
374:
369:. 7 October 2016
357:
351:
350:
348:
346:
331:
325:
324:
322:
320:
299:
278:Cassandra Wilson
260:, Damon Albarn,
180:) is a Nigerian
179:
176:
154:
48:
44:
42:
21:
20:
563:
562:
558:
557:
556:
554:
553:
552:
508:
507:
501:discography at
495:
490:
478:
477:
468:
467:
449:
445:
435:
433:
421:
417:
407:
405:
389:
382:
372:
370:
359:
358:
354:
344:
342:
332:
328:
318:
316:
300:
296:
292:
270:Ali Farka Touré
237:
206:
177:
164:
152:
87:
71:Alma mater
58:
56:British Nigeria
49:
46:
40:
38:
37:
36:
26:
17:
12:
11:
5:
561:
551:
550:
545:
540:
535:
530:
525:
520:
506:
505:
499:Lekan Babalola
494:
493:External links
491:
489:
488:
443:
415:
380:
352:
326:
293:
291:
288:
246:Ernest Ranglin
236:
233:
205:
202:
166:
165:
163:Musical artist
162:
159:
158:
155:
149:
148:
138:
134:
133:
130:
126:
125:
116:
112:
111:
109:Musical career
105:
104:
101:
97:
96:
93:
89:
88:
86:
85:
80:
74:
72:
68:
67:
64:
60:
59:
50:
34:
32:
28:
27:
25:Lekan Babalola
24:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
560:
549:
546:
544:
541:
539:
536:
534:
531:
529:
526:
524:
523:Living people
521:
519:
516:
515:
513:
504:
500:
497:
496:
484:
479:|author=
472:
464:
460:
456:
455:
447:
432:
431:
426:
419:
404:
400:
399:
394:
387:
385:
368:
367:
362:
356:
341:
337:
330:
315:
311:
310:
305:
298:
294:
287:
285:
284:
279:
275:
271:
267:
263:
259:
255:
251:
247:
243:
232:
230:
226:
222:
217:
215:
211:
201:
199:
198:Grammy Awards
195:
191:
187:
183:
172:
160:
156:
150:
147:
143:
139:
137:Instrument(s)
135:
131:
129:Occupation(s)
127:
124:
120:
117:
113:
110:
106:
102:
98:
95:Kate Luxmoore
94:
90:
84:
81:
79:
76:
75:
73:
69:
65:
61:
57:
53:
47:(age 64)
33:
29:
22:
19:
453:
446:
434:. Retrieved
428:
418:
406:. Retrieved
398:THISDAY Live
396:
371:. Retrieved
364:
355:
343:. Retrieved
339:
329:
317:. Retrieved
309:The Guardian
307:
297:
281:
273:
266:Grammy Award
238:
218:
207:
170:
169:
157:1983–present
153:Years active
108:
18:
518:1960 births
258:David Byrne
212:in the old
178: 1960
63:Nationality
45:15 May 1960
512:Categories
436:13 October
408:13 October
373:13 October
345:13 October
319:13 October
290:References
262:Tony Allen
146:Bongo drum
41:1960-05-15
471:cite book
463:0006-2510
454:Billboard
403:allAfrica
254:Roy Ayers
214:Oyo State
140:Vocals,
119:Afrobeat
100:Children
503:Discogs
283:Loverly
190:Nigeria
461:
242:Prince
235:Career
173:(born
115:Genres
92:Spouse
314:Lagos
194:conga
186:Lagos
142:conga
52:Lagos
483:help
459:ISSN
438:2016
410:2016
375:2016
347:2016
321:2016
123:jazz
31:Born
366:CNN
272:'s
210:Iwo
514::
475::
473:}}
469:{{
427:.
401:.
395:.
383:^
363:.
338:.
312:.
306:.
286:.
256:,
248:,
244:,
200:.
188:,
175:c.
144:,
121:,
54:,
43:)
485:)
465:.
440:.
412:.
377:.
349:.
323:.
103:5
39:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.