2008 Woodie Awards
Afromassive envokes Fela Kuti
Milo Shumpert'Appel
Issue date: 4/18/07 Section: Scene
- Page 1 of 1
After only two weeks together, local band Afromassive brought their second performance to Six Rivers Brewery in McKinleyville. After only four practices in a local studio, the 12-person band was ready, or at least willing, to bring a free taste of the Afrobeat music style to the local scene of the North Coast.
Afromassive is a collaboration of members from local bands The Bump Foundation, Moo/got2, Wo Mama, and the Jammers League. After a delightful night of music at Six Rivers Brewery, Afromassive will go on to play at Muddy's Hot Cup on May 10.
The African-style beat came on slowly, steadily building up, drawing more people to the dance floor. Over the drumming, horns and bass began flaring up to distinguish themselves. The clawves, two wooden cylinders tapped together, held the rhythm.
"I'm not lying at all, there is no band without clawves," said clawves player Nick Duckworth.
The early set expressed a hint of reggae, but was overwhelmingly defined by the sounds of funk and jazz. As the rhythm of most instruments died down, the bass and horns played back and forth, feeding off each other's momentum, making for a delicious blend of music and culture.
The Afrobeat genre is a fusion of a West African drumming style with American jazz and funk. The music emphasizes the driving pulse of drums and horns, with a pride in being very danceable. Drum and bass lines carried a song for nearly twenty minutes, giving the music a trancelike quality.
Duckworth attributed inspiration of the band's Afrobeat sound to James Brown and Nigerian musician and political activist Fela Kuti. Since Fela Kuti created Afrobeat, the genre has spread modestly.
Afromassive bassist Aaron Bortz estimated that there are a few dozen bands playing Afrobeat music in North America, and he is proud to play in the only one in Humboldt County.
The band currently has four original songs, but intends to develop more. Despite the pursuit of more original material, they intend to continue playing songs by Kuti. Along with more original songs, members of Afromassive have considered adding a lyricist. Like Fela Kuti and most of the Afrobeat genre, Afromassive may pursue politically oriented lyrics.
"Music is the weapon of the future," Bortz said.
From the time the restaurant stopped serving food and the three-man band of local musicians Soldiers of Shangri-La finished their weekly Thursday night set to Afromassive's jam style encore, the scene vastly exceeded expectations of a Thursday night in McKinleyville.
Some said it was just alright, but others were much more impressed.
Spectator Davies Sanchez said, "Could they have done a better job? It was badass the way it was."
The band enjoyed the exposure and the brewery's accommodations. "We like the raspberry beer," said guitar player Armen Adamian. And through it all, the one thing everyone appeared to agree on was that something about the music, if not the tequila, tore down inhibitions and raised up hands and feet.
Afromassive is a collaboration of members from local bands The Bump Foundation, Moo/got2, Wo Mama, and the Jammers League. After a delightful night of music at Six Rivers Brewery, Afromassive will go on to play at Muddy's Hot Cup on May 10.
The African-style beat came on slowly, steadily building up, drawing more people to the dance floor. Over the drumming, horns and bass began flaring up to distinguish themselves. The clawves, two wooden cylinders tapped together, held the rhythm.
"I'm not lying at all, there is no band without clawves," said clawves player Nick Duckworth.
The early set expressed a hint of reggae, but was overwhelmingly defined by the sounds of funk and jazz. As the rhythm of most instruments died down, the bass and horns played back and forth, feeding off each other's momentum, making for a delicious blend of music and culture.
The Afrobeat genre is a fusion of a West African drumming style with American jazz and funk. The music emphasizes the driving pulse of drums and horns, with a pride in being very danceable. Drum and bass lines carried a song for nearly twenty minutes, giving the music a trancelike quality.
Duckworth attributed inspiration of the band's Afrobeat sound to James Brown and Nigerian musician and political activist Fela Kuti. Since Fela Kuti created Afrobeat, the genre has spread modestly.
Afromassive bassist Aaron Bortz estimated that there are a few dozen bands playing Afrobeat music in North America, and he is proud to play in the only one in Humboldt County.
The band currently has four original songs, but intends to develop more. Despite the pursuit of more original material, they intend to continue playing songs by Kuti. Along with more original songs, members of Afromassive have considered adding a lyricist. Like Fela Kuti and most of the Afrobeat genre, Afromassive may pursue politically oriented lyrics.
"Music is the weapon of the future," Bortz said.
From the time the restaurant stopped serving food and the three-man band of local musicians Soldiers of Shangri-La finished their weekly Thursday night set to Afromassive's jam style encore, the scene vastly exceeded expectations of a Thursday night in McKinleyville.
Some said it was just alright, but others were much more impressed.
Spectator Davies Sanchez said, "Could they have done a better job? It was badass the way it was."
The band enjoyed the exposure and the brewery's accommodations. "We like the raspberry beer," said guitar player Armen Adamian. And through it all, the one thing everyone appeared to agree on was that something about the music, if not the tequila, tore down inhibitions and raised up hands and feet.
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