Luther S. Gray—Founder, Congo Square Foundation

Luther Gray holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Radio, Television and Film from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and attended Graduate School in Communications at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. In addition, he holds a Computer Programming degree from the Computer Learning Center in Chicago. Luther considers himself a communication artist.

Luther began studying percussion and song writing while a student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He has performed within African dance companies, jazz ensembles, funk groups, theater productions, and films since 1971.

Luther has been inspired and studied with many of the great drummers, jazz musicians, and dancers of his generation. Among them are master drummers Mor Thiam, Babatunde Olatunji, Ladji Camara, and Chief Bey. He has studied and collaborated with the following great dancers and choreographers, Ferne Caulker-Bronson, Founder and Choreographer of the Ko-Thi African Dance Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; the legendary dancer and choreographer Katherine Dunham, Abdoulaye "Poppa" Camara from the National Dance Company of Senegal, and Darlene Blackburn of Chicago. In the field of jazz, Luther has studied and performed with Jimmy Cheatham, Phil Cohran, Buddy Montgomery, Donald Harrison, Jr. Hannibal Lokumbe and many others.

In 1982, Luther moved to New Orleans to work for BellSouth and continue his career in music. He was one of the founding members of Percussion Incorporated in New Orleans and was the Executive Producer of their two albums, "Windswept" in 1988 and "Congo Square" in 1991. In 1989, Luther founded the Congo Square Foundation, which was responsible for placing Congo Square on the National Register of Historic Places on January 28, 1993. . The foundation has conducted lectures, drum workshops, sponsored 24 hour drumming vigils, erected historic markers and produced four Congo Square International Festivals in their efforts to revitalize Congo Square and Armstrong Park.

In 1994, Luther started Bamboula 2000; an exciting music and dance experience and produced its two compact discs, "Cultural Warrior" released in 1996 and " New Society" released in 2000. The group has twice won the prestigious Big Easy Music Award in the World Music category for its accomplishments in 1996 and 2001.

As a songwriter, Luther has composed, recorded and released over 50 songs that range in style from traditional drumming, reggae, jazz, inspirational, and contemporary funk/ and rhythm & blues. Luther appeared as a drummer in the film, "Interview with a Vampire" and as an extra in "Eve's Bayou". Luther has taught over 50,000 students in the United States and Canada during his long musical career. His teaching method combines tradition and its application in a modern technological world. He believes exposing young people to positive cultural values through drumming helps to guide them along the path of a Culture of Life rather than a Culture of Death that attracts too many of our youth.

Luther's vast travels as a drummer have taken him to Ghana, Togo and Benin, in West Africa He has performed and traveled to Martinique, the Virgin Islands and the Bahamas in the Caribbean. He has toured with Bamboula throughout the Vera Cruz region of Mexico. He has toured with the Guardians of the Flame Mardi Gras Indians in Singapore, Martinique, France and throughout the United States including a 1995 Academy Awards Party at the House of Blues in Los Angeles.

He feels all of these experiences help him to understand how to relate to people all over the world in a manner that brings greater understanding, respect and unity.