The Afromotive
|
Join the Mailing List |
We had a blast and hope to see you all again!
________________________________________________
New album "Scare Tactics" in stores NOW on
Harmonized Records!!!
Read the reviews:
_____________________________
"Masterfully recorded and precisely performed...Scare Tactics provides solid grooves and a refreshing departure from the maudlin attempts of most modern acts, and not a single performance falls short of perfect."
Harold Zimm, Southeast Performer Magazine
_____________________________
"The Afromotive could not have made a more on-point record for their debut release.
Brad Hodge, Honest Tune
_____________________________
_____________________________
"The 10-piece band is thick, tight, and jovial, with horns and guitarists who weave and wind around congruent melodies over extended instrumental vamps ...It's a graceful record, and a credit to the durability of (Fela) Kuti's seminal genre."
Drew Hinshaw, Offbeat Magazine, New Orleans
_____________________________
_____________________________
"The Afromotive get freaky on their debut album Scare Tactics with nine tracks of funky polyrhythms that could summon James Brown's ghost. The 10-piece North Carolinian ensemble is lead by Kevin Meyame, who lends his west-African heritage to the band's authentic Afrobeat sound, driven by a commanding bass loop and complemented by a frenetic assortment of ever-changing drum-beats, playful organs and a robust brass orchestra.
Scare Tactics opens with the hypnotic "Yako," a sprawling effort at almost ten minutes long that employs a repetitive style, but manages to stay fresh throughout. The epic "Lies" gets the blood pumping with an upbeat call-and-response chorus and the laid back "On the Cuff" has the feel of an improvised live jam brought back to the studio and reworked with precision by professional musicians.
Triumphant, eclectic and self-assured, The Afromotive effortlessly chug through "Scare Tactics" with the same energy that has made them an explosive touring act and a rising presence in the world-music scene."
Daniel Schneier, Glide Magazine
BIOGRAPHY:
A fan once said, “It’s sounds like James Brown’s band went to Africa.” Bringing funk music back to its African roots is precisely what the Afromotive is doing with their style of afrobeat music.
Based in Asheville, NC, this large ensemble stays true to the elements that started afrobeat music- West African rhythms, song forms, and instrumentation- while bringing the music to the 21st Century through strong song writing, improvisation, and heavy beats.
Thirty-third generation djembe player Adama Dembele from Cote d‘Ivoire, West Africa brings his vast musical knowledge and touring experience to the Afromotive. These traditional West African rhythms combined with a mentality for upbeat funk music is what the Afromotive brings to its audiences. They have created a sound that crosses musical and ethnic boundaries.
On their debut album "Scare Tactics," The Afromotive takes the raw energy of their live performance into the studio. This album is an elaboration on the language of afrobeat music, yielding a truly unique sound that is rooted in tradition.
PRESS
"The Afromotive fuse the polyrhythms of Afrobeat with funk and extended improv... If you can stand still listening to their music, check your pulse- you might be dead." Jack Silverman, Nashville Scene
"...The Asheville, NC, band fuses the brass and polyrhythms of Fela Kuti with jazzy improvisational solos and a heavy dose of funk." Fritz Hahn, Washington Post
"Danceable music with heavy beats and strong social messages." Jessica Marcy, The Roanoke Times
"The stylings of The Afromotive quintessentially make up exoticism—sounds that encapsulate a far-off land. They play beats of tribal influence and chant so hypnotically, they change any solemn idea one may have had of Africa. They bring a cultural eroticism and sexiness to an area that gets overlooked in such a manner.
"The Afromotive defy every ounce of mainstream music. With a culturally-enriching dose of maniacal musicality, the nine-piece ensemble touts a three-piece horn section, as well as the a wailing organ, guitar and various percussion instruments, including the djembe drum, which keeps the rhythm grounded through every movement and chord change.
