Thomas Dyani
Thomas Dyani (* 1964 in Copenhagen as Thomas Akuru ) is a Danish-Nigerian percussionist and singer who also performs under the name Thomas Dyani-Akuru .
Dyani grew up in Nigeria before returning to Denmark with his mother when he was seven. There in 1972 the musician Johnny Dyani became his stepfather, who introduced him to jazz music. He was involved in its production Africa (1984). Then he played several albums with Pierre Dørges Jungle Orchestra and in 1987 was part of Ginger Baker's African Force .
In 1988 he went to Cuba to catch up on systematic training as a percussionist. During the 1990s he lived in London, where he recorded and toured several times with Incognito and played with musicians as diverse as Paul Young , Caron Wheeler ( Soul II Soul ), Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Tim Finn ( Crowded House ). He also sang with Inner Shade and Shakira . He also led the percussion section in the London performance of The Lion King . Since 2004 he has been part of Mezzoforte . He can also be heard on albums by Courtney Pine , Jason Rebello , David Garrett , Lafayette Harris and Count Basic . In 2010 he took part in the opening concert of the 2010 Soccer World Cup.
Web links
- Portrait (English)
- Thomas Dyani-Akuru at Allmusic (English)
- Thomas Dyani at Discogs (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Eric Ayisi Akrofi, Maria Smit, Stig-Magnus Thorsén (eds.) Music and Identity: Transformation and Negotiation Sun. Press, Stellenbosch 2007, p. 262
- ↑ Thomas Dyani in the Internet Movie Database (English)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Dyani, Thomas |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Akuru, Thomas (maiden name); Dyani-Akuru, Thomas |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Danish-Nigerian percussionist and singer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1964 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Copenhagen |