Interview with Aaron Johnson of Antibalas and musical director of Fela!-July 27, 2008

Aaron Johnson is the musical director of Fela!, an off-broadway musical about the life and times of Fela Anikulapo Kuti directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Bill T. Jones. You may know Aaron from Antibalas, the afrobeat band in which he plays trombone and conducts, but he has performed and/or recorded with Baaba Maal, TV on the Radio, Medeski, Martin, and Wood, Femi Kuti, The Budos Band, Chin Chin, Burning Spear, Dub Is A Weapon, Wu Tang Clan, and Taj Mahal to name a few. I asked him some questions in anticipation of the show set to premier August 5th.

The Afrobeat Blog: First of all, how did you come to the project?

Aaron Johnson: Rikki Stein, who was Fela's manager and currently manages Fela's estate suggested to the producers that they contact Antibalas. I met Rikki in London with Antibalas in early 2001, and usually see him whenever we pass through London. In summer 2006 myself, Gabe Roth and Victor Axelrod met with Bill T. Jones, Jim Lewis and the producers so they could ask us some questions about the music and whether or not we could or would be able to help them work on this idea they had. Later that year, Antibalas had a one day work session with Bill and others and I guess he saw the potential to make a show.

TAB: As the music director, does that mean you choose the music or just arrange it according to the script?

AJ: Both, when I was brought into the project, there was no script, it was an eight page treatment, and they had a few songs they were sure they wanted to use, but much of the material I suggested for musical or lyrical reasons, and the script has grown out of that process.

TAB: Who are the other musicians from the local Afrobeat scene playing in the show?

AJ: From Antibalas Jordan McLean, Stuart Bogie, Nick Movshon and Marcos Garcia, from Akoya, my old friend Yoshi Takemasa, who I have known longer than anyone else, since we played together in a band called Tadanoshin in 1997. Then some other great musicians who I have met over the last 10 years working in New York.

TAB: In the spirit of Fela, does the show advocate political action and resistance?

AJ: Yes.

TAB: What are some of the other projects in which you play besides Antibalas?

AJ: I play with Ticklah, I was an original member of the Fu Arkistra and Dub is a Weapon,, sometimes I play with Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, The Budos, The El Michels Affair, TV on the Radio, Bronx River Parkway, The Menahan Street Band, countless other bands sporadically around the city.

TAB: Who are some of your favorite afrobeat bands on the scene locally and all over the world?

AJ: Ah, hands down Seun Kuti and the Egypt 80, and if you want to call the Budos afrobeat, but beyond them and Akoya, I have not heard a lot of real afrobeat bands out there that have done anything for me.

TAB: Who are some of the artists you've enjoyed collaborating with the most in your career?

AJ: I love collaborating with my friends bands, TV on the Radio, Chin Chin, The Dap-Kings, The Budos, those are some of my favorite people and musicians.

TAB: In Antibalas, there are many different sensibilities and personalities that all effect the group's sound in different ways. If you look at people's side projects, you can see each sensibility on its own, such as Amayo with Fu-Arkistra, Victor with Ticklah, and Marcos with Chico Mann; how would you describe your sensibility and how it effects the group dynamic?

AJ: I don't know what my sensibility is, but I think after I started conducting Antibalas in 2001, the band evolved from a grooving but very sloppy and nonchalant group of musicians to a much tighter band. I think more than anything that has to do with me being able to feel the energy on stage and in the crowd and know where to direct the music, in terms of setlists, song arrangements, and also keep it really loose.

TAB: As an afrobeat musician, how challenging is it to make a living in such a big band, and how much is it a testiment to your passion for the music that you play the genre you do?

AJ: I am a musician, not an afrobeat musician, and I work in so many different genres, my passion is GOOD MUSIC, in my opinion of course. An "afrobeat musician" would not be able to do what we are doing with Fela's music in this new musical.

FelaOffBroadway.com

Aphrodesia at the Shrine-July 23, 2008

(Photos by Abraham Amkpa)

Aphrodesia proved why they're the hottest Afrobeat band on the West Coast Wednesday night when they threw down at the Shrine in Harlem. The eleven-piece ensemble out of San Francisco brought their funky afro-grooves to the Shrine stage on the front end of a nation-wide tour, playing eighteen shows in sixteen cities.

Aphrodesia has a unique sound that is accentuated by female lead vocalists Lara Maykovich and Maya Dorn whose beautiful voices glide over a ferocious rhythm section and heavy horns. In a genre dominated by bombastic, male frontmen, Maykovich and Dorn send a female empowerment message that resonates with the entire band's anti-establishment message.

Sounds from all over the African continent as well as the diaspora are abundantly present in Aphrodesia's music which comes as no surprise as they toured across West Africa performing in Ghana, Togo, Benin, and with Femi Kuti at the Shrine in Lagos, Nigeria. They celebrate the heterogeneous nature of Afrobeat composition incorporating elements of highlife, dub, Zimbabwean trance, soukous, and jazz. One of the most prevalent themes of their music is a dirty southern blues funk vibe furnished by guitarists David Sartore and Mike Abraham.

Following in the tradition of Afrobeat creator Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Aphrodesia never hesitates to take a political stand. Many of their song lyrics have a strong anti-establishment message such as Bus Driver, a song that speaks out against America's foreign oil dependancy. They have also used their live shows as forums for political action and dialogue extensively including a nation-wide voter registration tour in 2004, multiple benefit concerts for causes such as AIDS Prevention, Tsunami Relief, and Anti-War demonstrations.

Aphrodesia has one of the most inventive, distinctly unique sounds of any Afrobeat band in the country. With a dangerously groovtastic rhythm section, a tight horn section, and beautiful female vocalists upon which to gaze, they've got the best stage presence of any band you'll ever see live. Their latest studio album, Lagos by Bus, came out in November of 2007 to widespread acclaim. Although they're based in San Francisco, they tour across the country regularly, so don't miss them next time they come to a city or town near you.



