Deaglan
New Member
Pair of passes to the first lovebomb* on this thread....
Brooklyn’s dozen-strong members of Antibalas weave a rich tapestry of latin, jazz, classical, funk and soul into their horn-driven mix. Words fail in trying to describe the result: simultaneously polyrhythmic and political, independent and contagious.
POD Concerts presents
ANTIBALAS AFROBEAT ORCHESTRA
Wednesday June 13th
Crawdaddy – Harcourt St – Dublin 2.
Doors – 8pm
Tickets €22.50 & €27.50 available from Ticketmaster, Road Records, City Discs, Sound Cellar and usual outlets. www.ticketmaster.ie
www.antibalas.com
www.myspace.com/antibalas
True, some bands are simply meant to lead, and Brooklyn’s Antibalas--as tough and diverse as the city that birthed them nearly a decade ago--has continued to do just that. The group, whose name means “bulletproof” in Spanish, has indeed proved they possess the mettle to not only survive but also thrive by employing a musical arsenal that has become known worldwide. Initially using the revolutionary blueprint of afrobeat as a launching pad, the dozen-strong members of Antibalas weave a rich tapestry of latin, jazz, classical, funk and soul into their horn-driven mix. Words fail in trying to describe the result: simultaneously polyrhythmic and political, independent and contagious, and the reason why many have credited the band for introducing afrobeat’s framework to a new generation.
Always looking to push their unique sound further, however, Antibalas recently entered the studio to record their fourth album with much-heralded musician/producer John McEntire (Tortoise, Stereolab, Tom Ze). Holed up for a month in McEntire’s Chicago lair, the band explored and unleashed sonic sides of them not previously tapped. The resulting gem is guaranteed to shock and dazzle new and old fans alike, and will be forthcoming from ANTI- Records (no, not just because they share half a name), known for distinguished releases over the years from such artists as Solomon Burke, Tom Waits, the Refugee All-Stars and Blackalicious. The new album and record deal illustrate Antibalas’ penchant for taking chances, building upon a history of previous fiery album releases and recent, stunning collaborations with diverse heavyweights such as Medeski, Martin and Wood, TV on the Radio, Baaba Maal and Gomez.
As distinguished as their recordings may be though, Antibalas has truly become renowned via their relentless live show. And though it’s certainly no easy task to keep (and feed) such a vast ensemble on the road, the band has managed to average over 100 concerts a year, incessantly traversing the U.S, Canada and Europe in venues large and small be they the sweaty clubs of Brooklyn or in front of hordes of festival goers in places like Bonnaroo, Bumbershoot, Montreux and Roskilde. 2004 also bore witness to the group’s first-ever tour to Japan, as well as debuts at the Glastonbury and Coachella music festivals. It’s not by chance the Village Voice exclaimed “their music is right on time,” while the New York Times, the New Yorker, Rolling Stone Magazine and a slew of others have taken serious notice. Make no mistake, as XLR8R exclaims, Antibalas are indeed “the baddest on the block.”
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How and when did Antibalas form?
Martin Perna assembled the first formation of Antibalas with seven people for a performance at St. Nick’s Pub in Harlem on May 26, 1998 performing original material and one Ethiopian funk tune. Over the next year, the membership evolved and grew to 13 people, including Gabriel Roth, Don Bonus, Fernando Velez and other musicians from the now-defunct Desco Records stable, and musicians from the Williamsburg, Brooklyn neighborhood. The group boycotts commercial venues, performing exclusively noncommercial spaces like lofts, benefits, block parties, museums, and community markets before entering the nightclubs of downtown Manhattan in mid 1999.
What is afrobeat music?
Afrobeat is a hybrid form of jazz and Yoruba/Nigerian traditional music popularized and developed in the late 1960s in Lagos by Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. Afrobeat incorporates other elements of African diasporic musics such as highlife, palmwine, apala, Afrocuban, and Afro-American funk and soul music.
How did Antibalas begin playing afrobeat?
