The sprawling Bay Area group bases its music on the genre developed by the late charismatic Nigerian singer Fela Kuti (a.k.a. “the Bob Marley of Africa”), which includes roiling rhythms, long dance-grooves and a blaring horn section.

  But like other creative domestic Afrobeat bands, including Antibalas and Chopteeth, Aphrodesia doesn’t adhere to a dogmatic approach to Fela’s music. Lead vocals are rendered by two female singers, and several musical breaks feature guitar solos, both generally unheard of in Afrobeat circles. And stepping beyond Nigeria’s musical borders, the group mixes Ghanaian highlife, Zimbabwean trance, hip-hop, rap and dub reggae into its groove-oriented sound.

On “Precious Commodity,” (Shackrobeat Records) Aphrodesia continues to perfect Fela’s social- and dance-oriented consciousness while forging its own musical identity.
by Eric Feber