tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-220631252009-11-04T10:51:34.748-05:00Daily news, music reviews and commentary on Afrobeat and related music from Africa, The Caribbean and The Americas.Chopteethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02034294205883631157noreply@blogger.comBlogger169125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22063125.post-29084878783100040102009-03-28T11:30:00.026-05:002009-03-28T18:50:09.857-05:00

By Marc BrunerBurning Spear's latest release, Jah is Real, shows that the man hasn't lost any of his enormous talent.  It's his first album on his own label, Burning Spear Music, and a testament to what has made him one of the leading figures in reggae music for nearly four decades.  Producing on his own label is a watershed moment, since the business of reggae has not been kind to the musicians,

Eden Allswang Brunerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14274295043306548803noreply@blogger.com2http://afrofunkforum.blogspot.com/2009/03/timeless-magic-of-winston-rodney.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22063125.post-3018973120370451732009-03-24T21:31:00.003-05:002009-03-24T21:41:26.805-05:00

By David McDavittTABLE OF CONTENTS1. BEASTS OF NO NATION2. COFFIN FOR HEAD OF STATE3. COLOMENTALITY4. FEAR NOT FOR MAN5. J’EHIN J’EHIN6. INTERNATIONAL THIEF THIEF7. KALAKUTA SHOW8. LADY9. MR. FOLLOW FOLLOW10. MR. GRAMMARTICALOGYLISATIONALISM IS THE BOSS11. ORIGINAL SUFFERHEAD12. NO AGREEMENT13. POWER SHOW14. QUESTION JAM ANSWER15. SORROW, TEARS, AND BLOOD16. TEACHER DON’T TEACH ME NONSENSE17.

David McDavitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11082429044304473661noreply@blogger.com7http://afrofunkforum.blogspot.com/2009/03/fela-kuti-lyrics.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22063125.post-79995043639132283302009-02-03T20:46:00.013-05:002009-02-04T10:02:59.199-05:00

By David McDavittMusic’s universal language is often most interesting with an accent. Thus lies the brilliance of Putumayo’s latest release: “African Reggae.” This collection is in part an homage to Bob Marley, marking the anniversary of his 64th birthday (Feb. 6th). This is fitting given the boomeranging influence of the music of the African Diaspora.Just as the Congo powers the world’s cell

David McDavitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11082429044304473661noreply@blogger.com1http://afrofunkforum.blogspot.com/2009/02/putumayos-african-reggae.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22063125.post-68535132492553785042009-01-24T15:27:00.023-05:002009-01-29T20:44:41.808-05:00

By Marc BrunerMamadou Diabate is a virtuoso kora player from Mali and his 2008 release "Douga Mansa" is a beautiful work of art. This extremely satisfying solo album preserves the venerable traditions of Mandinka culture while also infusing those traditions with new energy and creativity, creating a sound that is profound and original. But most importantly, the songs are a delight to listen to,

Eden Allswang Brunerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14274295043306548803noreply@blogger.com0http://afrofunkforum.blogspot.com/2009/01/douga-mansa-magnificent-melodies-from.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22063125.post-39505291749903005002009-01-24T11:56:00.021-05:002009-01-24T16:26:05.688-05:00

By Marc BrunerIf you like Tinariwen (which is one of my very favorite bands these days), you'll definitely dig Akh Issudar, the stunning 2008 album from a band called Terakaft on the World Village label. "Terakaft" means "Caravan" in Tamashek (the language spoken by the Tuareg people of the Sahara desert) and "Akh Issudar" is the second part of a Tamashek proverb, "Water Is Life, Milk Is

Eden Allswang Brunerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14274295043306548803noreply@blogger.com0http://afrofunkforum.blogspot.com/2009/01/water-is-life-milk-is-survival.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22063125.post-12513511246246588462009-01-21T00:22:00.004-05:002009-01-21T00:47:01.638-05:00

Then:Now:

Chopteethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02034294205883631157noreply@blogger.com1http://afrofunkforum.blogspot.com/2009/01/then-and-now.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22063125.post-57335927242528593302009-01-06T15:18:00.024-05:002009-01-07T00:02:32.781-05:00