Each of the musicians came to know afrobeat in a different way. Vocalist Amayo grew up in the same Lagos neighborhood as Fela Kuti’s Shrine nightclub, the mecca of Afrobeat music since the early 1970s. Martîn Perna first heard afrobeat in 1991 in a hip hop sample in 1991, and began digging for rare, out-of-print records. Victor Axelrod’s father bought him a copy of Fela’s “Original Sufferhead” album in New York City in the late 80s. Antibalas’ first repertoire consisted of both original funk, latin funk, and afrobeat tunes, and due to musical pressures within and personnel the group at the time, we decided early on to focus on afrobeat and afrobeat-influenced funk music. Former Egypt 80 drummer Jojo Kuo, living in New York was a formative musical influence and guide on Antibalas in the early days of the group as well.
How many people are in Antibalas?
Antibalas tour with eleven to fourteen musicians who are drawn from an active roster of seventeen. While the core group has remained stable since 1999, nearly thirty musicians have passed through Antibalas since 1998, plus dozens of distinguished guests and musical elders including Femi Kuti, Tony Allen, Seun Kuti, Jojo Kuo, Ola Jagun, Tunde Williams, Udoh Essiet, Oghene Kologbo and Nicholas Addey of Fela’s Africa 70 and Egypt 80 bands.
Is Antibalas a “tribute band” to Fela Kuti?
No. Our goal is to expand afrobeat as a musical language and to make our own original contributions to its legacy. When we perform Fela’s material, we may incorporate one or two lesser-known Fela originals into our set of ten or twelve songs.
How does Antibalas write its material?
The songwriting for the group is open to everyone. Certain members will bring in a tune, completely notated for all instruments. Other songs come to the group as fragments or themes and are completed in rehearsals, either by the composer, or with input in arrangement or co-composition by the rest of the group. Martin Perna, Gabriel Roth, Victor Axelrod, Amayo, Del Stribling, Jordan McLean, and Stuart Bogie have all brought songs to the group for recording and performing.
Does Antibalas “jam”?
No. The group performs composed, orchestrated music which is conducted onstage primarily by saxophonist Stuart Bogie. There are distinct sections in each of the songs that call for a horn or keyboard improvisation, or a drum break. Certain songs always feature solos from the same instrument while other songs have rotating soloists, depending on the decisions of the musicians.
*response
Brooklyn’s dozen-strong members of Antibalas weave a rich tapestry of latin, jazz, classical, funk and soul into their horn-driven mix. Words fail in trying to describe the result: simultaneously polyrhythmic and political, independent and contagious.
POD Concerts presents
ANTIBALAS AFROBEAT ORCHESTRA
Wednesday June 13th
Crawdaddy – Harcourt St – Dublin 2.
Doors – 8pm
Tickets €22.50 & €27.50 available from Ticketmaster, Road Records, City Discs, Sound Cellar and usual outlets. www.ticketmaster.ie
www.antibalas.com
www.myspace.com/antibalas
True, some bands are simply meant to lead, and Brooklyn’s Antibalas--as tough and diverse as the city that birthed them nearly a decade ago--has continued to do just that. The group, whose name means “bulletproof” in Spanish, has indeed proved they possess the mettle to not only survive but also thrive by employing a musical arsenal that has become known worldwide. Initially using the revolutionary blueprint of afrobeat as a launching pad, the dozen-strong members of Antibalas weave a rich tapestry of latin, jazz, classical, funk and soul into their horn-driven mix. Words fail in trying to describe the result: simultaneously polyrhythmic and political, independent and contagious, and the reason why many have credited the band for introducing afrobeat’s framework to a new generation.
Always looking to push their unique sound further, however, Antibalas recently entered the studio to record their fourth album with much-heralded musician/producer John McEntire (Tortoise, Stereolab, Tom Ze). Holed up for a month in McEntire’s Chicago lair, the band explored and unleashed sonic sides of them not previously tapped. The resulting gem is guaranteed to shock and dazzle new and old fans alike, and will be forthcoming from ANTI- Records (no, not just because they share half a name), known for distinguished releases over the years from such artists as Solomon Burke, Tom Waits, the Refugee All-Stars and Blackalicious. The new album and record deal illustrate Antibalas’ penchant for taking chances, building upon a history of previous fiery album releases and recent, stunning collaborations with diverse heavyweights such as Medeski, Martin and Wood, TV on the Radio, Baaba Maal and Gomez.
