From an article in The Renegade Rip, Bakersfield, CA 3/10/2000

     People were dancing, and swaying to the rhythm that master drummer Samuel Kwaku Daddy played during his musical presentation at Bakersfield College.
     Thanks to the efforts of Daddy’s former student and BC teacher Dr. Ron Kean and the support of Dr. Wilhelmina Anthony and the Staff Diversity Committee, Daddy was able to perform at BC as part of the recent festivities celebrating Black History Month, after attending this year’s Grammys.
     He lectured and demonstrated African drumming to former student Kean’s world music classes, and performing a noon time musical demonstration.
     Born in Adabraka, Ghana and playing since he was 3 years of age, Daddy comes from a family tradition of master drummers and folklorists.
     "Over 28 generations of master drummers…my mother is from generations and generations of folklorists, storytellers," he said.
     In a culture where music is as much a part of daily life as breathing, master drummers and storytellers have an esteemed part in African society because they carry African history.
     "It’s a very big tradition," he explained. "It’s a tradition that doesn’t only know the philosophy of a society, it’s a tradition that maintains the heritage of a society. It’s an honor to be (master drummer)."
     Though Daddy comes from a long line of master drummers and storytellers, he wasn’t aware of it while growing up. For him, it was just having fun.
     "I was just playing, just having fun. But they made sure I learned all the stuff," he said.
     "In the African culture you have to learn the tradition anyway, whether you’re going to be a lawyer, doctor or whatever you’re going to be. You have to learn because that’s what contains your history. It contains your folklore, your music. African society and its history-music have so much to do with it. You don’t do anything in Africa without singing or playing. Music’s constantly there."
     By the time Daddy was 14, he was traveling around Africa with a musical group.
     "You know when you become a master you have to become something like a wandering minstrel. You do a concert from here to there and you go to Nigeria, you go to this town you go to this place, to Kenya."
     He left Ghana when he started playing in England and Italy regularly. He has played around the world as headliner, co-headliner, solo artist and band member. For years he toured with musical giant Dizzy Gillepsie as well as Buddy Rich and Randy Westin. He’s also co-headlined with Santana and Jimmy Cliff as well as recorded music with ‘Grammy nominee, Paul Winter.
     Daddy attended this year’s Grammys to support Winter as well as see his peers.
     Daddy himself has been nominated to be on the Grammy ballot twice. Though he has never made it to the final ballot, he feels it is an honor to just be nominated.
     "I keep saying to myself one of these days. Actually I love going to these things, it’s not about winning or not winning, I just like to just be there. I think just being there makes me a winner anyway.
     When Daddy is not rubbing elbows with his musical peers, he can be found teaching music and African drumming at San Francisco City College.
     He began his teaching career at San Francisco State University, where he taught for 10 years before moving to San Francisco City College.
     It was through teaching that Daddy met Kean at a conference for the Music Association of Community Colleges.
     "He was there playing and demonstrating African musical instruments at a time when I was beginning to like and explore world music," said Kean.
     In 1993, on his sabbatical, he went to study West African drumming with Daddy, Kean cites his study of African drumming as enhancing his conducting skills. According to him, major choral conductors commented that the sound of his choirs had become more vibrant and robust as a result of his studies. He went on to say that the music itself has been a moving experience for him.
     "The music that I’ve experienced with Kwaku is a deeply spiritual music that uses an incredible division of complex rhythms on natural instruments as a way to experience the natural music of the planet."
     In his presentation, Daddy stressed the importance of music.
     "In music you play music to grow."