By Robert Fox:One of my favorite bands anywhere is coming to the Black Cat in Washington, DC on Friday, January 9th: the epic Grupo Fantasma. Longtime readers of The Afrofunk Forum know that we're big fans of Grupo Fantasma's devastating cumbia and salsa. Their live shows split atoms and crumble boulders with head-spinning latin funk.The band is touring in support of their outstanding new album,

Chopteethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02034294205883631157noreply@blogger.com0http://afrofunkforum.blogspot.com/2009/01/grupo-fantasma-at-black-cat-in-dc.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22063125.post-57149900145521927042009-01-02T14:21:00.010-05:002009-01-06T15:18:18.520-05:00

January 6th Notice : Just informed that this show has been postponed! Please check back for the revised date!By Robert FoxFemi Kuti has a new CD out, Day By Day, and it's his strongest effort to date. I really like this recording, which features more confident songwriting than ever before, and a very controlled groove to the music. Some of Femi's earlier recordings had an almost frantic energy.

Chopteethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02034294205883631157noreply@blogger.com2http://afrofunkforum.blogspot.com/2009/01/jan-9-femi-kuti-at-930-club-in-dc.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22063125.post-48941159127878495052008-09-19T13:51:00.008-05:002008-09-19T14:13:59.834-05:00

Washington, DC-based afrofunk group Chopteeth is releasing its debut CD on Saturday, September 20 at a special CD release show at DC club The Black Cat. If you're in the region, come to the party and be the first to own the new recording, which highlights original Chopteeth music on 9 tracks!The Washington Post highlights Chopteeth’s new CD and the Saturday show with a recommendation from Post

Chopteethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02034294205883631157noreply@blogger.com3http://afrofunkforum.blogspot.com/2008/09/chopteeth-cd-release-party-sat-sept-20.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22063125.post-46641680501009400572008-08-26T10:40:00.019-05:002009-09-25T14:56:49.253-05:00

By David McDavittFela on Broadway? Sounds like a disaster, right? I entered the theater fearing the worst, “Fela, Get Your Gun,” or “West Side Story, Lagos.” Fortunately what unfolded instead was a gritty, hyper-realistic biography of Fela Kuti told in an interview style, bejeweled with Fela’s own afrobeat music! Let’s break this masterpiece down!Written by Jim Lewis & Bill T. Jones, the story

David McDavitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11082429044304473661noreply@blogger.com16http://afrofunkforum.blogspot.com/2008/08/fela-new-musical.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22063125.post-87910120445867787912008-08-22T12:32:00.009-05:002008-08-22T12:58:15.672-05:00

By Robert FoxThere's a cool new band currently making waves in the Washington, DC area: King Soul. They've assembled an All-Star lineup of funk, soul and New Orleans-style pros, and these guys can really bring it, resurrecting the old-school Stax sounds with a groovy modern twist. I saw King Soul recently in Hyattsville, MD, and had a great time with their tight rhythms, powerful horns and clever

Chopteethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02034294205883631157noreply@blogger.com0http://afrofunkforum.blogspot.com/2008/08/king-soul-memphis-sound-returns.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22063125.post-12545331192888795162008-08-01T16:09:00.002-05:002008-08-01T16:20:53.430-05:00

By Kenny EatonSearching for ‘authenticity’ in music and art creates an uproar of debate amongst those involved. As an American, how can I ever truly experience ‘authentic’ foreign culture, especially music? Experiencing Moroccan music as an American is undeniably different from experiencing it as a native Moroccan, right? For those involved in the quest for 'authenticity', questions like these

Kenny Eatonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07515898733551811652noreply@blogger.com1http://afrofunkforum.blogspot.com/2008/08/searching-for-authenticity-in-world.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22063125.post-23023508984866338932008-07-25T13:15:00.008-05:002008-07-25T14:00:52.986-05:00

