Weedie Braimah

Nominated For a Grammy Award in 2022 | Best Instrumental Jazz Solo (Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah)

Weedie Braimah is widely regarded as the premiere voice of the Djembe. Born in Ghana and raised in East St. Louis with deep roots in New Orleans, he was first introduced to West African culture and drumming and began performing at the age of 2 years old. Braimah continued his lifelong quest and professional career in the study of African folklore and cultural music of the African diaspora. A maverick performer of the highest caliber, Braimah is endowed with an innate ability to draw entire audiences into his groove. Utilizing his amazing speed and dexterity, breathtaking skill, and breadth of knowledge, he ushers listeners through a rhythmic journey of Africa and the Diaspora. As Offbeat Magazine noted, his “skill at adapting to an array of styles” has made him an original and in-demand talent.

Braimah descends from a long lineage of drummers/composers, which includes his mother, Ann Morris, a respected Jazz drummer, his father, Oscar Sulley Braimah, a world-renowned composer and master drummer, and great-uncle, Jazz drumming icon, Idris Muhammad. Braimah honed skills learned through study with greats including Mamady Keita, Famadou Konate, Abdoul Doumbia, and Sylvester Sun Shine Lee among others. He excelled musically and became one of the leading exponents of the West African diasporic drum and dance world in his teenage years. For more than 25 years, Braimah has been a performer, teacher and preserver of African culture who continues to traverse new musical pathways.

Currently, the Grammy nominated Djembefola records and tours with Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah, Baaba Maal, Trombone Shorty and Bokante, as well as others. Braimah also leads his own band, Weedie Braimah & The Hands of Time, through which he elevates percussion as the front-facing music of the diaspora focusing on instruments such as Kora, Ngoni, Balafon, Djembe, Dunun, Tama, Sabar, Bass, and Electric Guitar to create a compelling Stretch Music sound to claim new musical territory. As the publication AfroPop succinctly stated, “Braimah’s trademark approach to using the djembe drum as the centerpiece of a contemporary ensemble,” which culminates into “enfolding African folkloric music within a modern fusion ensemble in which all the instruments mesh into a tight, thrilling singularity.”

Braimah exemplifies tradition, evolution and soul as he brings his vision of building a reverence for folkloric West African music to life. His mission? To have the evolution of this folkloric music recognized as relevant, respected and as the essential root of Jazz, funk, fusion, global music, and hip hop. And for his style of Stretch Music to take its rightful place as one of the pillars of modern music rooted in the African percussion continuum he has spent his lifetime championing throughout the world.

1) Full Circle:
Weedie Braimah - Djembe, Congas, Sangban, Cabasa, Bells
Munir Zakee - Sangban Set, Vocals, Programming
Luke Quaranta - Dunun Set, Kenkeni, Tambourine
Raja Kassis - Electric Guitar
Shea Pierre - Clavinet, Rhodes Organ
Sam Dickey - Electric Guitar, Djeli Ngoni
Courtney Smith - Moog Bass Synthesizer, Moog Synthesizer
Alvin Ford Jr. - Soundscapes
John Michael Rouchell - Soundscapes
Oscar Sulley - Sample
Babatunde Olatunji - Sample
Kimati Dinizulu - Sample

Featured Artist(s): The Hands of Time

Recorded at The Parlor Recording Studio - Engineered by Reginald Nicholas, Jr.
Additional Recording at Neutral Sound Studio - Engineered by Andrew Block
Additional Recording at Artisound Production - Engineered by Keenan McRae

2) Weediefoli:
Weedie Braimah - Djembe, Claps
Hatouma Sylla - Vocals
Mumu Fresh - Vocals
Petit Adama Diarra - Djembe
Bassidi Kone - Djembe
Karim Coulibaly - Dunun, Kenkeni, Bell
Lamine Tounkara - Djeli Dunun, Bell
Nigel Zuniga - Sangban, Bell
Sinaly Papus Diabate - Electric Guitar
Madou Sidiki Diabate - Kora
Cherif Soumano - Kora
Lassana Diabate - Balafon
Cheick Diallo - Flute
Raja Kassis - Electric Guitar
Sam Dickey - Djeli Ngoni, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar
Luke Quaranta - Kenkeni, Sangban, Calabash, Claps, Bells
Munir Zakee - Programming
Max Moran - Electric Bass

