talkingdrum.jpgOne of this year’s many new acts for the Collegiate Peaks Music Festival is the Afropop band, Mohammed Alidu & The Bizung Family.

The band’s leader, Mohammed Alidu was born in Ghana into a lineage of talking drum chiefs known as the Bizung family. The talking drum, pictured at left, is a traditional West African drum who’s pitch can be raised and lowered, thus giving the impression of a “talking” drum. Alidu began studying the drum with his father from the age of 3, learning the language of the talking drum and the oral history of his tribe, the Dagomba tribe of Northern Ghana. By the time he was 15, he was very highly regarded in his region as a musician and a talking drum player.

Alidu spent many years performing all over the world, taking in other musical influences along the way. In 2005, he moved to Boulder, Colorado, and formed The Bizung Family Band. Today, the band tours all over sharing their unique blend of “dynamic and vibrant West African highlife and Afropop music” which combines both contemporary and traditional sounds from West Africa and Madagascar.

From The Bizung Family website: At the heart of The Bizung Family is Master Drummer Mohammed Alidu …. With Alidu composing and arranging the music, much of the band’s distinct and original sound comes from his compositions — compositions that pulsate from a percussionist’s perspective and contagiously inspire the audience to dance.

Mohammed Alidu and The Bizung Family are set to play the festival on Sunday afternoon, August 17, starting at 1:15. You can listen to samples of thier music here.

The Collegiate Peaks Music Festival (CPMF) brings all the best in Colorado music back to Buena Vista August 15th-17th 2008. Visit the CPMF website to see the rest of the bands in the lineup. And be sure to check back with ChannelBV in the coming weeks for more band profiles.

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