by Andrew Frisicano

Seun Kuti @ Prospect Park (by maiga_69)

A sizable crowd braved the 100 degree heat Friday night for Seun Kuti and Egypt 80's Celebrate Brooklyn show. Faaji Agba, a collective of Nigerian musicians, opened the night with a set of laid-back traditional tunes. By comparison, the Egypt 80 set was anything but laid back. Steamy music for a sweaty evening in Prospect Park.

The band first took the stage without their frontman for a warm-up song to set the mood. Though it was Seun's name on the bill, Fela's presence was felt throughout the evening. Egypt 80 used to be Fela's backing band, and in the introduction, the bandleader referred to Seun as "the last son of our hero, Fela Anikulapo Kuti." From there, another Fela tribute followed: a 10-plus minute version of "Zombie," probably Fela's best known song. Seun played the opening lick and took a moment to glance at the audience for a hint of recognition, which came in cheers and applause. The song was an early highlight, and an example of Seun's highly theatrical performance style.

During "Zombie," the singer moved in circles, pantomiming the lyrics of the chorus by marching across the stage, saluting, etc. Later on, he took care to water the stage aka his weed garden on "The Good Leaf," and sprint from side-to-side on "You Can Run." His active presence made for good viewing, though his moves often put his back to the crowd.

While Seun was the visual focus, the band's sonics centered on the Afrobeat rhythm. In addition to the kit drummer, the group's percussionists included musicians on shekere (that's a dried gourd with beads on the outside), wood block and congas (or a set of similar drums). Those three performers stood up front, at times blocking out the other band members (like the backup singers, stuck way in the back).

After the opening Fela tune, it was all Seun originals, mostly off the new From Africa with Fury: Rise: "African Rulers," "Giant of Africa," "Rise," "Mr. Big Thief," and the finale, "You Can Run." The ending--no encore because of park curfew--seemed abrupt, with the last song's soaring horns and charging rhythms marking the show's peak to that point.

The band should get more time to stretch out at their more intimate show at SOB's tonight (Wednesday, July 27th). Tickets are still on sale. More tour dates and info HERE. Video of "Zombie" from the Brooklyn show below...

Continue reading "Seun Kuti played Celebrate Brooklyn, playing SOB's tonight"

Tinariwen will be in New York this week to play Highline Ballroom on July 20 with House of Waters, and to play the Grassroots Festival in Trumansburg, NY the next day (7/21). Tickets are still on sale for the Highline show.

Fellow West African Seun Kuti and Egypt 80, who also play Grassroots, will play NYC on July 27 at S.O.B.'s. Tickets are on sale now. They'll also play a free Celebrate Brooklyn show on July 22 with Faaji Agba. Egypt 80 is the former band of Seun's father, Fela Kuti. Seun recently released From Africa With Fury: Rise, his first album for Knitting Factory Records. The album was recorded with producers Brian Eno and John Reynolds...

"...there was room to further adjust the blazing Afrobeat of Seun's first album Many Things into something more potent.

That was producer Brian Eno's prescription when he finally convinced Seun to let him produce his work. As Seun explains, "He showed me ways to open up the music. He gave me ideas about things we could do to turn the project from live music to a great live CD."

If you're expecting something in the vein of The Unforgettable Fire or Viva La Vida, you'd be wrong. This is more like Remain In Light at 45 RPM. Kuti explains that it's not like Eno changed the songs themselves (though he did contribute keyboards and vocals), but would strengthen passages of tracks like "Mr. Big Thief' by having the melody played in unison by Kuti's sax and guest Justin Adams's guitar.... [Exclaim]

Purchase the album on Amazon as LP/CD/MP3. Updated Seun tour dates below...

Continue reading "Seun Kuti addeded an SOB's show to his Brian Eno-produced album tour, Tinariwen are here soon too"

Tinariwen will release a new album called Tassili on August 30 via Anti- Records (pictured above). The album was recorded entirely acoustic with contributions from Tunde Adebimpe & Kyp Malone of TV on the Radio, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, and Nels Cline of Wilco (who plays a show with Marc Ribot at LPR on June 15th).

Tinariwen will head out on a short North American tour in July which will hit the Winnipeg Folk Festival and the previously mentioned Highline Ballroom on July 20. Tickets are still on sale for that NYC show.

Tinariwen also play the Finger Lakes Grassroots Festival on July 21 at the Trumansburg Fairgrounds in Trumansburg, NY (which runs from July 21-24). There they share a bill with Donna the Buffalo, Court Yard Hounds, Seun Kuti & Egypt 80, Balkan Beat Box, Sammy Kershaw, Thomas Mapfumo & the Blacks Unlimited, John Brown's Body, Carolina Chocolate Drops, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, and many others.

For Seun Kuti, the Trumansburg date is one day after he plays a free show at the Prospect Park Bandshell. Seun recently sent out an updated list of tour dates too, and a new video you can watch below.

