Chicago Afrobeat Project Explained

Chicago Afrobeat Project (CAbP) is a seven- to 14-piece world music ensemble^[1] with influences including afrobeat, hip hop, funk, jazz, jùjú music, and rock. The members are well versed in afrobeat, the musical style of Fela Kuti and Tony Allen, and use it as a jumping off point to explore other styles. Based in Chicago, the band began in 2002 in a loft at 657 West Lake Street. The group is sometimes accompanied by African dancers from Chicago's Muntu Dance Theatre as well as Ayodele Drum & Dance. The group has released five studio efforts between 2005-2017, all recorded at Fullerton Recording Studios. In the summers of 2013 and 2014, the band collaborated with Fela Kuti's original drummer, Tony Allen, for a series of performances and recording sessions at Fullerton Recording Studios with the resulting work featured on the album What Goes Up (2017).

Members

• David Glines - Guitar
• Kevin Ford - Keyboards, Studio Shaman
• Garrick Smith - Baritone Saxophone
• Angelo Garcia - Tenor Saxophone
• Ryan Tedder - Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone, Keyboards, Guitar
• Mark Thomson - Trombone
• Xavier Galdon - Trombone
• Parris Fleming - Trumpet
• Danjuma Gaskin - Percussion
• Luc Parcell - Bass
• Chadwick - Painter (select shows)
• TJ Okulnola - Talking Drum (select shows)
• Tosha Alston - Dancer (select shows)
• Imania Detry - Dancer (select shows)

Awards

• 2017 - Chicago Tribune (Greg Kot) Top 10 Chicago Indie Releases of 2017
• 2017 - Winner, Best African Artist: Chicago Music Awards
• 2014 - Best International/World Music Act: Chicago Reader's "Best of Chicago 2014^[2]
• 2014 - Winner, Best African Entertainer: Chicago Music Awards
• 2013 - Tied for Runner-Up, Best International/World Music Act: Chicago Reader's "Best of Chicago 2013"
• 2013 - Rhapsody Music Top 25 World Music Albums (Nyash UP!)^[3]
• 2012 - Winner, Best African Artist: Chicago Music Awards
• 2011 - Winner, Best African Artist: Chicago Music Awards
• 2010 - Winner, Best African Artist: Chicago Music Awards
• 2009 - Winner, Best African Artist: Chicago Music Awards
• 2008 - Winner, Best African Artist: Chicago Music Awards
• 2006 - Nominated for Chicago Music Award's "Award of Honor for Contribution to World beat Music"
• 2005 - Nominated Best African Artist: Chicago Music Awards
• 2004 - Nominated Best African Artist: Chicago Music Awards

Selected festivals

• Hyde Park Jazz Festival (2017)
• Chicago World Music Festival (2003, 2006, 2013, 2015)
• Utah Arts Festival - Salt Lake City, UT (2008, 2012)^[4]
• CIMMfest (Chicago International Movies & Music Festival) - Chicago, IL (2016)^[5]
• Summerfest - Milwaukee, WI (2014, 2015)^[6]
• North Coast Music Festival Official After Party (with Tony Allen) - Chicago, IL (2014)^[7]
• Bear Creek Music Festival - Live Oak, FL (2008)^[8]
• High Sierra Music Festival (2007, 2008)^[9]
• Wakarusa Music Festival (2006, 2008)
• Detroit Concert of Colors - Detroit, MI (2014)^[10]
• Boogie on the Bricks - Athens, OH (2016)^[11]
• Evanston Ethnic Arts & Music Festival - Evanston, IL (2016)
• Celebrate Clark Street - Chicago, IL (2007, 2008, 2016)^[12]
• Green Eggs & Jam - Leavenworth, KS (2015)
• Merchant Street Music Festival - Kankakee, IL (2015)^[13]
• Logan Square Arts Festival - Chicago, IL (2015)^[14]
• Felabration - Denver, CO (2014)^[15]
• Deschutes Brewery Warehouse Party - Bend, OR (2014)^[16]
• Sweet Pea Festival - Bozeman, MT (2014)^[17]
• Ann Arbor Summer Festival - Ann Arbor, MI (2014)^[18]
• Arcadia Creek Festival Place - Kalamazoo, MI (2014)^[19]
• Reggae in the Mountains - Ketchum, ID (2013)
• Windy City Ribfest - Chicago, IL (2013)^[20]
• Artoberfest - Benton Harbor, MI (2013)^[21]
• Andersonville Midsommarfest - Chicago, IL (2012)^[22]
• Groovefest - Cedar City, UT (2012)
• Dubuquefest - Dubuque, IA (2012)^[23]
• Starwood Festival (2011)
• Traverse City Summer Microbrew and Music Festival - Traverse City, MI (2010)^[24]
• Camp Euforia - Lone Tree, IA (2007, 2010, 2020)^[25]
• Mid Summer Meltdown Music Festival - Kempton, PA (2010)^[26]
• Truckee Reggae Fest - Truckee, CA (2009)
• Taste of Chicago - Chicago, IL (2009)
• Bele Chere Music Festival (2005, 2006)
• Chicago's Summer Dance Series (2005, 2007, 2010)
• Summer Camp Festival (2005, 2007, 2008)
• Vassar College Jazz Festival (2005, 2006)

