Mohammed Alidu is best known for his involvement with The Playing for Change project. The Playing for Change project has been the music industry’s feel-good movement of the past decade. Part of the PFC touring band, Mohammed Alidu adds his vibrant talking drum to that inspiring musical tapestry and he is proud of his work with the organization. Yet Alidu (as his friends call him) is quickly establishing himself as an important new singer, songwriter and performer on the international music scene with two albums out, an exhilarating live performance, and a new release in the works.

Originally from the town of Tamale in Northern Ghana and now based in Los Angeles, Alidu’s music has one foot in his 1000-year family musical legacy of earthy Bizung rhythms and another in the modern studio sounds heard in the clubs and lounges of New York, London and Paris.

This versatility made him a natural for PFC and he has also played with such diverse artists as Peter Gabriel (on OVO), Baaba Maal, Tinariwen, Michael Franti, Ziggy Marley, Keb Mo’ and countless others in the U.S. and around the world. One thing that’s consistent throughout, however, is that he connects with musicians and audiences wherever he goes.

“I think if you open yourself up to others, they will open themselves up to you,” Alidu explains. “What I do I do from my heart, and so far everywhere I've traveled people seem to embrace that.” Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.