He crafts African-derived instruments

The Mad Hatter Festival is November 21 and 22 at The Barnacle. We'll be profiling some of the artists who are participating this year.

First up is Eddie Osborne, from Mirimar, Florida. This is Eddie's first year at the Mad Hatter although he has done numerous events around the Miami area. His specialty is musical instrument crafts. 

Looking at his work, you can easily see why Eddie has won several awards in Florida and Georgia. 

Kamale ngoni is his favorite piece. It means "Youth's Harp" in the Bamana and Jula languages of Mali and Burkina Faso. 

Eddie is from Griffin, Georgia where he made his first instrument in the 1950s. 

I asked him his favorite part of the Grove, he said, "The Grand Avenue corridor is my favorite part."

Why does he choose to focus on this instrument art? "I craft African and African-derived instruments out of a desire to assist in preserving living traditions and reviving dying or dead ones."


You can see Eddie's work in person this weekend at the Mad Hatter Festival. Look for him!