Featured Artist(s): Mumu Fresh, Hatouma Sylla, Bassidi Kone, Petit Adama Diarra

Recorded in Bamako, Mali at Studio Bogolan - Engineered by Yaya Diarra
Additional Recording at Artisound Production - Engineered by Keenan McRae

3) Express Trane to Bamako:
Weedie Braimah - Djembe
Sam Dickey - Electric Guitar
Shea Pierre - Piano, Rhodes Organ, Organ
Munir Zakee - Sangban Set, Djembe, Vocals
Luke Quaranta - Dunun Set, Karignan, Triangle
Raja Kassis - Electric Guitar
Cheikh Ndoye - Electric Bass, Piccolo Bass
Courtney Smith - Moog Synthesizer, Moog Bass Synthesizer

Featured Artist(s): The Hands of Time

Recorded at The Parlor Recording Studio - Engineered by Reginald Nicholas, Jr.
Additional Recording at Artisound Production - Engineered by Keenan McRae

4) Sackodougou:
Weedie Braimah - Djembe
Cheikh Ndoye - Electric Bass
Sam Dickey - Djeli Ngoni, Ngoni Ba, Electric Guitar
Raja Kassis - Electric Guitar
Luke Quaranta - Dunun Set
Munir Zakee - Sangban Set, Djembe, Kryn
Dave Eggar - Cellos
Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah - Trumpet
Cory Henry - Keys

Featured Artist(s): Cory Henry, Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah, The Hands of Time

Recorded at The Parlor Recording Studio - Engineered by Reginald Nicholas, Jr.
Additional Recording at Artisound Production - Engineered by Keenan McRae

5) Back to Forward (An Ode to Bontuku):
Weedie Braimah - Djembe
Cheikh Ndoye - Electric Bass
Shea Pierre - Moog Synthesizer, Rhodes Organ
Raja Kassis - Electric Guitar
Sam Dickey - Electric Guitar
Munir Zakee - Sangban Set, Programming
Luke Quaranta - Dunun Set
Wayne Matthews Jr. - Synthesizers
Troy ‘Trombone Shorty’ Andrews - Trombone, Trumpet

Featured Artist(s): Troy ‘Trombone Shorty’ Andrews, The Hands of Time

6) Bongo Genie:
Talise Campbell - Vocals
Weedie Braimah - Vocals

Recorded & Engineered by Jackie Sharp
Additional Recording at Artisound Production - Engineered by Keenan McRae

The Hands Of Time

Release Date: September 24, 2021

7) Hippos in Space:
Weedie Braimah - Dunun, Djembe, Vocals
Courtney Smith - Keys, Synthesizers
Munir Zakee - Sangban Set, Djembe, Accessory Percussion, Claps
Joe Cleveland - Bass
Alvin Ford Jr. - Soundscapes
John Michael Rouchell - Soundscapes
Aankha Neal - Vocals
Terrace Martin - Saxophone
Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah - Trumpet

Featured Artist(s): Terrace Martin, Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah

Recorded at Stagg Street Studio - Engineered by Tony Shepherd

8) When Clouds Kissed 2/5/15
Weedie Braimah - Djembe
Shea Pierre - Backwards Piano
Raja Kassis - Electric Guitar
Sam Dickey - Acoustic Guitar
Munir Zakee - Vocals
Rhabi - Vocals

Featured Artist(s): The Hands of Time, Rhabi

Recorded at Neutral Sound Studio - Engineered by Andrew Block
Additional Recording at Artisound Production - Engineered by Keenan McRae

9) Send for Me:
Weedie Braimah - Djembe
Courtney Smith - Moog Bass Synthesizers
Raja Kassis - Electric Guitar
Sam Dickey - Electric Guitar, Djeli Ngoni
Shea Pierre - Moog Synthesizer, Rhodes Organ, Piano
Cheikh Ndoye - Ngoni Bass
Munir Zakee - Sangban Set, Programming
Luke Quaranta - Dunun Set, Sangban, Triangle
Wayne Matthews Jr. - Synthesizers
Frank Moka - AfroAmericana Percussion
Tarriona Tank Ball - Vocals
Pedrito Martinez - Congas, Bata, Vocals

