This summer, Femi Kuti and the Positive Force are bringing their high energy Afrobeat back to North America for an extensive tour…. BROOKLYN is their next stop in our neck of the woods!
WEDNESDAY, JULY 27TH, 2016
Okayafrica & Mo’ Beat Presents
FEMI KUTI & THE POSITIVE FORCE
along with Subatomic Sound System and dj.henri from radioafricaonline.com
Femi Kuti was born Olufela Olufemi Anikulapo Kuti on June 12, 1962 in London. He is the eldest son of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti, and grandchild of traditional Nigerian aristocrat, political and women’s rights activist Funmilayo Ransome Kuti. He grew up in Lagos, Nigeria, where at age 15 he started playing saxophone in his father’s band, Egypt 80.
In 1986, Femi formed his own band, The Positive Force, with his sisters Yeni and Sola as the lead dancers, where he began establishing himself as an artist independent of his father’s massive legacy. The band’s first show was at the University of Lagos in that same year.
His first record, No Cause for Alarm, was released in 1989 (Polygram) followed by MYOB in 1991 (Kalakuta Records). Four years later he released title album, Femi Kuti (Tabu/Motown), and then in 1998 Shoki Shoki (MCA), which garnered widespread critical acclaim. In 2000 he opened The New Africa Shrine, his nightclub in Lagos, where he later recorded the live album Africa Shrine (2004). In 2001, he collaborated with Common and Mos Def on Fight to Win (MCA), which garnered Femi’s first Grammy nomination in 2003, and started touring the United States with Jane’s Addiction.
After releasing the live album Africa Shrine in 2004, there was a four year absence from recording due to personal setbacks, and Femi re-emerged releasing Day by Day (Wrasse) in 2008 and Africa for Africa (Knitting Factory) in 2010, both of which earned Grammy nominations. In 2012, he was both inducted into the Headies Hall of Fame (the most prestigious music awards in Nigeria) and was the opening act on the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ European Tour. His 2013 album, No Place for My Dream (Knitting Factory), garnered a fourth Grammy nod.
Like his father, Femi has shown a strong commitment to social and political causes throughout his career and continues to fight for a free and fair Nigeria. In 2012, he became an Ambassador for Amnesty International helping the organization to spread its human rights message across the world.
NYC’s Subatomic Sound System is a tightrope between the reggae roots of dub and the future of bass music. Subatomic Sound System performs as either a DJ, live electronic act, or complete band and is spearheaded by Emch, founder of Dub Champions Festival and the Subatomic Sound label, producer, DJ, musician, Brooklyn Radio host, label manager for Kingston-based People’s Records JA, Dubspot music instructor, and promoter. After collaborating with Dubblestandart in 2008 to produce Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry’s first dubstep tracks, numerous projects followed and Subatomic Sound System, with a unique blend of live instruments and electronics, has become Scratch’s go-to band for reinventing the Black Ark vibes on recent tours, including his 2013 Coachella & RBMA appearances. Subatomic Sound System has released a string of chart topping productions, remixes, and releases include collaborations with icons like Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, Elephant Man, filmmaker David Lynch, Anthony B, and Ari Up, as well as next-generation pioneers like Jahdan Blakkamoore, Stereotyp, Frikstailers, Dub Gabriel, and many more.
For many years, dj.henri has been spinning an African and Caribbean groove at SOB’s, (le) poisson rouge, City Winery, Symphony Space, the Bell House, and other NYC clubs — opening for acts like Salif Keita, Ebenezer Obey, Antibalas, Diblo Dibala, Aster Aweke, Tinariwen, Tiken Jah Fakoly, Vieux Farka Toure, and Natacha Atlas. dj.henri’s radio station Radio Africa Online (http://radioafricaonline.com) is the longest-running station playing African and Caribbean music online. His hugely popular Radio Africa Online Mixes are also featured in the iTunes Store and elsewhere, generating 100 Terabytes of traffic annually.