Aphrodesia.org

Baye Kouyate et les Tougarakes at Joe's Pub-July 15, 2008

Baye Kouyate's performance at Joe's Pub Tuesday night was a celebration of West African music: musicians from several countries in West Africa, the United States and Europe put on a world-class show that got the entire crowd dancing by the night's end. Baye Kouyate is a talking-drum master from Mali. He descends from Griots, a family line of musicians, historians, and dispute mediators, and is one of the most up-and-coming African musicians on the NY scene.

Baye's Band, Les Tougarakes, is a collection of international all-star musicians with griot master Yacouba Sissoko of Mali on kora, German international recording artist Leni Stern on guitar, Senegalese master drummer Samba Guisse on djembe and sabar, Gbatokai Dakinah of Denmark on bass, griot balafon master Famoro Dioubate of Guinea, and Adam Clark, band leader of the Superpowers, an up-and-coming Afrobeat band out of Boston, on trap drums. Les Tougarakes represent both a wide range of musical styles within West Africa and the wide spread influence of West African music's diaspora.

Kouyate paid homage to the several-hundred year griot tradition from which he descends Tuesday night. Musical energy emanates from him with his beautiful smile, matching voice and talking drum which he makes sing. The virtuosic, rising and tumbling kora and balafon glided gracefully over the serene rhythms of the djembe, trap drums and bass. Leni Stern, who has collaborated with Salif Keita and Baaba Maal in addition to traveling extensively throughout Africa, added a special colorful touch to the ensemble, infusing a bluesy African jazz guitar feel.

Tuesday night was most definitely one to remember. Baye Kouyate is not only an amazing musician but an amazing person. Before the show was over, he paused to thank everyone who has ever helped him get to where he is today, especially the owners of Zebulon. It was in the Williamsburg venue that he made his first connections in the New York music scene and played his first shows.

Even though he descends from a long line of Malian griots, Baye does not see himself as simply an ambassador of African muisc, "I see myself not as a Malian Ambassador but as a Human Ambassador because my music is not just about Mali - it's about the world. My music is about the fusion of traditional and the modern, it's about love and peace in this world. It's about sharing life and no discrimination - it's about who we are as human beings, not just black and white, and together we all can save this world."


Baye Kouyate Myspace

Akoya at Southpaw-July 11, 2008

Akoya Afrobeat Ensemble brought their gargantuan afrobeat sound to Southpaw last Friday night and turned the packed house into a dancing frenzy. Featuring thirteen musicians from six different countries, Akoya is notorious for bringing insane amounts of energy to their live shows. Friday night, they lived up to their reputation.

Akoya has a diverse array of musical influences and voices that resonate in their live presentation. They accentuate the many different elements Fela incorporated into his original afrobeat sound: a tight, large horn section, beautiful female singers and dancers, multi-layered rhythm section, and a captivating front man singing call and response lyrics.

Lead singer Kaleta, who toured with Fela and Egypt 80, makes a very distinct imprint on the band. He made it into Egypt 80 he as a guitarist, but he's a percussionist and singer in Akoya. The biggest element he brings to the ensemble is his onstage energy. He's a master of engaging the crowd with call and response chants and his performance character. He performs the same role in another NY Afrobeat band, Zozo Afrobeat Ensemble.

Akoya Afrobeat Ensemble is one of the most underrated Afrobeat bands on the New York scene. With a monstrous horn section, tight percussions, and captivating vocalists, Akoya is a force to be reckoned with.

Akoya Myspace

Nomo at Zebulon-July 12, 2008

So many people came to Zebulon to see Nomo Saturday night, they literally had to turn people away. For those who managed to squeeze themselves into the cramped Williamsburg venue, they were not disappointed.

Nomo brought an uncontrollably infectious energy to the Zebulon stage, their favorite club in the city. Throughout their first set, the crowd seemed not to know what to make of them. People simply sat in awe trying to comprehend the complex sounds emanating from the seven-piece ensemble. That all changed during the second set when the crowd thinned out a bit, and the remaining concert-goers got up and danced like they knew they should.

Hailing from Ann Arbor, Michigan, Nomo is a seven-piece band whose sound is too unique to put in a genre. They fuse dubbed out 80's hip-hop synths with Tony Allen afro-funk drums and hard bop jazz horn lines. Even their arrangement is unique featuring two drum sets, electric bass, guitar, tenor and baritone saxophones, two trumpets, congas, timbales, bells, mbira (Zimbabwean thumb piano), and a combination of electric distortion effects.

Ghost Rock, Nomo's third full-length album came out last month on Ubiquity Records, and they're touring across the country promoting it playing thirty-four shows in fifty-five days in thirty-two cities. They are without a doubt, one of the most inventive, talented bands I've ever had the privilege of seeing live. Their ingenuity of arrangement and wide span of influences put them in a class by themselves. After listening to their records for the first time in the last six months, I had extremely high expectations for their show Saturday night, and they totally blew them away.

nomomusic.com

Seun Kuti, Afrika Bambaataa and U-Roy with Love Trio at Central Park Summer Stage

(Photos by Abraham Amkpa)

Central Park Summer Stage took its Afrocentric programming credibility to a new level last Sunday when Seun Kuti and Egypt 80, Afrika Bambaataa and the Zulu Nation, and U-Roy with Love Trio put on an energy-packed show that kept the crowd dancing from start to finish. All three acts are icons of their respective genres, and all three lived up to their prestigious reputations.

U-Roy and Love Trio opened things up. U-Roy is a legend of Jamaican music and founder of the reggae sub-genre dub. In the early 60's he pioneered toasting, or rapping over popular songs in dancehalls to liven up the party. He used his same signature style on Sunday, acting as lead vocalist with Love Trio, bridging the generational gap between a founder of dub and those continuing the tradition.

Next on stage was Afrika Bambaataa and the Zulu Nation, one of hip-hop's founding fathers. They kept the crowd jumping and gyrating while interjecting Afrocentric and political charged messages into their rhymes. Some were more overt than others; Afrika Bambaataa spoke only once at the end of the set, "Peace, Love and Unity, One Nation Under a Groove, and Fuck George Bush."

