His daughter says he died Sunday of complications from diabetes. Olatunji was living at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur.
Olatunji's 1959 album, "Drums of Passion," was the first album of African drumming recorded in stereo in an American studio. It introduced a generation to the power and intricacy of African music.
Our station, WBAI, will be paying tribute to him for much of the day.
