Brooklyn Arts Council

Mailing Address

Phone: 718 462-1101

160 Parkside Avenue, Apartment 12c

Brooklyn, NY

11226

United States

Kofi Osei Ababio Williams started drumming at the young age of four years old. He began studying under the tutelage of the late Nana Yao Opare Dinizulu. Kofi has learned and studied many different types of music from the African Diaspora. His travels to Guinea and Ghana West Africa on numerous occasions enabled him to study with master musicians. Music was not the only area of study for Kofi. He also studied the traditions and culture of the indigenous people to get a better comprehension of their music.

At the early age of eight years old, he traveled to Trinidad and Tobago and since then Kofi has been all over the world. In May 2001 he traveled to Amsterdam, Holland to participate in the Bang The Drums Festival. In Belize, he was part of The Garifuna Settlement Day Festival in November 2002. More recently, Kofi participated in the Grenada National Dance Festival in May 2004. Kofi has also traveled extensively throughout the United States of America. At the renowned Jacobs Pillow he was part of the Cultural Traditions Dance Workshop led by Chuck Davis and Donald Mcayle. As part of a 22 city tour during the 2002-2003 season Kofi was a premiere drummer for Forces of Nature Dance Theatre and the Maafa Suite. To add to his many endeavors, he produced his first CD in 2001 named Anukwale, which was a collection of traditional Ghanaian Akom music. He also co-produced a CD with Mbemba Bangoura named Wofab�, which contains songs and traditional Guinea Djembe music.

Currently he is an artist in residence at Sarah Lawrence College, Creative Outlet Dance Theatre of Brooklyn and with The New York City Department of Education. Kofi is also the Executive Director of Asase Yaa African-American Dance Theatre, the Artistic Director of Africa: A Journey in Dance concert series, and a current musician for Forces of Nature Dance Theatre.

Kofi Osei Williams