Chopteeth Afrofunk Big Band - Chopteeth (2008) Lossless+MP3

This Washington, D.C., crew, assembled by bassist Robert Fox and guitarist Michael Shereikis, was initially inspired by the musical legacy of Nigerian icon Fela Kuti. The album opens with 'Struggle' a thunderous bit of Afrofunk that does, indeed, invoke the Fela Kuti vibe. Further adventures in this groove include 'Dog Days' and 'Weigh Your Blessings' while 'Herky Jerky,' bristling with heated horn solos, is a potent instrumental number. Chopteeth's reach extends beyond Afrofunk, however. 'Upendo' is all about South Africa, including a lyric sung in Swahili. Malian griot Cheick Hamala Diabate joins the band on 'Wili Nineh' working a song that, appropriately, praises the band members. The closer, 'Condition Is Permanent,' features D.C. rapper Head-Roc in a bangin' rap-Afrofunk fusion that sounds exactly like something Fela would be into, were he alive and kicking. --Billboard

They cook. They dance. The organs are fat. The horn section is beastly. And the protest ( Struggle ) generally takes a backseat to the party (Upendo ). Their LP is called Afrofunk Big Band. It's great. And without giving too much away, I can say that its a prime candidate for the 2008 iteration of our Year-in-Review Top 10 List. What s not surprising about the disc is the quality of the playing they're aces, and we've know that for a while. But we didnt know they had the composition to match the chops. (Much of the credit goes to guitarist/singer/principal songwriter/recording engineer Michael Shereikis, though Anna Mwalagho contributes some songwriting alongside her exultant vocals.) --Washington City Paper