Baba Mike Nelson’s Sworn to the Drum at RAC this Sunday

Baba Mike Nelson is more than committed to his craft as a drummer. He is beyond dedicated to the Yoruba culture and faith where his sacred drumming originated. As the title of his upcoming performance appropriately expresses, he is sworn to it.

Baba (or father, in the Yoruba language) Mike was initiated into a global brotherhood of drummers called Omo Ana. The term describes the children who follow the spirit and force that is believed to inhabit the drum.

“I have taken an oath through the preservation of drum culture and that oath involves a ritual that only few people enter into,” said Baba Mike, founding director of WorkingTheSpirit, a St. Louis-based international consortium of music and performing artists.

“It is a salute to my teachers, and it is my responsibility to preserve and protect and pass it on to the next generation.”

Through the fourth installment of his monthly Sworn to the Drum series this Sunday at the Regional Arts Commission, Baba Mike is echoing the beat of his sacred drum as a local call to arms in the arts.

As he was maturing in his passion for the drum, Nelson had local cultural icons like Katherine Dunham, Mor Thiam, Oliver Lake and Oliver Sain as references of individuals living for their art. He has resolved to extend that lasting impression of work ethic in the arts to present-day members of the creative community.

“To take an oath and be sworn to something, it is really a love n it has to be something you have deep love for,” Baba Mike said.

After growing up around the Black Artist Group, or BAG, he worked with BAG II at the Scott Joplin House in the event BAG and Baba Mike Talk with Drums. A feature written on the event in the American inspired him to adopt the concert series’ title.

His work with BAG II and inspiration from the original BAG has compelled Baba Mike to create an ongoing collaborative effort for the arts that he hopes will transcend concentration and ethnicities.

“People of all ethnicities and ages are moved by the drum, and I wanted to make this like a welcome mat and find collaborative ways to let them know to come on out,” he said.

“We need to have that voice in this music.”

The performance offers a glimpse into Baba Mike’s sacred drum experience, with elements of jazz, groove and performance poetry by the great Curtis Lyle.

Baba Mike plays trumpet, flügelhorn, conch shells and assorted percussion, including the bata drum. On recent dates Aaron Parker played alto sax and flute, Mondel played congas, Ariel played bass and David A.N. Jackson provided additional percussion and vocals.

“Some of it is trance-inducing, and some you can’t stay in your seats,” Baba Mike said.

His is presenting Sworn to the Drum as a collective effort to illustrate the need for artistic collaboration and the ability to have success working together.

This month he is working with artist/actor/percussionist David A.N. Jackson and his HOTBOX Virtualclub.

“The musical part is Michael’s responsibility, my responsibility n the responsibility of Hotbox n is the experience,” Jackson said.

“Sometimes artists are so busy doing the creative that they don’t have the support to take care of the other elements.”

Just as passionate as he is to bridge the artistic gap with collaboration, Baba Mike wants to connect with the St. Louis population transplanted from other nations.

“We want to reach into the immigrant communities, African immigrants, Asian immigrants n all of them n and give them a way that they may not have to practice their art, hone their art and join us,” he said.

While he is sworn to the drum in particular, Baba Mike said the act of commitment is what is important.

“Making a commitment to something in your life that is bigger than you is the message that we want to promote to people,” he said.

“That in itself will create more unity. And that is what I’m trying to do.”

Baba Mike Nelson and The HOTBOX Virtualclub.stl’s presentation of Sworn to the Drum: An Evening of Improvisational Jazz andDrumming will take place at 7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 7 at the Regional Arts Commission, 6128 Delmar. For more information call (314) 772.8268 or visit: www.myspace.com/workingthespirit.