Brooklyn’s own Afropop-funk-dance big band Antibalas, is probably your favorite band’s favorite band. The 12-piece plus ensemble ranges freely through all kinds of funk, Afro-Cuban music, loping rhythms of Ethiogroove, Caribbean dance, punk rock, and extraplanetary cosmic jazz. And that’s in addition to having been credited with introducing Afrobeat (in the tradition of the late Nigerian saxophonist, singer, bandleader and activist Fela Kuti) to a global audience. 

The Brooklyn collective was born in the late 1990’s in a Brooklyn warehouse/cheesecake factory that also incubated the Dap Kings and TV on the Radio. Since that time Antibalas has performed with Afro-Cuban, avant classical, soul, funk, rock, rap, reggae, and pop music stars: Jovanotti, Mark Ronson, Santigold, Beyonce, Angelique Kidjo, My Morning Jacket, Zap Mama, Bruno Mars, The Roots, Medeski, Martin and Wood, David Byrne and St. Vincent. They have also served as the house band and musical directors for the Broadway show Fela!, in addition to being the house band at Carnegie Hall at tribute shows performing the music of Paul Simon (2014), David Byrne and Talking Heads (2015) and Aretha Franklin (2017).

Their new record, Where The Gods Are In Peace, pays respect to the forefathers of Afrobeat, and they join us in the studio for a live performance.