Antibalas

Antibalas rank among the foremost champions of Afrobeat within the United States, merging the groundbreaking approach of Nigerian pioneer Fela Kuti together with his Africa '70 collective and additional strands drawn from Latin jazz, funk, dub, and Cuban traditions. Their output delivers an authentically global rhythmic drive that moves forward with force yet retains a subtle, alluring pull. Emerging from New York’s subterranean scene toward the close of the 1990s, the ensemble attained worldwide recognition throughout the next decade through extensive touring and well-received recordings such as Liberation Afro Beat, Vol. 1 in 2001 and Security in 2007. As their profile expanded, they pursued distinctive partnerships, appearing alongside artists ranging from Angelique Kidjo to Public Enemy while also serving as the house band for the Broadway staging of the Afrobeat musical Fela. Following an extended affiliation with Daptone Records, Antibalas issued a self-titled collection in 2012 and Where the Gods Are in Peace in 2017 on the same imprint. They resurfaced in 2020 with Fu Chronicles, an album that unites kung fu themes with Afrobeat energy.

Saxophonist Martin Perna leads the group, which adopted its Spanish-derived name meaning “bulletproof” upon forming in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, in 1998. The initial roster drew players from King Changó, the Soul Providers, and the Dap-Kings, with early core members encompassing Gabriel Roth on bass and production, guitarist Binky Griptite, keyboardist Victor Axelrod, conguero Fernando “Bugaloo” Velez, trumpeter Anda Szilagyi, and percussionist-vocalist Duke Amayo. From their inception they absorbed Nigerian Afrobeat alongside American R&B and Latin dance rhythms. After performing at poetry readings, loft parties, city parks, and other nontraditional venues, Antibalas moved into New York clubs and established a recurring weekend residency titled Africalia that regularly welcomed guests including Sharon Jones and Lee Fields.

The ensemble issued its first album, Liberation Afrobeat, independently in 2000 under the full name Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra. Following a contract with Ninja Tune, the recording appeared in expanded form as Liberation Afro Beat, Vol. 1. Soon afterward they released the limited-edition concert document Live in New York! Summer 1999, capturing several Africalia performances. After delivering their second studio album, Talkatif, in 2002, Antibalas embarked on wide-ranging tours across North America and Europe while appearing at festivals such as Coachella, Glastonbury, Bonnaroo, and the Newport Jazz Festival. In 2003 they made several live recordings available via Rockslide Records before entering the studio again to produce their third LP, Who Is This America?, issued by Ropeadope Records in 2004. After Government Magic surfaced on Japan’s P-Vine label in 2006, the band aligned with the independent imprint Anti- for the more exploratory Security in 2007, shaped with producer John McEntire of Tortoise.

At this stage Antibalas gained the distinction of performing alongside musicians who had worked directly with Afrobeat figurehead Fela Kuti. When the off-Broadway production Fela! premiered in New York in 2009, the group was enlisted as the house band, nightly revisiting several of Fela’s classic pieces. They continued with the show upon its transfer to Broadway later that year and, around the same period, joined the Roots and Public Enemy for a live rendering of the latter’s album It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back. In 2010 Antibalas recorded the EP Rat Race, which included their version of Bob Marley’s song of the same title. Following further touring they completed a self-titled album that marked their 2012 debut on Daptone Records, produced by former member Gabriel Roth, one of the label’s founders. Additional international dates ensued across Europe, Brazil, Mexico, and Australia, culminating in the group’s first American television appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon in 2012.

After an extended recording hiatus, Antibalas returned in 2017 with their second Daptone release, Where the Gods Are in Peace, featuring the three-part suite “Tombstown” created in tandem with members of Zap Mama. Fu Chronicles, issued by Daptone in 2020, presents a vigorous, groove-oriented collection shaped by the band’s formative years in what was then an unfashionable Williamsburg, Brooklyn, as well as vocalist Duke Amayo’s immersion in martial arts.