By Kenny Eaton This installment of the Afrofunk Forum holds a special treat. I got the chance to conduct an interview with Justin Adams and discuss his new album, the state of world music and what it means to be a culturally eclectic musician. Justin Adams’ career has been extremely successful- playing alongside former Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant and many of the finest musicians in Africa

Kenny Eatonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07515898733551811652noreply@blogger.com2http://afrofunkforum.blogspot.com/2008/07/by-kenny-eaton-this-installment-of.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22063125.post-87801830963723801822008-07-14T15:13:00.004-05:002008-07-14T15:22:40.915-05:00

By Kenny EatonAllow me to introduce Zuluwannsago- an afrofunk band based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The 10-member group’s funky grooves and African infusions are infecting audiences and rousing dance floors. Zuluwannsago’s diverse collection of musicians shows through in their music- lots of flavors, tons of power. Bandleader Yusuf Nuweku originally comes from Ghana. From childhood on he

Kenny Eatonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07515898733551811652noreply@blogger.com0http://afrofunkforum.blogspot.com/2008/07/afrobeat-in-amsterdam-zuluwannsago.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22063125.post-52503615368892341252008-07-01T15:08:00.007-05:002008-07-03T16:14:41.652-05:00

By Kenny EatonThe Gnawa people hold a unique place in the realm of Africa. Their music possesses medical, spiritual, and transcendent value in their native country of Morroco and has begun to spread to the West. Groups like Gnawa Diffusion have taken this enthralling culture to the masses, inspiring trance and musical possession in previously austere audiences in Europe and North America.I

Kenny Eatonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07515898733551811652noreply@blogger.com2http://afrofunkforum.blogspot.com/2008/07/gnawa-people-hold-unique-place-in-realm.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22063125.post-84139071309278383922008-06-28T15:43:00.012-05:002008-07-03T16:21:09.445-05:00

By Kenny EatonSeun Kuti and Egypt 80 will be playing at the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C. on Monday July 7th at 7:00PM. Seun is of course the son of of the late, great Fela Kuti, who started the genre of Afrobeat-- mixing West African funk and American jazz into an unmistakable collage of dance, melody, and culture. Seun Kuti,follows in the trailblazing aspirations of his father--developing

Kenny Eatonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07515898733551811652noreply@blogger.com1http://afrofunkforum.blogspot.com/2008/06/afrobeat-in-action.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22063125.post-42873924167123432592008-06-18T09:34:00.006-05:002008-06-18T09:48:00.258-05:00

By Kenny EatonThe Latin funk powerhouse Grupo Fantasma just dropped their new album, Sonidos Gold, yesterday. Riding on a wave of high-profile support from the likes of Prince and pounding out a massive list of tour dates, it seems Grupo Fantasma is on a mission to take over the world.The collective combines cumbia, salsa, mambo and any other Latin style they deem fit to create an eclectic,

Kenny Eatonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07515898733551811652noreply@blogger.com2http://afrofunkforum.blogspot.com/2008/06/by-kenny-eaton-latin-funk-powerhouse.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22063125.post-87761156188104603592008-06-16T19:57:00.005-05:002008-06-16T20:09:52.759-05:00

By Kenny EatonRising from the ashes of post-hardcore innovators At the Drive-In, The Mars Volta have set the music industry ablaze with their virtuosic and distinct sound. Bandleaders Omar A. Rodriguez-Lopez and Cedric Bixler-Zavala have created a smorgasbord of Latin jazz, psychedelic rock, and electronica throughout the band’s first five years of existence and multiple full-length studio albums

Kenny Eatonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07515898733551811652noreply@blogger.com0http://afrofunkforum.blogspot.com/2008/06/rising-from-ashes-of-post-hardcore.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22063125.post-406929399528548512008-06-14T16:45:00.005-05:002008-06-14T16:54:29.925-05:00

By Robert FoxWow--check out this casually brilliant performance by Judy Mowatt, back in the day. One of Jamaica's greatest vocalists as well as a critical element in Bob Marley's vocal backing group the I-Threes, she is known for her perfect voice and huge stage presence. This is one of my favorite tunes of hers, and the video setting is illustrative of the community and working class roots of

Chopteethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02034294205883631157noreply@blogger.com0http://afrofunkforum.blogspot.com/2008/06/classic-judy-mowatt-footage.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22063125.post-54449678509832139272008-06-10T10:44:00.010-05:002008-06-14T16:58:54.067-05:00

By Kenny Eaton The Brooklyn-based group Antibalas kicked off a swarming new brand of afrobeat and experimental funk with their 2007 album Security. The dozen-strong members of Antibalas (which is spanish for 'bulletproof') have teamed up with the prolific indie-producer John McEntire (Tortoise, Stereolab, Tom Ze) to capture the new direction of the group’s music. Anti- Records describes the

Kenny Eatonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07515898733551811652noreply@blogger.com1http://afrofunkforum.blogspot.com/2008/06/stayin-bulletproof.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22063125.post-90387660440962235892008-06-08T11:12:00.004-05:002008-06-08T11:28:02.532-05:00

By Robert FoxReuters published a rare interview with Afrobeat icon Tony Allen last week. Fela's original music director and musical dynamo is still going strong. In a conversation with Tom Pfeiffer of Reuters, Tony comes out swinging, telling young musicians not to "run away from their roots," and denouncing the Nigerian government for "every time putting the wrong person in place." Check it out:

Chopteethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02034294205883631157noreply@blogger.com1http://afrofunkforum.blogspot.com/2008/06/how-does-it-feel-when-someone-calls-you.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22063125.post-2693248713670729662008-06-04T10:23:00.002-05:002008-06-04T10:36:37.245-05:00

By Kenny EatonI recently checked out the album “The Syliphone Years” by the Guinean-based group, Balla Et Ses Balladin. This expansive collection of two CD’s documents one of Guinea’s most influential groups at a time when the country was at the center of African music. The 2 CD’s were compiled by a team of collectors around the world and includes some of the group’s rarest recordings along with

Kenny Eatonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07515898733551811652noreply@blogger.com0http://afrofunkforum.blogspot.com/2008/06/balla-et-ses-balladin-intellectuals-of.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22063125.post-80696509768881451702008-06-03T15:54:00.012-05:002008-06-03T18:17:39.524-05:00

By Robert FoxThe New York Times had an interesting piece this week about Sony BMG Music realizing that they were sitting on a treasure trove of old musician photographs from the 1950s, 60s and 70s. Shot by photographers working for the label, the archive apparently includes never seen images of Miles Davis, Count Basie, Johnny Cash, Bruce Springsteen and many others, including a young Cassius

Chopteethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02034294205883631157noreply@blogger.com1http://afrofunkforum.blogspot.com/2008/06/lost-photos-of-sly-stone-surface.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22063125.post-47333243517666375552008-05-30T12:50:00.005-05:002008-06-03T18:18:24.473-05:00

By Kenny EatonBlending the traditional and the modern is typically a challenge for anybody involved in creative expression. The Algerian-based musical group, Gnawa Diffusion, manages to achieve this combination of old and new by drawing on their Gnawan heritage for musical inspiration while infusing reggae and roots music to create their unique and eclectic sound.The Gnawan culture of the North

Kenny Eatonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07515898733551811652noreply@blogger.com0http://afrofunkforum.blogspot.com/2008/05/by-kenny-eaton-blending-traditional-and.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22063125.post-40729044191584889842008-05-23T22:43:00.020-05:002008-05-23T23:40:50.148-05:00

By Kenneth Eaton Fela Kuti is praised the world over as the father of Afrobeat. His virtuosic approach to songwriting and legendary stage presence still provide inspiration to countless musicians and bandleaders. Fela’s two sons, Femi and Seun, are continuing in their father’s footsteps and blazing new trails in Afrobeat. Last month, Seun launched a world tour and released his first CD--you're

Chopteethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02034294205883631157noreply@blogger.com0http://afrofunkforum.blogspot.com/2008/05/like-father-like-son.html