Singer/percussionist, kung fu instructor, fashion designer, and former Antibalas frontman Duke Amayo returned to the States for a free show at Brooklyn’s BAM Cafe on Saturday. The multi-talented bandleader, who announced his departure from Antibalas after more than 20 years with the group in 2021, was accompanied by a band featuring Miles Francis (drums), Nikhil Yeranadekar (guitar), Giancarlo Luiggi (shekere), Smoota (trombone), and Eli Edelman (congas), plus his former Antibalas bandmates and Daptone Records collaborators Binky Griptite (bass) and Jordan McLean (trumpet).
Last month, Amayo and his new solo band performed in Lagos, Nigeria as part of Felabration, a festival celebrating Afrobeat innovator and Lagos legend Fela Kuti. After returning to his home country for the performances, he offered reflections on his roots in Africa and fashion in a message posted to social media:
“All of my show outfits include [repurposed fabric from my late mother] so I can embody her spirit. If you don’t know, I started in fashion before doing music. I had my own #AMAYO line and would host fashion shows at my Afrospot in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. It was also my Kung Fu dojo and eventually was where two guys came in and asked me to join their band. The rest is history… like my name means, #IfYouDontGoYouNeverKnow Then we built a music studio in the basement which became Daptone Records before the studio was disassembled and reassembled as the House of Soul in Bushwick where Miss Sharon Jones recorded. These shows in Nigeria, and this night at Freedom Park Lagos brought me home and made these memories come flashing back.”
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He later posted in anticipation of his return to Brooklyn, writing, “After coming back from my home in Nigeria, I can’t wait to return to my second home in NYC @bam_brooklyn!!!”
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Amayo and his band brought a taste of Nigeria to the intimate Brooklyn venue, treating fans to a mix of Antibalas songs and other original tunes, including selections from Amayo’s upcoming album, The Lion Awakes. The percussion-heavy instrumentation highlighted the group’s ancestral rhythms and deep, hypnotic Afrobeat grooves.
Check out a gallery of photos from Amayo at BAM Cafe courtesy of photographer Ken Spielman below. For more information about Amayo, visit his website.