Closing out the show was Egypt 80 and Seun Anikulapo Kuti, son of Afrobeat pioneer and international protest figure Fela Kuti. Seun took the climbing energy from Afrika Bambaataa and U-Roy and vaulted it even higher. Egypt 80 took the stage first warming up the crowd and setting the Afrobeat groove. Seun made a dynamic entrance and automatically demanded the attention of the crowd. Everything from his appearance to his sound was highly reminiscent of Fela. His dance moves reminded me of his father the most, but when he introduced himself as "the best singer in the world," I knew the apple couldn't have fallen far from the tree.

Seun Kuti Myspace

Vieux Farka Toure Interview

Vieux Farka Toure is one of the world’s brightest young stars, picking up where his legendary father Ali left off playing his native Mali’s traditional music all over the world. After his show at Central Park Summer Stage last month, I was lucky enough to interview him on music, Africa, climbing out from his father’s shadow, and a lot more…

My first question is as an African musician, do you find it difficult to reach a mainstream audience? Do you ever get frustrated by being categorized into an "exotic other" category such as "world music"?

I GUESS I HAVE BEEN PRETTY LUCKY BECAUSE THE KIND OF MUSIC I AM DOING SEEMS TO BE REACHING A PRETTY WIDE AUDIENCE – AT LEAST FROM WHAT I CAN SEE FROM THE STAGE ! LAST WEEKEND I PLAYED ON THE ROCK STAGE AT THE ROSKILDE FESTIVAL IN DENMARK WITH BANDS LIKE BATTLES AND COCOROSIE ...AND THE AUDIENCE JUST SEEMED TO BE THERE TO HEAR AND DANCE TO GOOD ROCK, AND DIDN’T STOP ROCKING WHEN I PLAYED – THEY SEEMED TO GET EVEN CRAZIER ! THEN WE PLAYED A MORE TRADITIONAL AFRICAN FESTIVAL IN HOLLAND. NEXT WEEKEND WE’LL BE PLAYING A HUGE FESTIVAL IN SPAIN WHERE I’VE INVITED IDAN RAICHEL (WHOM I’VE MET IN AIRPORTS AROUND THE WORLD BUT HAVEN’T MANAGED TO ACTUALLY PLAY WITH YET!) TO SIT IN. I DID A RADIO SHOW LAST SUMMER WITH COUNTRY MUSICIANS (I REALLY LIKED DIERKS BENTLEY) AND ALSO AN AFRICA EXPRESS SHOW IN LIVERPOOL , PLAYING WITH OTHER AFRICANS LIKE AMADOU AND MIRIAM,BAABA MAAL, RACHID TAHA AND COLLABORATING WITH ALL THE NEW ENGLIGH ROCK MUSICIANS LIKE DAMON ALBARN AND FRANZ FERDINAND . AND I’LL BE DOING A US TOUR THIS AUGUST IN A TRIBUTE TO JAMES BROWN WITH PEE WEE ELLIS AND FRED WESLEY. SO I’D HAVE TO SAY I’M NOT FEELING TOO BOXED IN !

Growing up and now, who are some of your greatest musical influences outside of Mali?

MY FAVORITE MUSICIAN GROWING UP WAS PHIL COLLINS. I ALSO REALLY LOVE BRYAN ADAMS. I LISTEN TO ANYTHING – I AM YOUNG (DESPITE MY NAME!) AND HAVE EVERYTHING FROM REGGAETON TO HIPHOP TO BLUES TO TRADITIONAL MALIAN MUSIC ON MY I-POD.

You've traveled all over the world playing music, how has what you've seen and experienced in your travels shaped and stretched your perspective on your music and life as a whole?

IT’S TOTALLY CHANGED ME. YOU CAN’T TRAVEL THE WORLD, SEE OTHER CULTURES. EAT OTHER FOODS, MEET OTHER PEOPLE ALL THE TIME AND NOT HAVE THAT AFFECT YOUR WAY OF SEEING THE WORLD, AND OF COURSE THAT FILTERS INTO THE MUSIC. BUT OF COURSE IT ALSO MAKES ME VALUE EVEN MORE MY HOME, MY COUNTRY . WHEN I GET BACK TO MALI, AH...NOW THAT FEELS GOOD. I ALWAYS WANT TO LIVE THERE. BUT I’D MAYBE LIKE TO BRING SOME OF THE GOOD THINGS I HAVE SEEN ON MY TRAVELS BACK TO MALI. I AM ALWAYS SO IMPRESSED BY THE HUGE WINDMILLS ACROSS EUROPE AND I KEEP THINKING WE COULD USE ONE OF THOSE IN NIAFUNKE WHERE THERE IS ALWAYS WIND.

Since your father was such a legendarily famous Malian musician, do you ever feel burdened by having to always be compared to him? Do you ever feel like people don't give you enough respect on your own merits as a musician because of your name?

IT’S A GOOD THING AND A HARD THING TO HAVE A FATHER LIKE ALI. HE’ S A LEGEND WORLDWIDE AND I CAN’T COMPETE WITH THAT...ALL I CAN DO IS MY BEST AND HOPE THAT PEOPLE WILL SOMEDAY RECOGNIZE MY TALENT AS SOMETHING ELSE, SOMETHING DIFFERENT. B-U-T I ALSO KNOW THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE LISTENED TO MY FIRST ALBUM, PAID ATTENTION TO IT BECAUSE I AM ALI’S SON AND THAT’S A GOOD THING. THERE ARE HUNDREDS, MAYBE EVEN 000’S OF TALENTED ARTISTS OUT THERE, MAYBE WHO HAVE MORE TALENT THAN ME. BUT I HAVE BEEN LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE A FAMOUS FATHER AND SO MY FIRST RECORD WAS OF INTEREST TO PEOPLE. NOW I HAVE THE CHALLENGE OF MAKING THE SECOND ONE EVEN BETTER !

You've released two albums with Modiba records so far, do you have plans to go back into the studio anytime in the near future to record a third?

YES, I HAVE BEEN RECORDING FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS IN BAMAKO WHENEVER I CAN (AND AM NOT TOURING!) AND HAVE ABOUT 13 TRACKS READY FOR SOME POST PRODUCTION NOW. I AM HOPING WE CAN GET SOMEHTING OUT FOR EARLY 2009...

Your second album was a collaboration with various dj's that fused your traditional African sound with a more modern electric sound, who are some musicians you're interested in collaborating with on future projects both from West Africa and the rest of the world?

