Bank on this artist!

Choice has come to be seen as the cornerstone of life in social, economic and political affairs. In the economic sector, the consumer has a chance to examine the products on display before making a choice. This page provides an opportunity to concert promoters and buyers, and the general public to know Sikiru Adepoju, a drummer and artist of singular  and incomparable excellence. Sikiru, as he is popularly known, is the spokesman for Afrika Heartbeat, an Oakland-based entertainment organization.
Below, please find a sample of views about Sikiru's performances on and off the stage within the past fifteen years or so:

In The San Francisco Bay Guardian of November 13, 1991, Derk Richardson included Sikiru Adepoju among “a brilliant international cast of musicians, several considered singular geniuses in their fields, including Babatunde Olatunji and Sikiru Adepoju (Nigeria).

In the same vein, Mike Joyce of the Washington Post of November 25, 1991 included Sikiru Adepoju among the international ensemble under the caption Mickey Hart’s Collage of Cultures. Apart from Hart, the ensemble included Babatunde Olatunji, Airto Moreira, Giovanni Hidalgo, Sikiru Adepoju, Zakir Hussain, who are described as virtuosos all.
Under the caption “Planet Drum plays Keswick”, Kevin L. Carter of the Philadelphia Inquirer of November 26, 1991 listed Sikiru as one of the representatives from Africa. Thus, Mickey saw  Sikiru as an integral part of Mickey Hart’s Planet Drum tour of the United States in 1991.

Harold Olaf Cecil of the East Bay Express of November 16, 1991 reported the scene at the Zellerbach Auditorium at the University of California at Berkeley under the caption Pulse of the Planet. Cecil wrote of Sikiru as “Standing next to him (Babatunde Olatunji) fellow countryman Sikiru Adepoju squeezed the dundun under one arm and hit the head with a hook-shaped mallet, bending its pitch to imitate the human voice …”

Klaus Hamm of the Monitor of February 15, 1995, wrote “Last weekend, a visit from a man named Sikiru Adepoju confirmed what many already know: the pleasures of African drumming have taken hold in central New Hampshire.”

Drumming Seminars and Workshops

Afrika Heartbeat is available for drumming seminar/ workshop as a separate billing from concerts.
Drumming classes are offered in the morning; concerts in the evening. For more information contact Atunbi

Billing Name: Afrika Heartbeat

International Posture

Sikiru has entertained audiences in Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America. His latest CD – Ijinle Ilu- has been positively received in different parts of the world. Sikiru is  co-producer of the CD.

Writing in Thisday Newspaper (A Nigerian publication) of August 9, 2003, about Sikiru’s CD, Adeyeye Joseph said that Sikiru’s effort was “an attempt to explore the influence of Africa’s abstruse wisdom and rich lore exert on the cultures of all its sons …”

At p.121 in the ‘Drum  Picks’ section of the November/December issue of DRUM! 2003 comes the Review Editor’s verdict as follows:

                 “Dedicated to the memory of Babatunde Olatunji, this CD (‘Ijinle Ilu’ )
                 builds on his spirit with deep collaborations that bring drummers together without
                 overpowering the listener.”

In a full page report under the caption ‘Ijinle Ilu: Celebration of African lore and heritage’, Wahab Abdullah of ‘The Monitor’, a Nigerian newspaper, of Tuesday, September 16, 2003 said “listening to the lyrics places one on the meditative level as well as entertainment mood.” Wahab describes Sikiru Adepoju, the artist, as “a reputable and intelligent artist who is determined to celebrate Africa and its rich and sterling qualities.”