Roo AOTD #67 Makaya McCraven

All aboard the hype train for Bonnaroo 2023! Only 53 days until we are all on the Farm again, can you believe it? It’s coming up fast and we can’t wait to be dancing with all of you at Bonnaroo! Today’s Artist of the Day is the one and only Makaya McCraven. Learn more about the artist below. Don’t forget to check out all of our artist spotlights! Check back in with us tomorrow for the next Artist of The Day!

Artist Biography

Makaya McCraven is a beat scientist drummer, composer, and producer that melds genres together in creative ways. He was born in Paris in 1983, the son of jazz drummer Stephen McCraven who played with Sam Rivers and Archie Shepp. At a young age Makaya moved to Massachusetts where he was exposed to a wide variety of music. He started playing drums before he was ten. He leaned into music seriously when in high school and started touring regionally in college to open for hip-hop acts. He studied at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst where he played in the jazz orchestra. After finishing his studies, he moved to Chicago in 2006 and became a staple in the music scene there. Makaya didn’t start leading a band until 2012 with his trio Split Decision featuring bassist Tim Seisser and pianist Andrew Toombs. From that project onward, Makaya started touring nationally and expanding his work in experimentation. He has collaborated with many jazz icons and has become a well-known boundary pusher of beat creation.

Genre

Jazz Drummer, Beat Scientist

Scheduled at Bonnaroo

Sunday (Link to Daily Schedules)