Sikiru Adepoju, a celebrated Nigerian percussionist, holds a unique place in the country’s music history as a two-time Grammy Award winner.
Born into a musical family in Eruwa, Oyo State, Adepoju was introduced to drumming at an early age by his father, Chief Ayanleke Adepoju, alongside his brothers, Saminu and Lasisi. As a descendant of the Yoruba Ayan lineage—known for producing master drummers—he honed his skills from childhood.
As a teenager, he toured and recorded with Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey’s Inter-Reformers Band before gaining international recognition.
Adepoju’s big break came when he joined Mickey Hart’s Planet Drum, a group that fuses percussion styles from various cultures. Their 1991 album, Planet Drum, won the first-ever Grammy Award for Best Contemporary World Music Album, making him the first and only Nigerian Grammy winner at the time.
His success continued in 2009 when he was part of Mickey Hart’s Global Drum Project, which won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary World Music Album at the 51st Grammy Awards.
Adepoju’s journey to global fame began in 1985 when he moved to the United States to perform with O.J. Ekemode’s Nigerian All-Stars. He later joined Babatunde Olatunji’s Drums of Passion group, where he was introduced to Mickey Hart, drummer for the legendary rock band, Grateful Dead—a partnership that would define much of his international career.
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