Music that uplifts and transforms a planet in need of harmony
RHYTHM TESTAMENT ITEMS AVAILABLE ON BANDCAMP
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CARLOS PRIDE
TALKING DRUM
BEN LAMAR GAY
DIDDLEY BOW
CARLOS PRIDE
HOUSE OF VANS CHICAGO IL
DR. ALBERT GUNN
KALIMBA
CARLOS PRIDE
MBIRA
CARLOS PRIDE BIO
My journey began at age five when my mother gave me a guitar and a set of drums. I would spend most of my youth exploring them as well as the bongos, congas and a series of African thumb pianos. In my early teens I studied drums with Fred White of Earth Wind and Fire and Famoudou Don Moye of the Art Ensemble Of Chicago.
When I was 15 years old Bassist J.W. Williams gave me my first blues gig as the drummer with his band “The Chi-Town Hustlers”. My mother would drive me to the gigs and come back to pick me up, wait for me to pack my drums and take me home. I was too young for a drivers license. Over the next several years I would play with the late Valerie Wellington, Carlos Johnson, the late Lefty Dizz and Buddy Guy.
I met the late Frankie Knuckles in the early 1980’s. We were both members of the Imports Etc. Record Pool. Frankie taught me how to splice tape to make remixes.
My love of dance music was born.
In 1985 while attending the American Conservatory of Music I met Midawo Gideon Foli Alorwoyie, a master drummer from Accra Ghana. Gideon introduced me to the Talking Drum and I also joined his group “The African American Unity Ensemble”. While performing with the ensemble I met Abubakari Lunna, a master drummer from Dagbon Ghana and a direct descendant of the creators of the “Luna” or “Ghana Talking Drum”.
Gideon and Abu exposed me to a new world of rhythmic and melodic possibilities and inspired me to form my own ensemble “Rhythm Testament,” to explore the rhythms of my ancestors and incorporate them with modern instrumentation.
In 1987 I began teaching percussion at the A.A.C.M. (Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians), School of Music in Chicago.
The following year I was named Percussion Director. I worked at the school until 1991.
In 1992 I created the first after school program at Guggenheim Elementary School in Chicago IL. The “Guggenheim Rhythm Society” allowed students to study drum rhythms of West African traditions.
In 1993 I created the “Dondon Workshop”.
The Dondon or Talking Drum Workshop encompassed not only the art of drum making, but language, rhythm and group unity.
Later that year I was asked to create a program for Urban Gateways (a center for arts in education). This program was called “Talking Drum”, the most successful performance program in their history.
In 1994 I moved to New York City to open my mid-town recording studio “440”. “440” was a breeding ground of creativity where innovative Hip Hop and Dance records were made.
In 1995 I met bassist Bruce Mack. Bruce had a music program in the schools working with Arts Connection. Arts Connection is an organization very much like Urban Gateways.
Bruce and I created a program and began working in the New York City Public schools in 1996. We would travel to elementary and high schools in all five boroughs presenting this program.
In 1997 I created four successful drum programs for the New York City Public Schools. Two elementary schools, P.S. 1 in the South Bronx and P.S. 27 in Red Hook Brooklyn, two high schools, Coalition School for Social Change in Mid- Town Manhattan and Taft High School in the South Bronx. These programs continued for three years.
I toured the world with various artists from 2001 to early 2005.
In 2005 I returned to Chicago to continue the African drum program at Betty Shabazz International Charter School after the passing of their instructor.
In September 2005 I created two new drum programs: Barbara Sizemore Elementary and Dusable Leadership Academy. The programs at Betty Shabazz, and Barbara Sizemore are still going strong today.
On February 7, 2011 I was contacted by Foster L. Williams, the activity therapist at Thresholds Psychiatric Rehabilitation Center. Thresholds is a non for profit organization that deals with children who are part of the DCFS system and have mental health issues. Mr. Williams wanted a program that would teach, stimulate and open young adult minds. The children gained confidence, discipline and self-esteem.