"Fronted by Kevin Meyame-originally from Cote D'Ivoire, West Africa-The Afromotive found its groove from the frontman's extensive travels and experiences as a performer. Meyame traveled throughout his homeland, as well as France, with drum and dance troupe Tanably before conceiving The Afromotive, which came from his stint with Ballet Warraba. Essentially, Meyame is a man of movement-both literally and figuratively-and an empowering performer, who keeps audiences pulsating with every beat. Accompanying The Afromotive's variance of sound with his powerful voice, Meyame's tongue rolls in the languages of French, English and his native Baoule. Regardless whether he speaks for audiences to understand him, his passion needs no interpretation-his inflections and raw power are universally comprehensible." Shea Carver, Wilmington Encore
"...wailing solos, fierce grooves and a funkified dreamscape of sound. All you really need to know is how to move." Alli Marshall, Mountain Xpress
"...Listen to the funky sounds of nine-piece powerhouse ensemble the
Afromotive and it's hard not to get enraptured as crisp keyboard, brass, and
percussion instruments all work together to create a cohesive sound. Led by an
affable frontman, Kevin Meyame of the Ivory Coast, the Afromotive's biggest
asset is its ability to expound upon the groundwork laid by Tony Allen, Fela
Kuti, and other Afrobeat giants, then to pepper it with a heavily synthesized
modern touch. When the combination of old- and new-school Afro-funk comes out
right, the Afromotive is a force to be reckoned with. You can try to compare
them to other contemporary Afrobeat groups like Antibalas or Nomo, but it's
only a waste of time. With the '70s long gone, any group adventurous enough to
take on Afrobeat as its life work will undoubtedly interpret it in different
fashions, and the Afromotive is no different."
Jonathan Cunningham, Miami New Times
"Despite LAAFF's all-day excesses, The Afromotive cleared my head with sinister funk...(they) turned a mild-mannered street into a fleshy sea of writhing torsos." Hunter Pope, Mountain Xpress
The Afromotive has performed with:
Erykah Badu (special guest appearance, World Grotto, Knoxville, June 10 2006)
Michael Franti and Spearhead (AmJam 07, Smilefest 06, Fall LEAF 05)
Kalakuta Moziak (former guitarist of Fela Kuti's Egypt 80)
Mamadou Diabate (One World Innernational Music Celebration, Deerfields, NC, Aug 19 2006)
Ikwunga (the first Afrobeat Poet, Apache Cafe, Atlanta, Dec. 30 2005)
Cyro Baptista and Beat the Donkey (Neighborhood Theatre, Charlotte, Apr. 20 2006)
Chicago Afrobeat Project (Greenville Apr. 21, 2005)
Ivan Neville's Dumpstafunk (headliner of Spring LEAF 06)
Jude Osadalos (ex- Femi Kuti drummer)(Emerald Lounge, Asheville July 05)
Dub is a Weapon (Neighborhood Theatre, Charlotte, NC, Aug 18 2006)
Rebirth Brass Band (Tipitina's, New Orleans, Nov 24 2006)
Past performances include:
Echo Project (Fairburn, GA),
Tipitina's (New Orleans),
The Orange Peel (Asheville, NC),
Hot House (Chicago, IL),
Transit Lounge (Miami, FL),
Club Metronome (Burlington, VT),
Smith's Olde Bar (Atlanta, GA),
Lake Eden Arts Festival (Black Mtn, NC),
Smilefest (Lake Toxaway, NC),
AmJam 2007 (Deerfields, NC),
Camp Bisco 5 (Mariaville, NY),
Ashefest 2007 (Horseshoe, NC),
City Limits (Delray Beach, FL),
Artisphere Arts Festival (Greenville, SC),
Cafe Brasil (New Orleans),
The Pour House (Charleston),
Windows on the Cumberland (Nashville, TN),
Neighborhood Theatre (Charlotte),
Visulite Theatre (Charlotte),
World Grotto (Knoxville),
The Pour House (Raleigh),
Apache Cafe (Atlanta),
Side Bar (Gainesville, FL),
Castaway's (Ithaca, NY),
Crossroads (Huntsville, AL),
Full Moon Rising Festival (Deerfields, NC),
The Mission (Augusta, GA),
Boone Saloon (Boone, NC),
The Joint (Clemson, SC),
Stella Blue (Asheville),
The Grey Eagle (Asheville)
This artist recommends
Contests/Events
