Randy Weston, who celebrated the African origins of jazz and the myriad other styles created by Africans in the Americas. Weston passed away Sept. 1 at the age of 92, bringing to a close an illustrious 60+ year career, in which he stressed that Africanness, studied it's roots, even lived in Africa for a period of time, and helped to bring African music to audiences here in America. From a young age Weston developed an Afrocentric worldview; his father being Panamanian with Jamaican ancestry and a supporter of Marcus Garvey's message of Pan-Africanism. Citing Ellington and Monk as being his greatest influences as a pianist and composer, Weston took what he learned from those masters, infused it with direct African and Afro-Caribbean influences, and created a new trans-Atlantic fusion, beginning with his 1960 album, Uhuru Afrika. In the years to come, Weston would travel widely in Africa and spent five years living in Morocco, where he ran Tangier's African Rhythms Club. It was there that he also fell under the spell of the music of the Gnawa, which was to have a lasting influence. This week Africa O-Yé presents the music of Randy Weston.
- KBOO