OH WOW, THAT’S A HARD QUESTION. WE’VE BEEN TALKING WITH DIRTY PROJECTORS ABOUT DOING SOME SHOWS TOGETHER. I JUST DISCOVERED WILCO ON OUR LAST ROAD TRIP – THEY ARE INCREDIBLE. OF COURSE I’D LOVE SOMEDAY TO WORK WITH BRYAN ADAMS. AND ON REGGAE, WELL, THE SKATALITES AND ALPHA BLONDY ARE MY HEROES. I JUST SPENT THE LAST WEEKEND AT FESTIVALS WITH MAMER KASSEY FROM NIGER , I LISTEN TO HIM ALL THE TIME AT HOME AND HIS GUITARIST IS ONE Of THE ALL-TIME GREATS; I’D LOVE TO DO SOMETHING WITH HIM ,MAYBE TRAVEL TO NIGER AND DO SOMETHING THERE.

My last question, your record label, Modiba productions, has repeatedly in the past donated parts of its sales profits to different charitable causes in Africa such as the ASAP album and buying malaria nets. Do you feel that enough African musicians use their financial success to instigate positive change in their home countries?

I THNK THERE ARE LOTS OF GOOD THINGS BEING DONE BY MANY AFRICAN MUSICIANS BUT I ALSO BELIEVE WE CAN – AND SHOULD – ALWAYS DO MORE. WE ARE LUCKY – WE OFTEN HAVE INFLUENCE, AND WE CAN HELP DIRECTLY. I AM SENDING MOSQUITO NETS DIRECTLY TO MY VILLAGE – AS MY FATHER USED TO SAY, WHEN THE WIOND BLOWS EVERYONE GRABS HIS OWN HAT.SO WHATEVER I CAN DO TO HELP MY OWN VILLAGE, I MUST DO.

www.vieuxfarkatoure.com/

One thing you can do to help the people of Zimbabwe

After a violence-ridden, sham 'election' last Friday, Robert Mugabe has declared himself President of Zimbabwe. Ominous reports of a massive crackdown on all his opponents are circulating. The fate of the country now hangs on negotiations between Mugabe and the legitimate winner of the first round election -- Morgan Tsvangirai.

If governments around the world refuse to recognize Mugabe, and strongly push other governments to do the same, his position will be weakened, and he could be pressured into agreeing to a deal with Tsvangirai that reflects the will of the Zimbabwean people. There's still hope to save Zimbabwe, but every day of silence strengthens Mugabe's position.

So far only a few governments have refused to recognize Mugabe as President -- we urgently need to turn this trickle into a flood, this week. Click below to send a personalized message directly to your head of state or foreign minister, and forward this email to others who could help:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/zimbabwe_chance_for_peace/7.php?cl=104467217

The people of Zimbabwe are desperate for change. The country has been decimated by Mugabe, with 80% unemployment, 160,000% inflation, and rampant fear -- over 30% of the population has fled the country.

The people of Zimbabwe clearly voted for Tsvangirai over Mugabe in the first round of the election, which was more free of violence. Then Mugabe's party waged a campaign of terror and intimidation and Tsvangirai was forced to withdraw after almost 100 of his party activists were murdered. The UN Secretary General and election observers from the African Union and Southern Africa Development Community have condemned the run off election as illegitimate, and the African Union has called for negotiations.

There is now only one path away from the violence -- a negotiated agreement. If leaders from Brazil to Botswana and Indonesia to India reject the regime, there is a chance of an agreement that reflects the will of the people. We have to act fast, it's now or never for Zimbabwe. Send your message now and spread the word:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/zimbabwe_chance_for_peace/7.php?cl=104467217

Regional leaders criticizing Mugabe:
Tanzania's Kikwete - http://allafrica.com/stories/200806200336.html
Rwanda's Kagame - http://allafrica.com/stories/200806190003.html
Kenya's Odinga - http://allafrica.com/stories/200806190949.html
Uganda's Museveni - http://allafrica.com/stories/200806120016.html
Botswana's Merafhe - http://africa.reuters.com/wire/news/usnL01238885.html
Zambia's Mwanawasa - http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-06/23/content_8419741.htm

Impact of Zimbabwe crisis on the region: http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/Zimbabwe/0,,2-11-1662_2349987,00.html

UN Secretary General critique of run off elections: http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iXUQTIzQRDjsPjVN__ZD3EvEYFjA

Election observers on the run off elections: http://allafrica.com/stories/200807010201.html

AU summit resolution on Zimbabwe: http://allafrica.com/stories/200807020018.html

Zozo Afrobeat, Fallou Dieng, and Vieux Farka Toure at Central Park Summer Stage

It was a wet day to say the least on Saturday, but that didn't dampen the mood at Central Park Summer Stage where Vieux Farka Toure, Fallou Dieng, and Kaleta's Zozo Afrobeat Ensemble pooled their efforts for one of the best African music concerts of the summer.

Kaleta's Zozo Afrobeat Ensemble kicked things off nicely with their cast of some of the city's best Afro-performers. They laid down the funk so hard that when the sky opened up ten minutes into their set, the crowd didn't even think of dissipating.

Fallou Dieng, a Senegalese mbalax superstar followed and the sun shined throughout his entire set. While Fallou's voice was as majestic and powerful as ever, his mbalax dancer totally stole the show. His on-stage antics drove the crowd wild. Maybe it was the two Senegalese women in the crowd that gave him extra inspiration.

Vieux Farka Toure closed out the show, and the rain really came down. He was joined onstage by Baye Kouyate whose infectious talking drum energy made the crowd scream, or maybe it was just the chilly rain pouring down on them. Either way Vieux played a great show that reinforced his distinct style and identity, separate from yet tributary to his legendary father Ali.

Paid Dues Independent Hip-Hop Festival-June 4th 2008

Blackalicious, Gza, KRS-One, and Rakim were officially crossed off my list of hip-hop artists I want see live before I die last Wednesday night at the Paid Dues Independent Hip-Hop Festival. With the legendary lineup of Rakim, GZA, Blackalicious, Murs & 9th Wonder, Buckshot (Boot Camp Clik), Supernatural and Scratch, Kidz in the Hall and Yak Ballz, it’s no surprise they sold out the Nokia Times Square Theater, and rocked it hard.

