Career
Ackamoor is also the Artistic Director of the world music/jazz ensemble The Pyramids. The most recent was presented in January 2012 by the British Broadcasting Corporation radio personality Gilles Peterson at the Worldwide Awards Show in London. In 2003 San Francisco"s historic magazine, The San Francisco Bay Guardian, presented Idris with his first.
Ackamoor has guided Cultural Odyssey both artistically and administratively since the inception of the organization 35 years ago.
He was trained in bookkeeping by the late Ann Weiseltier of L. Ann Weiseltier and Associates as well as by the accounting firm of Swiff, Levy, & Polo. In addition, Ackamoor has extensive grant writing experience and has received training in various technological fields from Bay Area Video Coalition including Final Cut Pro editing and Filmmaking.
The United States. Department of State, Educational and Cultural Affairs Bureau selected Idris twice as an “Arts Envoy”. In 2007 Idris Ackamoor conducted his first United States. Department of State Speakers Tour of Russia where he conducted performances and workshops at University of Moscow, the American Center, and University of Rayzen.
Idris has been in the spotlight of late thanks to the renewed interest in his 1970"s band The Pyramids, which he re-united and since 2010 has conducted seven whirlwind European tours throughout the continent.
In the last three years 12 albums have been released of Ackamoor"s music, including the first Pyramids album in over 35 years entitled Otherworldly. In addition, a 3-Civil Defense box set was released entitled The Pyramids 1972–1976 – They Play to Make Music Fire. In 2004 Ackamoor released his third Civil Defense, Homage to Cuba.
In 1999 Ackamoor released his second jazz Civil Defense entitled Centurian and in 1998 he recorded and released his first Civil Defense, Portrait.
Portrait (1998)
Centurian (2000)
Homage to Cuba (2004)
Music of Idris Ackamoor 1971–2004 (2006).