Guest musicians

Live

• • Tony Allen - (2013, 2014, 2018)
  • Sugar Blue - (2013)
  • JC Brooks - (2013, 2017)
  • Akenya - (2017)
  • Kiara Lanier (2017)
  • Ugochi (2008, 2011, 2017)
  • Sahr from FELA! on Broadway - 2012
  • Jeff Parker from Tortoise
  • Howard Levy
  • Bobby Broom
  • Fareed Haque
  • Paul Wertico
  • Dave Watts from The Motet

Recordings

• • Tony Allen (2017)
  • Ugochi (2007,2009,2017)
  • Bobby Broom (2007)
  • Fareed Haque (2005)
  • J.C. Brooks (2017)
  • Akenya (2017)
  • Isaiah Oby (2017)
  • Òrànmíyàn (2017)
  • Kiara Lanier (2017)
  • Legit (2017)
  • Rico Sisney from Sidewalk Chalk (2017)
  • Maggie Vagle from Sidewalk Chalk (2017)
  • Diverse (2005)
  • Brother Mike (2005)

Discography

Albums

• What Goes Up - Independent (2017)
• Nyash UP! - CAbP Music (2013)
• (A) Move to Silent Unrest - CAbP Music (2007)
• Chicago Afrobeat Project - CAbP Music (2005)

EPs

• Off the Grid EP - CAbP Music (2009)

Compilations Featured

• Rough Guide to Afrobeat Revival (2009)

References

• CityBeat January 9, 2010
• The Urban Flux - "Chicago Afrobeat Project Brings Funk-Infused Dance to Le Poisson Rouge" February 9, 2011
• Recoil Magazine - interview with Nick Stephenson December 2007
• NUVO - "Chicago Afrobeat Project" by Paul F. P. Pogue

External links

• http://www.chicagoafrobeatproject.com

Notes and References

1. http://recoilmag.com/interviews/?1092 Recoil Magazine 2007
2. Web site: Best international/world music act. 25 June 2014 . 2016-07-04.
3. Web site: Rhapsody: "Top 25 World Albums of 2013". 11 May 2014 . en-US. 2016-07-04.
4. Web site: Utah Arts Festival - Past Performers at the Utah Arts Festival. 2016-07-04.
5. Web site: Chicago Afrobeat Project : LIVE SCORE DANCE PARTY!!! - CIMMfest. 2016-04-15. en-US. 2016-07-04.
6. Web site: Summerfest June 25 line-up. Green. Christie. 2016-07-04.
7. Web site: North Coast Music Festival After Parties Toast Of The Coast. 2016-07-04. 2016-08-15. https://web.archive.org/web/20160815131818/https://chicago.thelocaltourist.com/news/cara-carriveau/north-coast-music-festival-after-parties-toast-coast. dead.
8. Web site: Bear Creek Fest Lineup. 2008-09-09. en-US. 2016-07-04.
9. Web site: Past Lineups - High Sierra Music Festival. en-US. 2016-07-04.
10. Web site: Saturday Night Dance Parties: (Concert of Colors "Tune-Up") Chicago Afrobeat Project and Ricardo Lemvo & Makina Loca Midtown Detroit Inc.. midtowndetroitinc.org. 2016-07-04. 2016-08-16. https://web.archive.org/web/20160816175720/http://midtowndetroitinc.org/events/events-list/saturday-night-dance-parties-concert-colors-tune-chicago-afrobeat-project-and. dead.
11. Web site: 2016 Lineup June 25, 2016 12pm – 11pm. boogieonthebricks.com. 2016-07-04.
12. Web site: Celebrate Clark Street World Music Festival. Celebrate Clark Street World Music Festival. 2016-07-04.
13. Web site: MusicFest draws thousands for 40 bands. Dykstra. John. 2016-07-04.
14. Web site: Logan Square Arts Festival: Helado Negro, Chicago Afrobeat Project, Serengeti, KRSA, Conjunto, and others. Chicago Reader. 2016-07-04.
15. Web site: Felabration! - A Celebration of the music of Fela Kuti feat. Dave Watts (The Motet), members of Euforquestra and members of Atomga w/ Chicago Afrobeat Project - Tickets - Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom - Denver, CO - October 18th, 2014. Cervantes' Masterpiece. 2016-07-04.
16. Web site: Jungle Cross Warehouse Party. www.visitbend.com. 2016-07-04.
17. Web site: Chicago Afrobeat Project. 2014-05-12. en-US. 2016-07-04.
18. Web site: This weekend at Top of the Park/Ann Arbor Summer Fest, June 27–29: Robert Cray and Mavis Staples, Transe Express and more. 2016-07-04.
19. Web site: Kalamazoo Island Fest returns for 19th year WMU News Western Michigan University. wmich.edu. 2016-07-04.
20. Web site: Uptown Update: Windy City Rib Fest Coming to Lawrence and Broadway This Weekend. www.uptownupdate.com. 2016-07-04.
21. Web site: The afrobeat goes on. 2016-07-04.
22. Web site: Andersonville Midsommarfest (6/9/2012). ChicagoPride.com. 2016-07-04.
23. Web site: Music on the Town Clock Stage: Chicago Afrobeat Project DubuqueFest Fine Arts Festival. dubuquefest.org. 2016-07-04.
24. Web site: Who's playing and who's pouring at this year's Traverse City Microbrew & Music Festival. 2016-07-04.
25. Web site: Camp Euforia VII: Iowa's Premier Independent Music Festival: KindWeb News Articles. www.kindweb.com. 2016-07-04.
26. Web site: Jibberjazz. 2016-07-04.