Karuna: Hamid Drake and Adam Rudolph | Arts + Literature Laboratory | Madison Contemporary Arts Center

Karuna: Hamid Drake and Adam Rudolph

Karuna, the new duet of percussionists Hamid Drake and Adam Rudolph, perform at Arts + Literature Laboratory on Friday, April 21, 2017 at 9pm. Tickets are $15 in advance online at http://drakerudolph.bpt.me, or $18 at the door. Online sales close one hour before the performance and remaining tickets are available at the door.

Hamid Drake: drum kit, vocal, frame drums, udu drums, tabla, percussion  
Adam Rudolph: handrumset, thumb pianos, sintir, multiphonic vocal, percussion, electronic processing

Hamid Drake and Adam Rudolph met at the age of 14 years old in a downtown Chicago drum shop. For the past 40 years, their shared love for rhythms and musics of the world has taken them around the world in performing together with Fred Anderson, Don Cherry, Yusef Lateef, Pharaoh Sanders, Hassan Hakmoun, Hu: Vibrational, Mandingo Griot Society, and Adam Rudolph’s Moving Pictures among others.Their shared Chicago roots and the creative outlook, longtime global music research and performing experience have allowed them to forge a uniquely shared musical understanding and creative outlook. As Drake reflected upon their influence upon each other,  “I have been developing a hand drum concept on the drum set while Adam says he is developing a drum set concept on his hand drums. We understand one another.”

With their new Karuna duet Drake and Rudolph bring their unique and evolved rhythm languages to the fore, reaching to inspire any audience though spirited dialogue. The name Karuna reflects their ongoing research into the connection of the inner life to musical expression and speaks to the idea of creative action as a gesture of compassion.

This event is sponsored by WORT 89.9 FM!

Hamid Drake

HAMID DRAKE was born in Monroe, Louisiana but for the most part was raised in Chicago. In 1974 he began what was to be a long-term musical relationship with Fred Anderson who introduced him to performing with many of the other artists in the AACM. In late 1977 Drake joined Adam Rudolph and Foday Musa Suso to form the Mandingo Griot society, one of the first groups in the United States to explore the relationship between traditional West African and American musical idioms. He met Don Cherry when the group recorded their first LP on Flying fish Records. Drake’s relationship with Cherry continued until Cherry’s passing in 1995 doing many tours throughout Europe, Japan and the United States with him. Don Cherry provided a major breakthrough for Drake not only musically but spiritually as well. Since 1987 Drake has recorded toured extensively in Europe and the US with German saxophonist Peter Brotzmann and also with bass player William Parker in several of his ensembles and with many... Read More

Adam Rudolph

For the past four decades composer and percussionist ADAM RUDOLPH has performed extensively throughout North & South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. He has released over 30 recordings under his own name, featuring his compositions and percussion work. Rudolph composes for his ensembles Moving Pictures Octet, Hu Vibrational, and Go: Organic Orchestra, a 30-piece group for which he has developed an original music notation and conducting system. He has taught and conducted hundreds of musicians worldwide in his Go: Organic Orchestra concept.

In 2015 Rudolph was artist in residence at the Center for Advanced Studies at the University of Illinois and received the prestigious Danish International Visiting Artist award from the Danish Government. During his residency he led master classes at universities and presented in concert his Go: Organic Orchestra concept with members of the Danish Radio Orchestra.

Rudolph has performed with Don Cherry, Sam Rivers, Pharaoh... Read More

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Arts + Literature Laboratory is located at 111 S. Livingston Street #100, Madison, Wisconsin, 53703.

Our galleries are open Tuesday through Friday 10am-5pm and Saturday noon to 5pm, and other programs take place throughout the week. Please check the events calendar and education section for details.

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