Afropop Night LIVE presents: Shokazoba w/ M’bolo & DJ Afro-Marc

“Shokazoba is a ten piece Afrobeat ensemble that blends jazz and old school funk, with a West African beat that sets the foundation for a great community vibe. Their website describes their roots from Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti and our favorite Godfather of funk, James Brown. They have won several regional music awards and one visit to their show last night demonstrated that these were well deserved. This ensemble was among the hardest working bands I’ve seen in a long time. The instrumentals and musical solos were creative, intense and non-stop. Their teamwork both with each other and with the crowd intensified the experience with its impeccable timing. They elevated with multiple blending, streaming sounds and then could stop on a dime for punch and simultaneously start again to re-engage. It was our reality, one infectious groove. The musicians cued each other to keep the factors balanced among the amazing instrumental solos. These were songs of pride. They created a shared energy with each other and the crowd. As the evening went on, the audience became more cohesive and went deeper and deeper into a trancelike state. Even those who weren’t dancing, were part of the collective Shokazoba unconscious.” - Bluebird Reviews

BIO:

Shokazoba began in 2005 in Northampton, Massachusetts as a 17 piece Fela Kuti tribute project. We now produce original music, blending jazz and funk with a West African undertone and a consciously uplifting message.

Our music draws inspiration from afro-beat, funk, jazz, punk, psychedelic rock, prog, rap, trance, R&B, hip hop, soul, and other eclectic influences. Interlocking guitar patterns and syncopated percussion blend seamlessly with jazz infused horn lines. We guarantee to have the entire audience dancing!

Shokazoba has played a variety of stages from clubrooms to big festivals, and from large weddings to more intimate private parties. Our music goes over well with most people, and It is intended to be uplifting and accessible, Over the years, many talented musicians have contributed to the development and refinement of the unique sound and style that is now Shokazoba. We thank them all for their unique contributions!

Shokazoba garnered the Valley Advocate’s award for Best World Music in 2007, 2010, 2011, and 2012, their Best Funk award in 2008, and Best Jazz in the My411 Source poll in 2009. We were also recognized as “Artists of the Year” (Big Bands category) by the African Jazz review in reference to our 2011 release of “Congress For Sale” (http://www.africanjazz.info/music2012.html).

It’s very important to us to keep our music accessible to everyone, so please download our live recordings for free on archive.org where we’ve already been downloaded over 1,000,000 times! Our albums “One Destiny” and “Congress For Sale” are currently available at shokazoba.bandcamp.com, and our EP “Illusion of Choice” is available at bandcamp as well for free download.

Special Guests: M’Bolo & DJ Afro-Marc