The Kidz in the Hall started the night off and got the crowd warmed up. Then Scratch came out with a loop machine and showcased his human beatbox skills. Supernatural joined him onstage, the crowd got into it, and the concert officially began. Buckshot followed and the packed house started going wild. Smith and Wesson came out with him and kicked things up a notch, but then, the dj dropped “The Bridge is Over” and the teacher himself, KRS-One, walked out on stage and started rapping. The place went totally nuts.

Murs, the festival organizer, came after and did a set with 9^th Wonder which was followed by an awesome set by Blackalicious. Gift of Gab showcased his skills as a killer mc, freestyling a mile-a-minute and energizing the crowd.

Gza followed Blackalicious and absolutely killed it. The crowd was getting tired at that point, since the set breaks were about half-an-hour between acts, so Gza immediately demanded energy from the crowd, which he received. The highlight of his set was a four-minute long freestyle about Ol’ Dirty Bastard before the dj dropped “I Like It Raw”.

Kid Capri came out to start Rakim’s set which closed out the show. Rakim played all the classics from Paid in Full and Follow the Leader. The crowd sang all his lyrics word-for-word turning the show into more of a sing-a-long than a concert. There was a special moment during his set when he told the crowd he had a death in his family only a couple days prior. He had the theater turn all the lights off and the crowd hold up all their lighters and cell phones for a moment of silence dedicated to everyone’s lost loved ones. Kid Kapri broke the silence perfectly when he dropped “Check Out My Melody.”

Without question, it was the best hip-hop show to which I’ve ever been. All I could think of was how amazing it would be to see a freestyle battle between, Supernatural, KRS-One, Gift of Gab, Gza, and Rakim with Scratch beatboxing. Maybe next year.

Go Home Hillary

Hillary Clinton needs to stop wasting people's money and drop out of the presidential race. She has made an absolute embarrassment of herself. For quite some time now, she's done nothing but distract key parts of the democratic constituency from coalescing behind Barack Obama.

We're at a point in our country's history of great importance. The 2000 and 2004 elections were some of the closest in history. Besides the elections of 1824 and 1800 which ended in draws, the only election decided by a closer margin of victory than 2000 was 1876 when Rutherford B. Hayes won the disputed election of 1876.

Like Bush in 2000, Hayes lost the popular vote. He only won the election in a brokered back room deal known to history as the compromise of 1877. In exchange for the Democrats conceding the election, the Republicans agreed to withdraw federal troops from the South.

This allowed the Democratic party to reclaim the southern local governments, push African-Americans out of power, and take away their voting rights effectively ending reconstruction. Also like 2000, the election of 1876 was ultimately decided by the Supreme
Court.

After the 2000 election, there have been only two closer than 2004: the election of 1796, the first election in American history not won by George Washington, and the election of 1916, contested during World War One, four years after Teddy Roosevelt split the Republican party to form the progressive party. 2000 should have been enough of a wake up call to the country, but instead, we elected the same president by the same questionably close margin.

While our electoral system is unquestionably flawed, the blame is still none but our own. We allowed ourselves to be mislead—twice. It is up to us now to ask harder questions and pay closer attention. We're at two wars and in a recession--obviously we've done something wrong.

Hillary Clinton has been doing nothing but campaign for Jon McCain for the past couple months. America needs a change. The past eight years have been a sharp decline for America both in its integrity abroad as well as economically at home. American society’s political and economic
divisions have only increased. Which candidate most represents departure and change: Hillary Diane Clinton, John Sidney McCain, or Barack Hussein Obama?

The Sway Machinery at University Settlement

What do you get when you take bluesman and Balkan Beat Box guitarist Jeremiah Lockwood, add the Yeah Yeah Yeah's drummer Brian Chase, two horn players from Antibalas, Stuart Bogie and Jordan McLean, and bass saxophonist Colin Stetson of Arcade Fire and Tom Waits' band? The funkiest bar mitzvah band on the planet, The Sway Machinery. I first heard about the Sway Machinery from Stuart Bogie six months ago while interviewing him for an article about Antibalas and had been eagerly anticipating see the band in concert ever since. I checked them out Wednesday night at University Settlement on the Lower East Side. They totally blew away my extremely high expectations.

The Sway Machinery is a project inspired by Jeremeiah Lockwood's grandfather, the legendary Cantor Jacob Konigsberg, who exposed Jeremiah to Jewish Cantor music at a young age. Lockwood sings in Hebrew perfecting the other-worldly sound the musical arrangement creates. The Sway Machinery is definitely like nothing you'll see or hear anywhere else. They have a harsh, powerful sound anchored by the bass saxophone and enhanced by the rest of the horn section. Their set exhibited great range going from slow, deep, dark, and mysterious to fast funky, happy, and danceable.

The Sway Machinery are playing several upcoming shows this summer: June 8th at 92YTribeca and July 20th at Celebrate Brooklyn in Prospect Park If you like music that pushes the envelope hard, go check them out. With the amazing roster of talented musicians on stage, there's no doubt it will be an amazing show.

swaymachinery.com myspace.com/theswaymachinery

Album Review: Nomo-Ghost Rock

Do you like music that's unique, music that takes elements of music you love and transforms it into something totally different and amazing? If your answers to those questions are yes, then you need to check out Nomo's new album Ghost Rock.

Nomo is a jazz fusion band out of Ann Arbor, Michigan. While they have a sound reminiscent of Afrobeat, they're simply too unique to
classify. They have an aggressively dynamic horn section that cuts hard horn lines over an even nastier rhythm section.

