To think I almost did not go to last night's concert because it was at The Fox Theater and I was concerned that dancing would be strictly prohibited. My fears were momentarily justified, as myself and several other dancers were initially reprimanded for being in the aisle. Then, with one especially funky Antibalas tune (download their songs, opens a new window from the library in Freegal Music), the tide turned and the dancers won the evening. Scores of dancers got on their feet, made their way to the front and carried on a non-stop dance party for the better part of two hours. Read on to learn more about this wonderful evening of music and access links to free downloads of both bands' music.
Zap Mama (download their songs, opens a new window from the library in Freegal Music) was the first band to take the stage. The female vocal-heavy group is led by Marie Daulne. The Congolese/Belgian singer and the rest of the group belted an a capella number to get things started. Zap Mama's bassist, Manou Gallo, was an absolute monster on the instrument. She reminds one of Bela Fleck's supremely talented bassist, Victor Wooten, so much so that we referred to her as "Victoria Wooten" for the evening. Things really kicked up a notch when Antibalas took the stage and joined the already-cooking Zap Mama band. What followed was an evening of funky, dancey, and versatile musical greatness.
The front man for Antibalas, Amayo, somehow matched the powerful Marie Daulne in energy and talent. Amayo is a British-born Nigerian who grew up in Lagos listening to Fela Kuti, the king of Afrobeat. Brooklyn-based Antibalas was born out of a love of Fela's music, and the band was the orchestra for the acclaimed Broadway musical Fela!
The Best of the Black President
With both bands, the number of musicians on stage swelled to 16. They were churning out a powerhouse mix of rhythm and funk that was undeniable. The crowd was small but mighty and the band matched the crowd in excitement. Dualne pointed out that the evening's performance was the last show of the group's 6 week run and it was obvious the musicians have gelled together and were thoroughly enjoying this farewell show of a great tour. During the encore, each member of the horn section made their way to the front of the stage to show off a little dance solo, and it seemed evident that the entire band was having as much fun as I was, and believe me, I was having much fun.
While the year is still rather young, some band is going to have to work real hard to knock this performance off my top spot for "show of the year." While the two groups do not have any collaborative recordings, you can follow the links below for downloads of their individual recordings. One can only hope they will record together, or at least bring this amazing big band back on the road for more shows. If that does happen, make sure you have your dancing shoes ready.
Another rave review of this tour from Valentine's Day in Chicago.
