The origin of REPUBLICAFROBEAT can be established in August 2002. At that date, a small and improvised group of fans of Afrobeat and, in particular, of its mentor, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, organised a three day homage coinciding with the fifth Anniversary of his death. The just called it “Five Years without Fela”. Exhibitions, Projects and Djs made a small tour of locales in Madrid and took part in the third edition of the Festival Periferias de Huesca , where a homage was also paid. The fire was ignited and Floren Cuadrado, Dj Floro, Javi Zarco, Pincha Extra Z and Sagrario Luna decided to fuel it.
In other words, organise an AfrobeatProject Cultural Asociation through which we were able to explore new territories around Afrobeat and make our small contribution. The second fruit of our contribution is a self-financed record, a compilation made by DJ Floro, known by his Radical and Digital Mestizo , his Electros and Latinos or his compilations of Boogaloo-Latin-Soul-Jazz...etc. He is really a specialist with an inexhaustible and unequalled groove.
The fruit is named REPUBLICAFROBEAT taking our hat off to Fela and his Kalakuta Republic , but picking up on the interpretation of Afrobeat that is currently being done, through varied and different prisms. They are as different as Tony Allen and Femi Kuti, Ashley Beedle (Black Jazz Chronicles), Adam Golstone (Cultural Mambo) and Masters at Work, trio of aces that draw closer to House or vice versa.
They are as varied as the Nigerian rocker Keziah Jones, who revisits Fela in a Hendrix-like way, or the Italian trio Kwanzaa (key-board masters) or the extremely personal Acid-Jazzy touch of the British Snowboy, or the North-American duo Blaze who manage to make House to dance Soul and Hip-Hop, (or is it the other way around?). Finally, the chromatic assortment is reinforced by the mix-master Fatboy Slim, Zuco 103 (with its unmistakeable voice) and Brazilian flavour and Javi P3z, which he surprisingly ends seasoning up by his alterego Digi Onze.
A.C AfrobeatProject has in Suristán Records the best ally to edit REPUBLICAFROBEAT. With only one reference in his catalog "Bizeti" by Afrika Lisanga, Suristán Records has his Dr Jekill in Sala Suristán. Eight years embracing multicultural proposals and favouring a way of coexistence and brotherhood between them, between us.
REPUBLICAFROBEAT is a contemporary record that picks up on the Fela Kuti philosophy and stands up against the imperialism that dominates in an alarming way.
REPUBLICAFROBEAT wants you to dance and think.
REPUBLICAFROBEAT is homage to Fela Anikulapo Kuti.
For Ever Lives Afrobeat!!