T | The Women's Liberation Music Archive

Terri Quaye

Jazz singer, pianist, songwriter, ethnographic photographer

As well as Terri Quaye’s professional website http://www.jazzcocktail.com/ you can view her photo website www.globalpictorials.co.uk

Terri Quaye on stage playing conga drums and singing.

Jazz Forum Jazz Festival, Warsaw, Poland, 1972. Photo copyright Marian Sanecki

Terri Quaye playing conga drums on stage with three musicians on sax, drums and guitar.

John Steven’s ‘Amalgam’, London 1974. Photo copyright Terri Quaye.

Drumming workshops, Women’s Arts Alliance, 1976. Photo copyright Terri Quaye

Terri Quaye playing congas, with bass player and keyboards on stage.

Terri Quaye’s ‘Moonspirit’ at the 100 Club, London, 1977.

Review of Moonspirit performance at London's 100 Club, 1977. Terri Quaye on congas, Gill Lyons on bass, Val Fenton on keyboards: 'the range of sounds was quite staggering.' 'Just about the only all-women experimental jazz band around.'

Melody Maker review of ‘Zila’ and ‘Moonspirit’ at London’s 100 Club, 1977. Copyright Maureen Paton

Terri Quaye in DJ mode at her Cauldron Women's Disco, working turntables, a hand-painted poster advertising the Boxing Night event and raffle on the wall behind.

Terri Quaye’s ‘Cauldron Women’s Disco’, the Sol’s Arms, London, 1978. Photo copyright Terri Quaye

Terri Quaye playing a solo concert on conga drums, hands blurred with speed.

Terri Quaye in solo concert at London’s Africa Centre, 1981. Photo copyright Terri Quaye

Review of Terri Quaye's gig praises her 'Sounds of africa' performance and cassette recording for originality and presentation, her desire to keep her West African and Caribbean roots alive, use of African talking drums and remarkable singing voice.

Review of Terri Quaye at the Africa Centre from Ms London, 1981

Advertising the International Festival of Improvised Music, Movement and Voice held in 1981 at the Cockpit Theater, north London, featuring many artists including Terri Quaye.

Flyer for the MuVoMo Festival, London 1981

An ad for Terri Quaye's farewell gig at Africa Centre, March 31st 1982. Solo concert: 'The Sounds of Africa" before leaving to work in USA with Black cultural groups.

Spare Rib issue 117, 1982 (N.B. correct title is ‘Sounds of Africa’)

Terri Quaye performing solo in farewell concert at Africa Center 1982, playing balathon, an African instrument akin to axylophone.

Terri Quaye in solo concert, The Africa Centre, 1982. Photograph copyright Anna Kolpy

Caribbean Times review of Terri Quaye’s 1982 farewell concert at the Africa Center, by Lyn Yelverton

Flyer for Black History Month celebration at National Museum of African Art, Washington DC, USA, 1983

Flyer for Black History Month Celebration in honour of Frederick Douglas, February 1983, National Museum of African Art, Washington DC, USA

Terry Quaye and several African-American drummers playing congas in Washington Square, New York. Other people in background playing hand percussion.

Street Drum Down, Washington Square, New York, 1983

Programme for the Studio Museum in Harlem illustrated with photos of a acrved mask for Central Africa and Terri Quaye playing congas drums. Details 'Ghanaian drummer Terri Naakoshie Quaye demonstrates mastery of Ashanati and talking drums, the balaphon (original xylophone) and the sensa (thumb piano.)'

The Studio Museum in Harlem program, October – December, 1983

Review for 'Sounds of Africa' concert: photo of Terri Quaye on congas. ' Terri Naakoshie Quaye will blend traditional African rhythms and contemporary jazz styles.'

Review from Rotunda, American Museum of Natural History, September 1983

Terri Quaye and a young woman student playing conga drums in a workshop for disability charity Scope, 1983

Workshop with the charity ‘Scope’, 1984

A review of the play Patterns by 'multi-racial Changing Women Theatre' company at London's Drill Hall with photo of two cast members on stage: 'atmospheric music contributed much to the production ... skilful use of African pecussion by Terri Quaye and the powerful singing voice of Maggie Nicols.''

Review from The Stage of Patterns, November 1984

Program for The Return of The Kitchen Sisters: Visions of Healing, Texas, USA, 1985, shows nine cast members posing inc Terri Quaye, special guest musician.

Program for The Return of The Kitchen Sisters, Texas, USA, 1985

Review of the play, The Return of The Kitchen Sisters, in Texas, 1985, giving special mention to Terri Naakoshie Quaye, guest musician. Her 'strong serene voice' 'like a benediction.'

Review of The Return of The Kitchen Sisters, from The Picayune, Austin, Texas, USA, 1985, by Anne Morris

Advertising Terri Quaye's 1986 tour of New Zealand, with a photo of Terri playing piano and singing.