“I would like to say that Rhythm Testament and Carlos Pride have been great for our children, I recommend that everyone have the opportunity to attend his Conga Workshop...the young adults in my program are fortunate to be a part of this every month”.
Foster L. Williams.
By 2012 Rhythm Testament began growing as a brand. A clothing line was developed, a drum stick company was created, handmade instruments were made and sold worldwide and Rhythm Testament Records was founded. This growth continues today in 2021. I am so thankful for the journey so far and look forward to the future.
Over the years I have performed professionally in a wide variety of musical
situations with various artists including: Talking Drum Master Rasaki Aladokun (King Sunny Ade), Ethiopian Vocalist Ejigayehu “Gigi” Shibabaw, The late Pianist & Vocalist Ann Ward, Guitarist Jean Paul Bourelly, Saxophonist Ari Brown, Organist Reuben Wilson, The late Norman Hedman, The late Screaming Jay Hawkins, N’ Dea Davenport of the “Brand New Heavies”, Nona Hendricks, Will Downing, Gerald Albright, George Clinton, Me’ Shell Ndege’ocello, The Indigo Girls, Sinead O’Connor, Natalie Merchant, Talib Kweli & Amel Larrieux.
DR. ALBERT GUNN BIO
In 1976, I was in a store when an object with metal keys first caught my attention. It was hand-held with different length metal keys. I inquired and was told it was an Mbira. I pushed down on the keys and my world changed instantly. The Mbira or commonly called the “African thumb piano”, became a major part of my life. I started playing and making the Mbira as if I had known it all my life. I entered medical school the fall of that same year, thus my marriage of music and medicine.
Captivated by the sound of the Mbira, I used gourds as resonating chambers to amplify the sound quality of my instruments. I, along with my partner I AM Wright started selling them at “Art Fairs” throughout the Mid-West and shortly thereafter orders started to really come in, and the business “Mbira Makers” was born.
I finished medical school in 1980 and immediately upon graduation with four other partners opened the Fine Arts Naprapathic Center in Downtown Chicago. Using Music and Art as a major healing component in health, we thrived on Michigan Avenue, holding major Art Gallery Showings and Music Therapy Venues.
It was during this period that I connected with Master Musicians Light Henry Huff and Khalfani Rivers forming the “Sound Therapy Research Ensemble”. Sound Therapy sessions were conceived by healing artist within the Ensemble on November 12, 1984. The sessions were designed to facilitate cooperation, (Resonance) between the practitioners or healer/patient, otherwise called the performer and viewer/ listener. We used mediation, yoga. Tai-chi, and dance therapy, all as methods of bringing this unity into focus.
Until his transition, Light Henry Huff led Sound Therapy Research Ensemble into ground breaking musical experiences. Our “Meditation at Sunrise” series became so popular it was featured on Warner Sanders CBS program “Someone You Should Know”.
Many fine musicians performed with us during our Apex, Including Yousef Ben Israel (Bass) Kirti Thaker (Tablas) Famoudou Don Moye (percussion), Omar Jahi (piano), Saleem Muhammad (woodwinds) Sherry Scott (vocals), Sax Preacher, and many other extraordinary musicians.
Meditation has been an integral part of my life since the early 1970’s so having a way to use music (sound) to go into centering my minds-eye has been a very useful tool.
Using “Sound Therapy Research Ensemble” as a platform for sound and therapeutic research I have concluded: “ALL IN LIFE IS VIBRATION AND VIBRATION IS CREATION.
Using one of Africa’s most ancient instruments, the Mbira, Kalimba, African Thumb Piano.
We have created sound vibrations to carry you in your upward journey toward Resonance with all of life. Sound (mechanical vibrations) has been used throughout man’s journey through life to elevate, soothe, comfort, excite, and harmonize, as well as crying to various frequencies. Together in collaboration with Rhythm Testament’s founder Mr. Carlos Pride, we have crafted Mbira and Kalimba sounds in our first recording together. Meditate upon this.
