EMEFE ("em-EFF-ayyy!") has only one intention: to play music that frees everybody in the audience, everybody listening at home, and everybody in the band. Lead by Miles Arntzen, a young musician based in NYC, EMEFE plays its own mix of afrobeat music as invented by the late Fela Kuti with the funk of Sly Stone, as well as jazz and hip hop of today. In the same way that Fela used this music as an escape from and confrontation against the Nigerian authorities, EMEFE uses its music to fight the inner authorities that we put on ourselves, each for our own specific reasons. With the EMEFE sound, the band hopes to spread awareness of the healing power of music, dancing, and smiling. EMEFE is working on its debut release, "Music Frees All" to be released in the Fall of 2010. Check us out on Myspace, Facebook, Bandcamp, and Blogspot. EMEFE- IT'S THE WAY.
Upcoming Shows
CEG PRESENTS
End of the Summer Afro-Funk Cruise featuring EMEFE w/ guests Mokaad and Underground System Afrobeat
EMEFE
Mokaad
/Underground System Afrobeat
Friday, September 17, 2010
Sullivan Hall
Doors: 6:30pm / Show: 7:30pmAdvance: $20 / Day of Show: $25
This event is 21+
Founded by Gabriel Garzón-Montano in 2008, Mokaad is a 12 piece funk group consisting of drummer David Frazier, bassist Spencer Murphy, guitarst Davy Levitan, keyboardist Jon Swift, saxophonists Dominic Missana, Zach Koeber, Kevin Jacobi, trumpeter Brandon Lewis, and vocalists Caleb Eberhardt, Le'Asha Julius, and Luna Garzón-Montano. The ensemble is heavily influenced by the innovations of visionaries such as Sly Stone, Fred Wesley, Stevie Wonder, Prince and the Soulquarians. Based in Brooklyn, Mokaad comes out of the oldschool. Playing a funk of it's own, the ensemble gives props to classic soul, gospel and hip hop.If you didn't come to party, don't bother paying at the door.
Leading a new charge in Brooklyn's burgeoning afrobeat revival, Underground System is here to get you up onto your feet and into the groove in a serious way. Raw, uncut, 100% Afro-funk throwdown.... ain't no 'bout a doubt it. The brainchild of guitarist Peter Matson, who fell in love with the music and story of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti while playing in an ensemble directed by members of the seminal Afrobeat group Antibalas, Underground System aims to both preserve and progress the amazing sounds that were eminating from Nigeria and the rest of West Africa in the 70's (with plenty of stateside jazz, funk, and roots influences to boot).