Flyer for Sounds of Africa tour, New Zealand, 1986

Dates and venues of Terri Quaye's 1986 tour of New Zealand, with a photo of Terri playing conga drums.

Flyer for Sounds of Africa tour of New Zealand, 1986

Terry Quaye playing balafon, African xylophone, outdoors with other musicians in Zimbabwe.

Terri Quaye playing balafon in Zimbabwe

Terri playing conga drums with other musicians, outdoors in Zimbabwe.

Terri Quaye drumming in Zimbabwe

The Touch 1982 ~ 87

Original line-up: George (Georgette) Okey, vocals, guitar, backing vocals; Luce (Lucinda) Cook, vocals, bass, backing vocals; Sally Beautista, vocals, guitar, backing vocals (about a year); Scottie Swankee, vocals, drums, backing vocals. Second line-up: Carole Nelson, synth, sax (about 6 months ’83-ish); George (Georgette) Okey, vocals, guitar, backing vocals; Luce (Lucinda) Cook, vocals, bass, backing vocals; Scottie Swankee, vocals, drums, backing vocals. Third line-up (from about 1984): George (Georgette) Okey, vocals, guitar, backing vocals; Gill Moon, drums, percussion, backing vocals; Luce (Lucinda) Cook, vocals, bass, backing vocals. Sound engineer and roadie, Aviva Anson

The Touch was a London-based band that played many gigs around the country in the 1980s and toured Holland and Germany. As a three piece line-up they successfully applied for a GLC capital grant, enabling the group to earn some money rather than all their payments going on PA and van hire. They also ran a PA company, providing affordable sound reinforcement for many small community festivals. After their amicable split, they passed on their PA equipment and van to Hackney Women’s Music Project, based in the basement of Dalston’s Rio cinema; their hope was that other women’s and specifically Black women’s music projects would benefit in the future.

The four women in a black and white photo in a children's playground, smiling and seated on a bench, talking to one another.

Carole, Scottie, Lucinda, Georgette

A black and white publicity shot. The three women pose dramatically against a backdrop of shining water, the River Thames.

Gill, Lucinda, Georgette

A casual shot of Aviva on the road, in a car, smiling and drinking Coke

Aviva Anson, on tour in Holland

A colour photo of Georgette Okey on stage, playing her acoustic guitar in a marquee, with bright red lighting, daytime sky just visible through the tent door in the background..

Georgette at Pilton Women’s Festival

Georgette is seated, playing acoustic guitar and singing, many amplifiers around, in a tent with bright red lighting.

Georgette at Pilton Women’s Festival

The Touch photos courtesy of Georgette Okey; photos of The Touch line ups by Louise Wadley

Georgette has gone on to become a film-maker; en route she continued playing session guitar into the 1990s, working with vocalists Sheila Smith (supporting The Communards), David McAlmont and Yazz. In 1992 she was one of only two women guitarists invited by Rock School and Trinity College to compose contemporary graded exams for drums bass and guitar.

After ceasing touring she became a recording artist and briefly worked with Yasuaki Shimizu for John Hades’ Future Perfect Management; recordings of the period remain unreleased. Throughout the 90s she worked as an independent sound engineer and record producer (she was the record and mix engineer for the award winning song ‘Eye On The Prize’ by Fola, MOBO Best Newcomer Award 1997), she designed and taught sound engineering courses at a number of universities, colleges and art organisations, gained an MSc, designed, built and operated her independent production studio Rubyfruits in Stratford, east London (The London Olympics necessitated a relocation to north London). Working under the name G.O Georgette continues to occasionally compose, engineer and produce music for herself and other independent artists. She can also be found creating sound design and audio dubs for film.

A black and white publicity shot of Georgette, wearing dark glasses and holding an electric guitar, looking serious.

Georgette Okey, circa 1989, photo David ?

As a director her first short film, ‘Ginger Gora and the Gentles’ (Rubyfruits, 2006) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1860237/ , a lesbian comedy, premiered at The East End Film Festival 2006 with a screening at the Genesis Cinema. It was also selected by Tongues of Fire Asian Women’s Film Festival 2006 (nominated for best short) and screened at the ICA; it played out on ITV?’ iPlayer for three years before it went on to be selected for India’s first gay film festival, Kashish – Mumbai International Queer Film Festival 2010. It was also one of the films chosen to promote the second festival; the screening received a standing ovation. Her recently completed second short film, Matchmaker (Rubyfruits, 2010) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1808292/ a drama about a gay football fan, has just been selected by Kashish – Mumbai International Queer Film Festival 2011 (May 25th – 29th) http://www.mumbaiqueerfest.com. Georgette is currently writing her first feature film script.

Threeways 1988

Ann Day, drums, percussion; Julia Doyle, bass; Julia Farringdon, flute

Jazz trio

Tour de Force late 1970s/early 80s

Bernice Cartwright, bass; Deirdre Cartwright, lead guitar; Val Lloyd, drums; Viv Corringham, vocals