Ghost Rock, the band's second release with Ubiquity Records, accentuates an other-wordly electronic vibe that brings in an entirely
new element to their already incomparable sound. Nomo will simultaneously make you dance and expand your mind. If you haven't
heard their first full-length album, Nu Tones, go out and buy it today
to tide you over until Ghost Rock comes out on June 17th.

http://www.myspace.com/nomomusic

Akoya Album Release Party at S.O.B.'s

Akoya, one of New York's premier Afrobeat Ensembles, proved why they are as good as anybody on the scene last Thursday night at S.O.B.'s at the release party for their new album, President Dey Pass. In a night that featured Akoya's own diverse mix of talented musicians from all over the world, a superstar lineup of guest musicians hit the stage as well including Cedric “Im” Brooks of the Skatalites, Amayo, Marcos Garcia, and Eric Biondo of Antibalas, Jared Tankel of Budos Band, Paula Henderson of Moisturizer, and Dj Rich Medina on the 1's and 2's.
Akoya is a 13-piece Afrobeat band based in New York with members from Benin, Panama, Ghana, South Africa, the U.S. and Japan. The lead singer, Kaleta, toured and recorded with Fela Anikulapo Kuti and Egypt 80 for ten years. What sets Akoya apart is their versatility and diversity. They are a force to be reckoned with and give Antibalas competition as the hottest Afrobeat band on the East Coast.

Asiko at Zebulon-February 2008

What do you think of when someone says the word Afrobeat? Do you think of energy? Dancing? Do you think of Africa, maybe Nigeria where Fela Anikulapo Kuti invented the genre? Or maybe you think of Brooklyn? Do you think of bands like Antibalas or Akoya that have contributed to the explosion of Afrobeat in the area?
Well, when someone says the word Afrobeat to me, I think of one place: Zebulon. I think of the cramped bar in Williamsburg, packed with all kinds of people dancing their asses off to the hard driving rhythms of Asiko, the band I saw shake Zebulon to its core with its deep grooves and intricate arrangements last Saturday night.
Asiko Afrobeat Ensemble is a New York based Afrobeat band formed in 2003 by Foly Kolade, the band's leader, vocalist and percussionist. Asiko has a very inventive sound. Some Afrobeat bands are unwilling to change the form or arrangement of their songs from traditional Afrobeat progressions. Asiko is the opposite: in the course of one song, they will shift from a straight-ahead Afrobeat sound to funk to dub back to Afrobeat. At one point they played an entire song that was straight highlife. Their whole repertoire had an edge of latin flavor supplied by the congas. Shades of jazz and rock were very audible as well.
Their instrumentation provided an avalanche of sounds and texture: two singers, two tenor saxophones, trumpet, trombone, guitar, bass, keyboard, drum set, congas, and a Yoruba talking drum (traditional Nigerian drum played with a stick held underneath the armpit to change the pitch). All their horn players were very tight especially the two tenor sax players. They had a controlled aggression to their sound that let them attack their solos with a lot of attitude while simultaneously maintaining a tight, smooth sound. The trumpet and trombone players killed their solos too.
Foly Kolade hails from Ogidi, Nigeria. He is of the same indigenous ethnic group as Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Yoruba. Asiko is a Yoruba word for time, not so much time of day, but an appointed moment, connoting fate such as "Your time is now" or "The time has come." Kolade has trained and performed with Roy Ayers, Mariam Makeba, and George Benson throughout his career. Amayo, the lead singer of Antibalas, was in attendance Saturday night. He joined the ensemble for a song as a guest vocalist.
Amayo is no stranger to Zebulon much like any other Afrobeat fan or performer. His side band, Fu-Arkist-Ra performs there on a monthly basis. Several other local Afrobeat bands have cut their teeth on Zebulon's stage: Akoya, The Superpowers, Nomo, Zozo, Stuart Bogie's side project (the tenor player from Antibalas) Super Human Happiness, as well as the aforementioned Fu-Arkist-Ra to name a few. Other local world music stars have monthly residences at Zebulon such as Baye Kouyate and the Tougarakes not to mention the dub and jazz that frequents the venue as well.
Very few clubs in the city can compete with Zebulon's lineup of live music. They put on rockin' shows seven nights a week, never charging a cover. Their drink menu includes six dollar Sierra Nevadas and Brooklyn Lagers as well as seven dollar Hoegarten and Boddington's. A full bar of moderately priced cocktails are always available as well. You don't go to Zebulon for the drinks though; you go for the world class music, the electric atmosphere, and the diverse clientele. Where else can you go for a slammin' show any night of the week for free and moderately priced drinks? That's why Zebulon is in my top five favorite bars in Brooklyn.

Album Review: The Superpowers-Revival Time

The Superpowers' 2007 release Revival Time is a groovtasticly aggressive Afrobeat album that will leave you dancing from start to finish. Presented by the Boston Afrobeat Society, this nine-piece Afrobeat ensemble is a burgeoning group on the cusp of an even hotter Afrobeat scene. Their nine track release is a tightly arranged pulsing Afrobeat monster fit to be named "super."
The Superpowers are all graduates of New England Conservatory where they came together under the leadership of Adam Clark, the band's drummer and founder. They started playing Fela Kuti tunes and found the Afrobeat medium to be an amazing new medium through which to express themselves as jazz musicians.
While the Superpowers are definitely an Afrobeat band with an aggressive Afrobeat sound, they incorporate elements of several musical styles including jazz, funk, soul, reggae, and rock. Their horn section delivers lines one would expect to hear from Earth Wind and Fire or the JB's over pulsating Afrobeat grooves laid down by their proficient rhythm section. Their guitars and keyboards incorporate the perfect amount of distortion effects to add a psychedelic rock/dub feel.
What's really great about Revival Time is the range the album encompasses. There are slower smooth tracks like "Cosmic Spiral" and "Moonlit Heart" to chill you out, more upbeat lively tracks like "Abbey Rockers #1" and "Abami Eda" to make you dance, and more unconventional, unique sounding tracks like "Revival Time" to give you something you haven't heard before.
What's best about Revival Time is the extent to which it exposes and accentuates the influences and components that led Fela Anikulapo Kuti to create the genre, particularly the American elements of funk and jazz. The rhythm guitar lines are extremely funky as well as the horn lines, but at the same time, the keyboard and horn solos are extremely jazzy. A lot of Afrobeat bands will prioritize staying true to the Afrobeat tradition. The Superpowers aren't afraid to deviate from the accepted Afrobeat sound, and that allows them the freedom to develop a much more unique and interesting sound.
Half the Superpowers live in Boston and half live in Brooklyn, so they play a lot of shows in both cities. They tour most of the northeast hitting cities like Providence, RI, Burlington, VT, Northhampton, MA, and stops in between. Their sound is growing, and so is their fanbase as they are at the forefront of a booming Afrobeat scene. Bands like Antibalas and Akoya are spreading Fela's message, and The Superpowers can hang with any Afrobeat band on the scene. Their horns are tight, their rhythm section rocks, and their attitude and sensibility set them apart from the rest.

