“Chicago Afrobeat Project and Tony Allen ask What Goes Up” from Music Africa

This article originally appeared on Music Africa.

by Oris Aigbokhaevbolo

Chicago Afrobeat Project is set to release its fifth album, What Goes Up, on 29 September. The album features Tony Allen on each of its 10 tracks.

The initial plan, according to the band, was to record a couple of songs with the Fela collaborator and co-creator of the Afrobeat sound. That changed with a declaration from the drummer.

“We’re not recording two tracks,” he said. “We’re recording 10 tracks for an album.” With those words work towards What Goes Up began. The collaboration has now yielded what the band calls their “most musically expansive album to date”. The album, says the band, is the first in North America to feature Tony Allen on every track.

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“Afropop Premiere: Chicago Afrobeat Project’s ‘Race Hustle'” from Afropop Worldwide

This article originally appeared on Afropop Worldwide.

Afropop is pleased to premiere Chicago Afrobeat Project’s new single, “Race Hustle,” from the upcoming album What Goes Up.

Born out of a jam in west side Chicago in 2002, the band now marks a milestone in its career with this release. When they flew Fela Kuti’s original drummer Tony Allen in from Paris, hoping to gain some knowledge straight from the source, through several events including workshops, the group was originally planning to record two songs with him as well. But realizing the vibe in the studio was so strong—playing with CAbP reminded Allen of sessions with Fela himself, he said—the master drummer decided that the music had to keep flowing. They recorded a 10-song album together, resulting in the first Tony Allen collaboration in North America.

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