Home

Russell Robertson II was born and raised in New York surroundings steeped in the traditions of Afro-Caribbean music. At a time when little of the original music of the African Diaspora was available in the United States, Robertson began his percussion career as a young conga player in New York City. Performing arts schools and dance companies including the Gloria Jackson School of Music and Dance, the LaRocque Bey School of Dance Theater in Harlem, the Dinizulu Dance Company and the Black Spectrum Theater were his early venues, where he quickly rose to head conga drummer, lead percussionist and drumming instructor. With later formal training in drama, theatre and mass communications, Robertson went on become percussionist and percussion chair in Broadway, off-Broadway and international tour productions including the U.S. and Japan tours of The Wiz, starring Stephanie Mills. He was also chosen for national film, television and commercial parts and opening, accompaniment and recording segments for performers including Eartha Kitt, the Escorts, the Drifters, Angela Bofill and the Queens College Wind Ensemble. During his past 17 years in Hawai`i, Robertson has continued studying, performing, composing, and teaching conga drumming and Afro-Caribbean percussion locally and in New York. During this time, he also earned Master's degree in ethnomusicology from the University of Hawai`i, contributing significantly to the academic body of knowledge about the Nigerian and Cuban Bata drum. Robertson has played with Henry Kapono, Richard Crandall and the Hawai`i Jazz All Stars, Rolando Sanchez, Frank Leto's Pandemonium, guitarist Jeff Linsky, and Harry Belafonte's opening act in Honolulu. He can be seen with Richard Crandall, Noel Okimoto, Byron Yasui and Sam Ahia in a segment of Hawai`i Public Television's Na Mele series. He has accompanied choirs and musicians of Hawai`i Pacific University, Central Union Church and the First Presbyterian Church of Honolulu and performs on annual Caribbean cruise tours with New York's Bartlett's Contemporaries. Robertson has given numerous lectures and demonstrations for ethnomusicology and percussion students at the University of Hawai`i as well as for early childhood educators in the Native Hawaiian community. He taught conga drumming at the Hawai`i Youth Correctional Facility and organized and led an international percussion ensemble in Hawai`i for the first biennial international Millennium Youth Congress. He has produced and participated in theatre, music and drama programs at Punahou School, Mid-Pacific Institute and the Assets School. Most recently, Robertson was invited to New York to participate in the 30th anniversary celebration of the dance company he founded - The Liberation Ensemble. Click here for more information