Antibalas-December 7, 2007

Antibalas, one of the latest Brooklyn grown bands to reach international fame, hit the BAM Opera House stage as the headliner of their Takeover all-night party the first Saturday night of November. There was a line out the door and around the corner down St. Felix St. to get into the multi-faceted all-night party. Five bands, four films, three djs, art video installations throughout the building, and berlesque in between musical acts on the main stage kept the party going into the early hours of the morning.
Antibalas has played all over the world, from Japan to Portugal making stops throughout Asia and Europe along the way. They've performed all over the city as well from Central Park Summer Stage to Rikers Island Prison Facility, but they are and have been a Brooklyn band from the start. Bringing their pulsing afro-beat grooves to the BAM center stage was a new honor all its own.
"That opera house bestows honor on whoever's fortunate enough to play there," said Stuart Bogie, the band's tenor saxophone player and influential band member since 2001. He's seen the band grow extensively both musically and in fame since their founding by Martin Perna in 1998. Many critics have dubbed them as the torch-bearers of afro-beat, the genre pioneered by Fela Anikulapo Kuti and his band Afrika 70, however, none of the band members see themselves as catering to that role
"A lot of the critics have said our music has become more and more our own and less and less imitations of Fela's music. Which I think is totally wrong. I don't think the opposite is true, but I think that's the most invented trash I've ever heard. Antibalas didn't understand Fela's music when they started. They loved it and were inspired by it, but they weren't equipped to imitate it. They didn't have the technique. We have that now to a much greater extent."
Antibalas has released four albums to date. Their latest, Security, came out earlier this year and received widespread critical acclaim. Security represents the progression of Antibalas' sound in different ways. When I spoke with Stuart Bogie, he elaborated further on Antibalas' progression, "We're better at breathing with in the afrobeat style. Technically the dynamic element has grown a lot in our music. The swell, the push, the subtle ways of playing the ostenatos and patterns, so that they still dance with each other. Afrika 70 was very adept in that way."
Like most members of Antibalas, Bogie takes part in a number of musical projects, some with other members of Antibalas. One such project is Sway Machinery, an amalgamation of middle-eastern and African sounds and influences, of which Antibalas trumpeter Jordan McLean is also a member. Bogie has collaborated with an extensive list of musicians including Celebration, TV on the Radio, Madeski, Martin and Wood, Burning Spear, Sinehead O'Conner, The Wu-Tang Clan, Rana, Dub is a Weapon, Congo Ashanti Roy, and Tony Allen just to name a few.
Antibalas is almost entirely composed of Brooklyn residents. Bogie lives in Williamsburg, Amayo, the lead singer/percussion player lives in Greenpoint, and Martin Perna, the baritone saxophone player and band's founder lives in Bushwick. Their keyboard player, Victor Axelrod, lives in Park Slope. Gracing the stage at BAM's opera house adds some hometown love to the extraordinary list of venues all over Europe and the United States including a castle in Portugal, manor houses along the French Riviera, Bonnarue, and the Filmore at Irving Plaza.
Antibalas shared the stage with Be Your Own Pet, The Exit, Heartless Bastards, and Dirty On Purpose. The ladies from Ubiquita NYC, DJ Reborn, DJ Moni, and DJ Selly, kicked out the jams for a rockin dance party in the upstairs ballroom accompanied by Vikter Duplaix. Films curated by the critically-acclaimed BAMcinématek were showing all night as well including a tongue-in-cheek Lindsay Lohan Mid-Career Retrospective and the violent, edgy cult favorite Pusher Trilogy by Danish filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn.
As always, Antibalas made sure to impart some inspirational anti-establishment words between songs. Jordan McLean implored the audience to stay in touch with the news as a new Attorney General is appointed. He also posed a question to the audience asking why it was so important for the United States to define its position on torture. Following in the tradition started by Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Antibalas uses its music as a medium for anti-establishment protest.
Antibalas has enjoyed a steady rise in fame and critical acclaim since their formation in 1998. Almost ten years in, it will be interesting to see where the band goes from here. They've already traveled the world spreading and keeping alive the afrobeat tradition representing Brooklyn the whole way. It will be interesting to see if they can keep their momentum strong as they continue to evolve together and grow as musicians.

