Tickling The Ivories

And now for something different to entertain you this summer.

We’d like to introduce award-winning pianist Kofi Boakye, who has taken the world by storm with his original music.

The Akron, Ohio, native made history at age 15 when he joined the University of Akron School of Music’s jazz program, making him the youngest African-American pianist to be accepted.

And before Boakye heads to Berklee College of Music in Boston this fall, he and his band (including drummer Jeff Law, bassist Grant Jackson and organist Marquis Brown) will take the stage at the Arts Garage in Delray Beach on Aug. 3 at 8 p.m.   

“Kofi Boakye will perform a show with his band which consists of original music and cover music of the R&B, funk and jazz genre,” according to the venue’s website. “Boakye’s shows are interactive. His shows are high-energy and kid-friendly, and he will sometimes go in the crowd with his melodica and play in the audience.”

His talent hasn’t escaped notice. Emmy-winning journalist Romona Robinson, a CBS Cleveland 19 News anchor, had this to say about him: “Kofi Boakye is a remarkable young man with a bright future. A real class act!” 

And he’s no slouch in the academic world, either. In 2014, President Barack Obama awarded Boakye the President’s Education Award for Outstanding Academic Excellence. Four years later, he won the silver medal in the NAACP ACT-SO National Competition, making him the first person from Akron to achieve the feat. O

For more information, call 561-450-6357 or visit artsgarage.org.