As distinguished as their recordings may be though, Antibalas has truly become renowned via their relentless live show. And though it’s certainly no easy task to keep (and feed) such a vast ensemble on the road, the band has managed to average over 100 concerts a year, incessantly traversing the U.S, Canada and Europe in venues large and small be they the sweaty clubs of Brooklyn or in front of hordes of festival goers in places like Bonnaroo, Bumbershoot, Montreux and Roskilde. 2004 also bore witness to the group’s first-ever tour to Japan, as well as debuts at the Glastonbury and Coachella music festivals. It’s not by chance the Village Voice exclaimed “their music is right on time,” while the New York Times, the New Yorker, Rolling Stone Magazine and a slew of others have taken serious notice. Make no mistake, as XLR8R exclaims, Antibalas are indeed “the baddest on the block.”
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How and when did Antibalas form?
Martin Perna assembled the first formation of Antibalas with seven people for a performance at St. Nick’s Pub in Harlem on May 26, 1998 performing original material and one Ethiopian funk tune. Over the next year, the membership evolved and grew to 13 people, including Gabriel Roth, Don Bonus, Fernando Velez and other musicians from the now-defunct Desco Records stable, and musicians from the Williamsburg, Brooklyn neighborhood. The group boycotts commercial venues, performing exclusively noncommercial spaces like lofts, benefits, block parties, museums, and community markets before entering the nightclubs of downtown Manhattan in mid 1999.
What is afrobeat music?
Afrobeat is a hybrid form of jazz and Yoruba/Nigerian traditional music popularized and developed in the late 1960s in Lagos by Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. Afrobeat incorporates other elements of African diasporic musics such as highlife, palmwine, apala, Afrocuban, and Afro-American funk and soul music.
How did Antibalas begin playing afrobeat?
Each of the musicians came to know afrobeat in a different way. Vocalist Amayo grew up in the same Lagos neighborhood as Fela Kuti’s Shrine nightclub, the mecca of Afrobeat music since the early 1970s. Martîn Perna first heard afrobeat in 1991 in a hip hop sample in 1991, and began digging for rare, out-of-print records. Victor Axelrod’s father bought him a copy of Fela’s “Original Sufferhead” album in New York City in the late 80s. Antibalas’ first repertoire consisted of both original funk, latin funk, and afrobeat tunes, and due to musical pressures within and personnel the group at the time, we decided early on to focus on afrobeat and afrobeat-influenced funk music. Former Egypt 80 drummer Jojo Kuo, living in New York was a formative musical influence and guide on Antibalas in the early days of the group as well.
How many people are in Antibalas?
Antibalas tour with eleven to fourteen musicians who are drawn from an active roster of seventeen. While the core group has remained stable since 1999, nearly thirty musicians have passed through Antibalas since 1998, plus dozens of distinguished guests and musical elders including Femi Kuti, Tony Allen, Seun Kuti, Jojo Kuo, Ola Jagun, Tunde Williams, Udoh Essiet, Oghene Kologbo and Nicholas Addey of Fela’s Africa 70 and Egypt 80 bands.
Is Antibalas a “tribute band” to Fela Kuti?
No. Our goal is to expand afrobeat as a musical language and to make our own original contributions to its legacy. When we perform Fela’s material, we may incorporate one or two lesser-known Fela originals into our set of ten or twelve songs.
How does Antibalas write its material?
The songwriting for the group is open to everyone. Certain members will bring in a tune, completely notated for all instruments. Other songs come to the group as fragments or themes and are completed in rehearsals, either by the composer, or with input in arrangement or co-composition by the rest of the group. Martin Perna, Gabriel Roth, Victor Axelrod, Amayo, Del Stribling, Jordan McLean, and Stuart Bogie have all brought songs to the group for recording and performing.
Does Antibalas “jam”?
No. The group performs composed, orchestrated music which is conducted onstage primarily by saxophonist Stuart Bogie. There are distinct sections in each of the songs that call for a horn or keyboard improvisation, or a drum break. Certain songs always feature solos from the same instrument while other songs have rotating soloists, depending on the decisions of the musicians.
*response