Fu-Arkist-Ra Returns to Zebulon-August 22, 2007

I thought I was ready. I thought I had prepared myself for what I was about to see last Saturday night at Zebulon when Fu-Arkist-Ra, an afrobeat-experimental-jazz band, shook the foundations of Zebulon to its core. I fully expected to see an amazing energy-packed show that would keep the crowd engaged and dancing the entire time. I expected the music to be unique and artistic. I thought I had an idea of what to expect, but I had no idea. I could have never expected or foreseen what took place that night.
I could have never expected to see a show that left the entire crowd dancing and singing for ten minutes after the band stopped playing. I had no idea the bar would be so packed, people were hanging from the ceilings, standing on chairs, and basically standing on the stage. I knew people would be dancing, but I did not expect people to not stop grooving and dancing to the music from the first note that was played until after the show was over. I knew I was going to see a great show, but I had no idea I would see the best live musical performance I have ever seen.
Fu-Arkist-Ra is a side project of Duke Amayo, the lead singer of Antibalas, a brooklyn-based afrobeat band whose fame is growing to international stature. He describes his music as "an explosive blend of African spiritual rhythms, traditional Chinese lion rhythms, highlife, funk, and jazz, infused with passionate activism." Amayo is originally from Lagos, Nigeria, the largest city in Africa, from which Fela Anikulapo Kuti, the creator of afrobeat and arguably the most famous African musician of the 20th century, also comes. He came to the United States at the age of sixteen looking for an athletic scholarship to an American University. He was successful in his pursuit when he was awarded a football scholarship to Howard University where he graduated with honors with a degree in Architecture and Commercial Arts.
Amayo is also a Sifu, or master of Kung-Fu, he brings a lot of the same approach from martial arts to his music. Anyone who has seen Amayo perform either with Antibalas or Fu-Arkist-Ra knows his energy and delivery style is unmatched in its aggressiveness and passion. I was curious where he gets his inspiration and passion from. He told me he uses the same methods of preparation for his kung-fu as he does his music, "the rituals I do before I go on stage are like martial arts for me. I do breathing exercises, push-ups, meditation."
The variation and spontaneity of his performances is also something that inspires him. He never seeks to play a song the same way twice, "It's like doing a martial arts form. There's a million different ways I can approach it. That's my approach to composition, that's the jazz element of it, that no two performances are the same. One song can become a million different songs."
The members of the band and instruments represented fluctuate from performance to performance, and one of the most dynamic aspects of the band is its instrumentation. Saturday night, the instruments employed were drums, bass, electric piano, saxophone, flute, cello, djembe and chakara or shaker. Not all of the musicians could fit on the stage, so the crowd-musician interaction was extreme.
The name "Fu-Arkist-Ra" is a highly symbolic philosophical name. It has a layered meaning: FU (foo). 1. Philosophically rooted in Kung Fu. 2 The art of excellence. 3. Building from within thyself. Arkist (ark ist).1. Musical bridge builders. 2. Spiritual connectivity to the temple of the mind. 3. A keeper of the Underground Spiritual Movement of Afrobeat. 4. An aspirant of the highest order of compositions. RA (ra) 1. [Egyptian] Sun God Ra. 2. [Yoruba] Derived from the word Irawo meaning: a star that appears when the RA (the sun) has set.
Fu-Arkist-Ra is coming back to Zebulon on the 31st of August. If you are a live music lover, afrobeat fan, jazz fan, or simply need something to do next friday night, do yourself a favor and check these guys out at Zebulon. They will rock you hard and long leaving you dancing long after the show is over. I guarantee it will be a concert you will not soon forget.

Antibalas Rocks Out at Governor's Island-August 8, 2007

Antibalas, a band out of Buchwick, Brooklyn, proved why they are one of the most up-and-coming acts on the planet last Saturday at Governor's Island when they played to a lively crowd of several hundred people under the sweltering sun. The band released their forth album, Security, earlier this year to rave reviews and set out on a nation-wide tour thereafter. As if that was not enough, they went to Europe and played in Amsterdam, London, and Paris to name a few.
Antibalas is a twelve piece Afrobeat band styled in the tradition of Fela Anikulapo Kuti and Afrika 70. Fela is arguably the most legendary figure of African Music of the 20th century. He was a radical political icon in Lagos, Nigeria from the time he became famous in the 1970's until his death in 1997. His music was, and still is, immensely popular throughout West Africa and has become extremely popular throughout Europe and the United States. His music was so unique and original, he had to give it its own name, Afrobeat.
Much like Fela, Antibalas' music is known for its funky rhythmic backdrop facilitated by the guitars and bass, its hard driving horn lines played by the powerfully large horn section, its latin influenced percussions, and politically charged, anti-establishment message delivered through their song lyrics. The band members consist of Martin Perna–Baritone Saxophone and founder of the band, Amayo–Vocals, Congas, Victor Axelrod–Organ, Electric Pianos, Clavinet, Electric Celeste, Synthesizers, Eric Biondo–Trumpet, Stuart Bogie–Tenor Saxophone, Marcus Farrar–Shekere, Vocals, Marcos J. Garcia–Guitar, Vocals, Aaron Johnson–Trombone, Nick Movshon–Bass, Luke O'Malley–Guitar, Jordan McLean–Trumpet, Flugelhorn, and Chris Vatalaro–Drums.
Almost all of the band-members live in Brooklyn. Even Amayo, the band's lead singer, lives on Manhattan Ave. in Greenpoint although he is originally from Lagos, Nigeria. Amayo serves as the band's strongest link to Fela and his music. If the rest of the band members ever need any information about Fela they could not simply get from his music, they could ask Amayo as he grew up in the same neighborhood as Fela in Lagos and went to Fela's nightclub, The Shrine, on several occasions.
I had the privilege of sitting down with two of the band members for an interview before the show on Saturday, Martin Perna and Stuart Bogie. My first question was how their music has been received throughout their recent tours. Martin responded, "When we go to France and we do an interview, they bring a lot, like we dont have to explain anything. Here in the United States we have to explain our whole genre and our influences where it comes from, but if someone's playing hiphop or blues or rock, they just jump into it and ask. 10 years after we started playing this music, we just wonder when people are going to figure it out. Although on the other side of it, there is so much different music in the U.S."
I was curious as to who Martin and Stuart would call the band's biggest influences besides Fela. Stuart's response was not entirely surprising, "I think everybody likes different stuff in the group and it's real difficult to pinpoint any one thing. Our biggest influences are each other." I was also curious to see if they viewed themselves as the contemporary embassadors to Afrobeat, as many critics are giving them that label. Stuart responded, "Music's that's circulated all over the world, and re-issued, and inspires musicians all over the world doesn't need an ambassador. Fela made it, he called it Afrobeat." Martin also added, "I think maybe in a defacto way we have just because we have been playing the music for ten years, but it's nothing that we would ever request. It's something that someone else has to give you, and even then it's like a fruitcake or something. Like what do we do with this thing, nobody's going to eat it?"
Fela Kuti was not just a political figure through his music; he was an organizer, a national hero, and he actually ran for president at the height of his popularity under his own political party. I was curious if the band had any political aspirations of their own. "A lot of us are politically active outside the group in how we donate our money and projects we start," Stuart said. Martin added, "I'm doing that right now, I'm hoping to start the first bio-diesal factory in Brooklyn. We start construction in December, and we'll be in production by March. I used to teach at a high school in Williamsburg, and we did a lot of research on environmental racism and how there are higher incidences of asthma in the Greenpoint-Williamsburg area and a lot that has to do with truck traffic because a lot of trucks are burning diesel fuels. We just want to get other people involved because you can only do so much for the community."