After Fela Kuti's death in 1997, afrobeat music has experienced a worldwide flowering. Each day, more and more musicians and djs vindicate afrobeat as a music plenty of future and with a musical, creative and political expression. New compilations, covering from original afrofunk to current electronic focused afrobeat, are backed by plenty of specialized labels, such as Lenar, Comet, Strut, Afrodisiac, Soundway, Honest Jons, Stern's, Evolver….

Afrobeat is used by the best of house scene: Joe Claussel, Ron Trent, Kerri Chandler, Blaze, Martin Solvieg, Ashley Beedle…. Afrobeat serves both as inspiration source for people from hip-hop scene (Blackalicious, Chief Xcel, Missy Elliot, Common, Nas, Mos Def, Ty, Weird Mc…) and as basis for many Djs: Rich Medina, Bobbito, Max Reinhardt, Rita Ray, Nikki Lucas, Dj Haul, Javi P3z….

In the meantime, afrobeat scene is shook by a big bang of new bands with a more orthodox point of view, such as T'Boys (France), Belgian Afro Beat Association, (Belgium), Afrodizz (Canada), Antibalas, Akoya, Kokolo, Afrobeat Down, Bama & The Family, Ocote Soul Sounds, Nomo, Chicago Afrobeat Project (USA), Dele Sosimi, Snowboy, Ju Ju Juice Afrobeat Band (UK), part of colombian champeta criolla movement as Batata y su Rumba Palanquera, and, of course, in Nigeria, the afrobeat birthplace, where orthodoxy and heterodoxy coexist in artists like Femi Kuti, Lágbájá, Ayetoro, Alariyo of Africa, Tony Allen….

Afrobeat has served as an approach path to african music.

Republicafrobeat Vol.2 is just a little, electronic exponent of current panorama. We have selected musicians as Will Holland (aka Quantic) that both solo as well as The Quantic Soul Orchestra use afrobeat as an expression form. Or David Byrne, Talking Heads leader and one of the first afrobeat apologists, and Louie Vega, used to remix, play and create afrobeat (solo or as MAW), supporting to Thievery Corporation in an amazing afrobeat. Dj, producer, musician and remixer Nickodemus had always included afrobeat in his “Turntables On The Hudson” compilations.

We have found succulent rarities such as Al Green remixed in afrobeat clef in 1989; Karl Denson, with a wide experience in the style; nigerian saxophonist Bukky Leo, former member of Fela and Tony Allen bands, develops afrobeat through house and jazz; Bantu, nigerian but settled in Germany, interprets afrobeat in hip-hop clef, giving sense at the kaleidoscopic sense of disk; multiinstrumentalist Franck Biyong, representative of the new african sound:

Afroelectric; Ben Lamdin, also multiinstrumentalist, founder of Nostalgia 77 and a lover of '60 soul and jazz electronically remixed; Dissent, pseudonym of Wide Hive Records founder Gregory Howe, an enthusiast of world music's electronic basis and structure. Finally, Raw Deal emphasizes dj's importance on afrobeat. And being this a record where electronics reign, a roots stroke of the brush couldn´t be missing, we took the liberty because we feel necessary to offer a view of Afrobeat done in Spain, with the “Afromeño” groove by Gecko Turner and the african rhythms explorers, Couscous Party.

Republicafrobeat Vol.2 is the new proposal of Asociación Cultural AfrobeatProject in collaboration with Lovemonk. It's also a recognition to musicians as David Byrne, for his capability of take risks and to be a pioneer in appreciation and spread of afrobeat; young but prolific Will Holand (aka Quantic) because he goes on developing and growing it; dj's, with their duality of musician and remixer, because they spread afrobeat every night; and for those approaching afrobeat from electronics or from roots.

For Ever Lives Afrobeat!

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!!