Reconnecting the African Diaspora Through Music
by Veronica Henry
Imagine a world without music. Can't do it, right? Music is such an integral part of our lives, it's almost an exercise in futility. From Rock n' Roll to Samba, Jazz to R&B, the African influence: the history, the instruments and rhythms is evident.
Music is one of the ties that binds the African Diaspora. Joe Agu recognized this. He is the founder of Rhythms Exotic, a manufacturer and seller of African musical instruments. Based in Santa Clara, CA, in the heart of Silicon Valley, Joe and his wife Cheryl have operated the business for twelve years.
Inspiration for the business came to Joe as he perused the aisles of a friend's music store. A native of Nigeria, he was surprised to find an udu drum there. “ I was surprised and I asked the owner how he acquired the drum. He explained that an Italian American gentleman in NY made it,” Joe recalls. In Nigeria, udu means pot. It's used not only for carrying water or wine, but also to make instruments. The udu, a ceramic drum with a long cylindrical neck and a hole near the top, is indigenous to the Ibo, Joe's own ethnic group. He had already been doing some soul searching of his own and saw this as a sign of a new direction for his life.
The business began with the construction of the first drum, but it was no easy task. During Nigeria's civil war in the 1960's, as people fled the cities, Joe found himself living amongst the villages for the first time. He recounts the value of this experience, “I learned so much. I watched how my great grandmother and other relatives made these things.” But, it wasn't until he began his business that Joe tried making his own drum. “There was a lot of learning curve and frustration,” he laughs.
One instrument led to another and soon Joe was hiring and instructing contractors on how to manufacture the instruments. All work is done here in the United States. He is also the holder of a US design patent for the udu igbah – the skin drum. It produces a different sound than the traditional udu.
Rhythms Exotic is the only Black participant in the annual National Music Market (NAM) show where all manufacturers gather to show their wares in this 7 billion dollar industry. Today, most of Joe's time is spent in fabricating and selling his instruments – wholesale, to music stores and direct to musicians across the world.
Social causes are also of significant importance to Joe. “There has been too much talk about social-political issues, with no action,” he says. He and his wife recognize the importance of a united African Diaspora and are always actively seeking to engage other organizations in partnerships that bring focus to and advance these causes.
Be on the lookout for more information regarding the joint efforts of Rhythms Exotic and MyAfrianDiaspora.com.
Joe Agu is founder and President of Rhythms Exotic. He is married to Dr. Cheryl Simmons and they have 3 children. Please visit his website at: www.afrorhythms.com.