More than 18 years after his death, Fela Kuti is acquiring more tribute acts than he had wives. From Brooklyn’s Antibalas to Montreal’s Souljazz Orchestra; from London’s Kalakuta to Tokyo’s Kingdom Afrocks, dozens of bands are exploring Afrobeat’s jittery rhythms and martial horns. Sao Paulo’s Bixiga 70 are more imaginative that most, using Afrobeat as the stock in a stew that’s spiked with ingredients from Brazil, the Caribbean and other parts of Africa.
The mellow opener Ventania distils the frenetic pulse of Afrobeat in the same way that bossa nova distils samba; Niran fuses Blaxploitation riffs with the Malinke drumming of Guinea; the snake-charmer riffs of Lembe mix big-band funk with Gnawa hand percussion; while Martelo would make a terrific 70s cop-show theme. The USP, though, is the horn section: instead of the rudimentary fanfares of many Afrobeat bands (Fela’s Afrika 70 included), this lot have some serious chops – and a baritone sax player who can raise goosebumps.
