Portland Portrait #3: Two Portland Musicians

Organic City Sounds

This week’s portrait focuses on two Portlanders at very different points in their artistic journeys, yet both deeply inspired by our city. Obo Addie is a Ghanaian Master Drummer, and credited as one of the first Africans to popularize the genre that became known as “worldbeat”. He settled in the Northwest more than three decades ago, after becoming popular in Ghana and Europe in the early ‘70s. Ben Larsen, only 23 years old, has been living and working as a professional musician in Portland for around a year. A mandolin virtuoso, Ben is proof that determination, hard-work, and perhaps a bit of God-given talent can allow a performer to stand out, even in a city with thousands of musicians. This week’s portrait is an experiment in comparison. What happens when you intertwine the thoughts and aspirations of two performers at very different stages in their lives and careers? What striking differences do you hear? What similarities? Listen and find out, on this week’s edition of the Portland Portrait.