Tinariwen collaborators TV on the Radio also recently expanded their upcoming tour dates, many of which are with Broken Social Scene who they play with at the Williamsburg Waterfront They also have a new video, as does BSS

The videos with all Seun & Tinariwen & TVOTR dates, below...

Continue reading "new Tinariwen LP & dates, Trumansburg Grassrooots Fest, Seun Kuti, Nels Cline, Marc Ribot & TV on the Radio too"

photos by Tim Griffin

Femi Kuti & The Positive Force @ The Moody Theater

The Femi Kuti & The Positive Force 2011 North American tour is still underway and is now on the West Coast until the tour's final show in Seattle on May 15th. Along the way they hit Highline Ballroom & Music Hall of Wiliamsburg in April and the new ACL Moody Theater in Austin on May 6th...

"Austin City Limits Live at The Moody Theater is a state-of-the-art, 2,700 + person capacity live music venue that will also serve as the new home of the KLRU-TV produced PBS program Austin City Limits, the longest running music series in American television history. The venue will host 60-100 concerts a year, in addition to the nights the Austin City Limits show will tape. Commitment to green building standards qualify us to apply for LEED® certification, the highest standard for sustainable development."

Pictures from that swanky Austin show are in this post, as are the rest of the dates (below).

Fela's two most successful Afrobeat-playing sons are Femi and Seun. Seun even now leads Fela's old band Egypt 80. As you might have noticed in this summer's Celebrate Brooklyn lineup, Seun has a show (shows) coming up too. The free Brooklyn one happening at the Prospect Park Bandshell is listed like this:

FRIDAY, JULY 22, 7:00 P.M.
SEUN KUTI & EGYPT 80 | FAAJI AGBA

The yearlong celebration of Nigeria's 50th anniversary of independence that began last October continues here with a generation-bridging concert. Fronting his father Fela's legendary band, Seun Kuti is the living embodiment of afro-pop. Faaji Agba's lineup of Afrobeat pioneers--including Fatai Rolling Dollar, Chief Seni Tejuoso and Prince 'Eji' Oyewole of the Afro-Skittles Band--makes them Nigeria's answer to the Buena Vista Social Club: a supergroup of veteran musicians who are re-popularizing faaji grooves, agidigbo blues, juju and other styles of Nigerian roots. Travel support provided by Arik Air.

Seun's new album "From Africa With Fury" is out now in Europe, but will be released in the U.S. on June 21st. It looks like this:

A full Seun North American tour will be announced soon, but in the meantime, all known Seun & Femi dates, and more Femi pics, below...

Continue reading "Femi Kuti tour continues (Austin pics), Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 playing shows this summer (Prospect Park & other dates)"

DOWNLOAD: Calamity Magnet - Baby, You Forgot (MP3)

Seun Kuti @ Central Park Summerstage, NYC - July 6, 2008 (by Jen Mazer)

today in NYC
* FREE STUFF
* The Coast @ Rehab
* Williamsburg Block Party
* Sissy Wish @ Knitting Factory
* Palms Out @ Santos Party House
* Calamity Magnet & The Besties @ Knitting Factory
* George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic @ BB King's
* Crystal Antlers, Chairlift & Religious Knives @ Mercury Lounge

Cocorosie in the NY Times Magazine.

It's American Brandstand: Marketers Underwrite Performers

Sara Radle quit The Rentals to be in Calamity Magnet full time. They play with The Besties at Knitting Factory tonight. Check out some live Besties video Joly took. Check out a CM MP3 above.

Estelle's new video for "No Substitute Love" below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Tuesday?"

DOWNLOAD: Crosby, Stills & Nash - Long Time Gone (MP3)

Central Park Summerstage concerts, NYC, 2008
04/20 - Vienna Teng
05/30 - Duran Duran (tix)
05/31 - Duran Duran (tix)
06/13 - Mavis Staples & Stephanie McKay
06/21 - kokayi, JLove Calderon, La Bruja, Lemon, Will Power
06/28 - Vieux Farka Toure
07/23 - Mark Knopfler (tix)
07/27 - The Skatalites
07/29 - Crosby, Stills & Nash (tix)
08/02 - Thollem (SmhSmh) & Germaul Barnes (BitahkizAyeli Movement & Sound)
08/03 - José James
08/06 - Sonny Rollins (tix)
08/09 - Latin Alternative Music Conference presents Scud Hero & ??

ALSO, according to the NY Times:

Crosby, Stills & Nash; Mavis Staples, the experimental Brooklyn rockers Battles and Black Dice; DanceBrazil; and the Mexican pop singer Julieta Venegas will be among the performers at Central Park SummerStage this year, the City Parks Foundation has announced. Crosby, Stills & Nash will play on July 29 in one of the six paid benefit concerts during this 23rd SummerStage season. The other performances, along with the Afro-funk scion Seun Kuti and the vintage-soul revivalists Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, are free, beginning with Ms. Staples's concert on June 13. The complete lineup will be announced in April.