FRIDAY, JUNE 29, AND SATURDAY JUNE 30,
9 PM

AFROBEAT ALL STAR EXTRAVAGAZA:
AFRICAN MUSIC MASTERS

Benefiting African Immigrant and Refugee Resource Center (AIRRC)

BABA KEN AND AFRO-GROOVE CONNEXION

Picture the sound of Juju music, voodoo ritual chants and rhythms, scratchy American jazz records, with a dash of Fela’s Afrobeat, and you can almost hear Baba Ken and the Afrogroove ConneXion. Every performance is a celebration of life.

"A winning combination...an intoxicating brew...a wild hybrid of styles from highlife to juju to soca and reggae"
--Tower pulse

"A vital pop experiment where consistently hard rhythms hide fangs
beneath a sunny sheen"
--The Beat

"The rhythm is solid and the music genuinely uplifting"
--Downbeat

"Lilting vocals, soulful horns, churning percussion--and okulolo's supple bass lines, firmly holding it all together. Great grooves!"
--Bass Player Magazine

JUJUBA

Jujuba, an 11-piece power force, delivers an infectious, danceable, and funky style of Nigerian Afrobeat and Juju music. The band combines dense rhythmical forms with articulate melodies and energetic soloing. Jujuba features Nojeem Lasisi, one of the world’s elite talking drum players, and an ensemble of musicians and vocalists playing a unique blend of African and Western music. As a member of Nigerian superstar King Sunny Ade’s group, the African Beats, Nojeem toured the world and appears on numerous recordings with King Sunny, including “Seven Degrees North” and “Odu.”

"Nojeem Lasisi and his 10-piece band Jujuba will steep you in the juices of the funkiest stew around. Their jazz, funk, reggae, Afro-Cuban and Samba deep beats mean the rooster-neck bop just isn't enough: your whole body must pulsate..."
-- Willamette Week

"...Jujuba ignites a more primal sense of movement. The funky, feel-good 11-member group's lavish use of drums creates tunes based on traditional Nigerian folk music that are sure to get you moving." --Portland Mercury

DJ JEREMIAH AND THE

AFROBEAT NATION

As a boy growing up in Liberia, DJ Jeremiah was a music fanatic. He loved to listen and dance to traditional and Afrobeat music blaring from local radio stations.

He learned early that music is supposed to make you feel good. With his passion for world music, Jeremiah has amassed a great collection of dance tunes that has kept the world music fans joyful and grooving--reminiscent of his childhood days.

DJ Jeremiah will be spinning Fela Kuti and James Brown's funkiest recordings accompanied by a group of seasoned, hard-hitting musicians.

Bring your dancing shoes and good vibes...

DJ VANKA (STELLATRAX)

No one has explored the future of Afro-Latin music in the Bay Area more than DJ Vanka. Besides running the legendary Misturada party, the Belgian born DJ has played alongside the likes of Sidestepper, Yerba Buena, Seu Jorge, Los Amigos Invisibles, and many others. A master at mixing organic and electronic beats, Vanka always brings the vibe with his affectious and uplifting blend of "global urban roots music".