Support Abu's Journey to Mecca

Peace and Blessings, Everyone!

Please support our beloved PopAbu, a.k.a Abu the Flutemaker, so that he can embark on his pilgrimage to Mecca. Since our father became a Muslim, it has been a lifelong dream of his to fulfill the Fifth Pillar of Islam, which is going to Mecca and praying at the Holy Kaaba with Muslims from all over the world.

As many of you know, Abu will be celebrating his 83rd birthday this upcoming March, and by the grace of God, he is still healthy and strong. While he is still physically able to make this journey, it is important to our family that this year, 2023, is the year that PopAbu fulfills this dream.

Please lend your support. Any amount, large or small, is welcomed and much appreciated.

Peace and Blessings!

~Abu’s Children

If you want to know more about Abu the Flutemaker, see the brief bio below :)

The Man Who Recycles Sound

For over five decades, Abu the Flutemaker, “Baltimore’s own Pied-Piper,” has been known for his ability to recycle ordinary materials that have been discarded and transform them into the most unusual musical instruments that anyone has ever seen or heard. He has been described as “a genius in the spirit of George Washington Carver and the peanut,” “the MacGyver of musical instruments,” and “the epitome of Kuumba” (the 6th principle of Kwanzaa, Creativity). He makes musical instruments out of almost anything! He’s a self-taught artist and musician who’s made over 100 different types of instruments and thousands overall.

Throughout Baltimore City and the nation, Abu has performed countless musical and cultural crafts shows on television, radio, and at community events, recreation and juvenile centers, museums, libraries, schools, many other institutions, and private engagements.

Abu’s philosophy is that “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” and that “everyone possesses a unique gift.” Abu, through his skill, encourages people, especially youngsters, to try and discover what their specific gift is and to develop it. Abu’s performances always include a self-empowerment theme, especially for at-risk youth.

Abu’s Performances Are Rich in Both Sights and Sounds

A “typical” Abu performance includes drums made from coffee cans and car tire inner tubes, 6-foot tall thunder drums made from porch columns, a saxophone-sounding horn made from a bedpost, a metal trash can turned base harp, a baseball bat turned bass clarinet, horns out of chair legs, and flutes made from bamboo, including a nose flute, which he plays with his nose. He demonstrates saxophones out of PVC plumbing pipe, called plumberphones, a xylophone from mirror glass, sardine can thumb pianos, and much more. He’ll even show you how to play a drinking straw!

Abu shares his musical crafts show with audiences of all ages, and at the end of each show, he invites members of the audience to play his instruments; they form a band as he plays along on one of his horns.

See him in action on YouTube or Google “Abu the Flutemaker.”