First up on our afro fusion mix tape is the Chicago Afrobeat Project. In 2002, young musicians fresh to the Chicago scene gathered on the West Side of Chicago to create African-inspired music. Each week a new musician attended the sessions. Horns were brought in by trombonist Mark Thomson and saxophonist Airan Wright, including saxophonists Garrick Smith and Angelo Garcia. Drummer Marshall Greenhouse, who was then teaching at the Old Town School of Folk Music, posted an ad at the school for a bass player. The ad was answered by a late-era Fela Kuti bassist. With the bassist in place, a core group emerged. Of the many different styles of African music explored, the group found the sound of Afrobeat most compelling, both from a performance and lyrical perspective. Fela Kuti’s brilliant and witty commentary on social injustice struck a nerve during the Bush era of the U.S. in attempting to use Afrobeat to create new forms and to address the uncertain political climate, the group tapped into their America roots. They brought together elements of rock, hip hop, jazz, and Chicago house influences within an Afrobeat framework. After a few months, what started out as an exploratory project had solidified into the band performing at loft parties and concerts: Chicago Afrobeat Project. This recording comes from July 2019. Here is Chicago Afrobeat Project live at The Linda.
Ok, next on the mixtape we move from Afrobeat to some Afro-Celtic funk. Soulsha is a party, a revolution, and an adventure through different traditions. It brings together some of Boston’s top musicians in Scottish, West African, and funk music to create a sound you won’t find anywhere else on the planet. Soulful call and response singing, masterful improvisation, traditional Senegalese and Scottish dancing and incredible energy make every Soulsha show an unforgettable live experience. Intricate rhythms, soaring bagpipe melodies, and New Orleans-infused horn lines come together seamlessly, and the joy of music rises above all differences, reminding us that we’re all in this together. Ok, from April 2019 here is Soulsha live at The Linda.
Let’s flip the tape over and get into a little reggae infused with afro-folk. Taj Weekes & Adowa unite a true social consciousness with an unforgettable reggae groove. Blending in elements of acoustic roots rock and afro-folk simplicity, the band’s vibrant sound defies genre and has garnered critical acclaim and a wide audience across the globe. With band members coming from all over the Caribbean, from Jamaica to Dominica and Barbados to St. Lucia, it’s a pan-Caribbean sound, all of them growing up listening to different native music and bringing their experience to the mix. Vibrant, emotionally challenging and intellectually stimulating, their albums have been consistently ranked as one of the top albums of any given year. Their performances are classic, soul stirring, rootsy, tempos with beautifully enchanting vocals delivering socially conscious, thought-provoking lyrics. From September 2018 here is Taj Weekes & Adowa live at The Linda.
Thanks for listening to “Live At The Linda,” recorded live at The Linda: WAMC’s Performing Arts Studio. Tune in next week for our broadcast of James Armstrong from November 2019, Shawn Holt and the Teardrops from October 2018 and Chris Thomas King from December 2014.
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