Featured Artist(s): Tarriona Tank Ball, Pedrito Martinez, The Hands of Time

10) Ships Come In (A Lullaby):
Weedie Braimah - Dunun, Sangban, Kenkeni, Bells, Djembe
Munir Zakee - Sangban Set
Raja Kassis - Electric Guitar
Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah - Trumpet, Synthesizers
Elena Pinderhughes - Flute
Magatte Sow - Sabar Drums
E’Lon JD - Electric Bass

Featured Artist(s): Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah, Elena Pinderhughes, Magatte Sow

Recorded at The Champagne Room West - Engineered by Dave Weingarten
Additional Recording at Artisound Production - Engineered by Keenan McRae

11) Rompe El Cuero:
Weedie Braimah - Djembe
Adonis & Osain del Monte - Vocals, Congas, Clave, Cajon, Snare, Kata
Alain Perez - Electric Bass
Victor Campbell - Piano
Munir Zakee - Dunun, Sangban, Bells
Sam Dickey - Djeli Ngoni
Luke Quaranta - Kenkeni

Featured Artist(s): Osain del Monte, Alain Perez

Recorded at Egrem Studios in Havana, Cuba
Additional Recording at Neutral Sound Studio - Engineered by Andrew Block
Additional Recording at Artisound Production - Engineered by Keenan McRae

12) Sworn to the Drum:
Weedie Braimah - Vocals, Djembe, Dunun, Sangban, Bells
Shea Pierre - Piano, Organ
Max Moran - Bass
Dave Eggar - Cellos
Katie Kresek - Violin, Viola
Luke Quaranta - Djembe, Kenkeni, Bell
Dwayne Muhammed - Bass Djembe
Wey Simba - Djembe
Josh Kagler - Vocals
Rome Washington - Vocals
Ashley Alexis - Vocals
Airrielle Waivers - Vocals

Recorded at Artisound Production - Engineered by Keenan McRae

Chief Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah - two-time Edison Award winning and five-time Grammy Award nominated sonic architect, multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer, designer of innovative technologies and musical instruments, crowned Chieftain of the Xodokan Nation of the Black Indians of New Orleans and founder of the Stretch Music Label and App Company has spent the last 2 decades trailblazing 21st-century music into a vision and riveting exhibition of genre blindness and a comprehensively sharpened ethnomusicological approach to limitless fusion Stretch Music. “Christian Scott ushers in a new era of Jazz” (NPR) “Jazz’s young style God and the architect of a new commercially viable fusion” (JazzTimes). His vision of unification rather than division by definition has garnered a litany of praise. Since his debut release Christian Scott in 2002, Adjuah has released thirteen critically acclaimed studio recordings, three live albums, one greatest hits collection and the trailblazing Stretch Music App, an interactive media player that allows listeners and practitioners the ability to completely control their practicing, listening, and learning experience by customizing the player to fit their specific needs and goals for which Adjuah won the prestigious JazzFM Innovator of the year Award. Recent credits also include a Downbeat Critics Poll Rising Star Composer, Rising Star Trumpet, Trumpeter, and Electric/Jazz-Rock/Contemporary Group/Artist wins from the publication. In 2020 he was announced as the Jazz Journalist Association’s Trumpeter of the Year, was the recipient of the Herb Alpert Award in the Arts and Stereogum named his Centennial Trilogy Best Jazz Album of the 2010s.

The 2015 release of Stretch Music marked the beginning of the partnership between Adjuah’s newly founded Stretch Music label and Ropeadope Records. Stretch Music was founded in 2015 as a vehicle for Adjuah to bring a community of progressive and groundbreaking artists to the world, and as we round out 2021 we will see a new roster of Stretch Music creators enter the fold. Building from recent releases from trailblazing Vocalist and Composer Sarah Elisabeth Charles and Jazz Icons Grammy award-winning David Sanchez and Eddie Palmeri. The power and excitement of this new venture and host of talent, cannot be understated. With Adjuah as the sole curator of a new wave of artists set for upcoming releases, the vision and stage is set for more trailblazing music and culture. The Labels first offering will be the release of world-renowned Djembe Icon Weedie Braimah’s debut Hands of Time. As a pillar of 21st-century music Adjuah has expressed the necessity of projecting the voices of a new generation, and we look forward to witnessing this sonic Stretch Music Revolution first hand.