Ayodele Maakheru

Musician, songwriter, performer and teacher: guitar, banjo, mandolin, electric bass, harmonica, ukulele, djembe drum, shakere and voice.

- 10 year student of the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, attended City College of New York (CCNY) for 2 years, studying music and nursing, and 1 year at Brooklyn College for ethnomusicology.

- Teaching in New York since the late 1970’s in various institutions and privately: Sparks of Genius pre-school, Manna House Music School, New York Pops/Create A Symphony, The Learning Tree, Huntington Arts Council, Innovative Community Enterprises, The Children’s Village & the YWCA. The subjects have been music (history, theory, composition and ensemble), instrument building, cultural history, track and gymnastics. Given numerous cultural art presentations, demos and lectures at schools, libraries, museums, hospitals, theatres, television and radio.

- Performed, toured and recorded with a variety of artists, such as: Shihib Leroy Nelson, Lionel Hampton, Jaki Byard, Frank Wess, Grady Tate, Sir Roland Hanna, Lester Bowie, Tulivu Cumberbatch, Ray Holman, Johnny Brandon, Ornette Coleman, Henry Threadgill and Rashid Ali. With performers Johnny Brandon, Diahann Carroll, Eartha Kitt, Gregory Hines, Linda Hopkins, Ruth Brown, Phylicia Rashad, Freddy Jackson, Regina Belle, Angela Bofill, Melba Moore, Savion Glover and Leslie Uggams. With groups : Sedition Ensemble, Leenya Rideout, Fred Ho’s Afro-Asian Ensemble, Defunkt, The Contortions, Nona Hendrix, The Flying Tigers, Rhythmn Nation Band and The Fifth Dimension. With orchestras : The New York Philharmonic and The Queens Symphony. Guitarist for Unity Church of NY.

- On stage and in the Broadway orchestras of : “Bring In Da Noise/Bring In Da Funk”, “Spunk”, “The Full Monty”, "Halleluiah Baby", “The Wiz”, “A Chorus Line”, “Me and My Girl”, “Starlight Express”, “Wild Party”, “Black and Blue”, “Jelly’s Last Jam”, “The Full Monty”, "Godspell", “Grease“, "Harlem Song", “The Color Purple“ & “From My Hometown”. The Broadway & touring companies of “Bring In the Noise-Bring In the Funk” & “The Boy’s Choir of Harlem”. Musical Director for “Black Orpheus” at the Crossroads Theatre, vocalist Simone Awhina & Saundra McClain's "Spunk". Appeared with Miriam Makeba, “Samite of Uganda”, Maurice Peress/“Royal Palais Orchestra” & “The Clef Club”, Gunther Schuller’s New England Ragtime Ensemble, the Urban Bush Women’s film & stage production of “Praise House”, Tiye Giraud’s “Dirty, Dishy,Divine”, David Pleasant’s “Ballad of the Black Cowboy” and the television orchestras of “Sesame Street” & the “Essence Awards”. Performed on the “Tonight Show” with Jay Leno, “Good Day NY”, Carnegie Hall soloist with CLEF CLUB orchestra, on screen & soundtracks of:  “The Singing Biologist”, “Life Of Louis Armstrong”, and “Praise House.” On-stage guitar/banjo in the opera “Regina”.

- Bandleader for the groups “Quadrant”, “Ayo Maak‘s Jazz Pack”, “Windsong String Quartet” and the “World Harvest Storytellers". Quadrant is frequently featured on Queens Public Television. Released 2 CDs of original music entitled “Sunship”& "Distant Traveler". 2004 recipient of Bronx Council on the Arts, BRIO Award for songwriter. 2004 recipient of ASCAP songwriter award. 

• Member of American Federation of Musicians since 1979
• Member of ASCAP
• Marathoner/New York Road Runners
• NIKE running club
• JackRabbit running coach