This article originally appeared on Afropop Worldwide by Arthuer Beranger.
A couple of weeks ago we premiered the energetic and socially charged “Race Hustle,” from Chicago Afrobeat Project’s upcoming album What Goes Up. This time the band comes back with a more laid-back and modern feel on Fela Kuti’s music, with help again from his original drummer, maestro Tony Allen.
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This article originally appeared on Monolith Cocktail by Dominic Valvona.
Starting life as a shifting collective of musicians jamming in a artist’s loft, channeling the fervor of Afrobeat’s progenitor Fela Kuti, the Chicago Afrobeat Project initially covered the Nigerian icon’s back catalogue before developing their own variant style. Transducing the sound of downtown Lagos and the Afro-Spot nightclub via the rich musical heritage of their own native metropolis, the group, now settling with a regular lineup, open the studio doors to embrace the city’s famous blues, soul, R&B, jazz, gospel, house and hip-hop culture.
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This article originally appeared on axs.com.
By Kevin Wierzbicki
Afrobeat music, a genre with its roots in Nigeria that was virtually invented by the late great Fela Kuti, is known primarily for two things: It is constructed of stretched-out grooves that put listeners in a mood to dance all night, and, because of Fela’s outspoken nature and his constant battles with authority, Afrobeat songs are also known for their no-holds-barred lyrical take on societal ills. Both of those qualities sizzle like the hot West African sun on What Goes Up, the upcoming release from the Chicago Afrobeat Project (CAbP).
In advance of the Sept. 15 release date of What Goes Up we interviewed band keyboards player Kevin Ford by email, and he told us about the making of the album, including working with drummer extraordinaire Tony Allen, who was a longtime member of Fela Kuti’s band. Ford’s insights below are given exclusively to AXS.com.