February 27, 2009 | Filed Under Aphrodesia, Pop/Rock/Jam Releases, Releases, World Music Releases | No Comments
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Aphrodesia’s sound represents the next generation of the American Afrobeat movement, where respect is paid to various music forms, but with fluid migrations between genres and cultures, all with the intention of making people move: heart, soul, and feet.
Below Aphrodesia Band Members Talk about the Songs on Lagos by Bus
1 Virgin of the Sun God
Lara: That song was inspired by a traditional mbira song. Then I put some kind of chant in the beginning from a Shona drum rhythm. The words refer to a kind of flirtation dance. The words mean: Do you see me dancing. Don’t you think I’m pretty? Do you want to dance with me?
The English part comes from this crazy book I was reading. Apparently the book was channeled by this Brazilian woman about Mary Magdalene; about what happened during the time of Jesus Christ. It is really obscurely written. It had passages like “we knew the one who turned himself into the sun and then the world began as one.” The language and the perception of time in the book is really vast and otherworldly. I wanted to write something kind of archaic and a little bit mythological like that.
The song title comes from an Yma Sumac song. My dad was big fan of hers. In the ’50s, this woman was a wild pagan enchantress from the Andes in Peru, with an incredible four or five octave vocal range. I have a couple of 78s of hers. One of the songs has the same name.
2 White Elephant
Maya: One of my favorite songs. [Laughter, sarcasm.] It’s an instrumental. I play cowbell on that song and get a lot of compliments. [More laughter]
Ezra: “White Elephant” marries the overlapping 6/4 rhythms of Ethiopian pop with dubbed-out Fender Rhodes keyboard effects.
Lara: It started out as part of another song, which ended up becoming two songs. This song is actually from Mali. Somebody taught me the song lyrics and melody. And I think the name may be a reference to another song we do called “Black Rhino.”
Continue reading Cyber1039 - Aphrodesia - Lagos By Bus…
February 27, 2009 | Filed Under Aphrodesia, Pop/Rock/Jam Releases, Releases, World Music Releases | No Comments
The excitement and energy of Aphrodesia live recorded for the first time. If you’ve never had a chance to check out this Afro-beat orchestra on stage, you can now hear what you’ve been missing.
Tracks 1 and 6 were recorded at the Elbo Room in San Francisco on April 27, 2006.
Track 2 was recorded at Mishawaka Amphitheater in Ft. Collins, Colorado on June 21, 2006.
Tracks 3, 4, and 5 were recorded at Moe’s Alley in Santa Cruz, California on April 22, 2006.
Aphrodesia’s extraordinary sonic stew encompasses touches of Afrobeat, Highlife, dub, funk, Caribbean spice, and East African trance music, all with the captivating vocal stylings of Lara Maykovich as their focal point. After living in Ghana and Zimbabwe during 1997 and 1998, where she studied and performed with members of Akrowa Dance Ensemble of Ghana, Hewale Sounds of Ghana, Ghana National Dance Company, and National Music and Dance Company of Zimbabwe, Maykovich returned to Boulder, Colorado, where she sang with The Motet and performed with Boubacar Diabete. She met bassist Ezra Gale soon after moving to the Bay Area in 2002, and the pair then recruited a stellar supporting cast that before long created such a buzz the East Bay Express dubbed them “The Bay Area’s answer to Antibalas.”
February 27, 2009 | Filed Under Aphrodesia, Pop/Rock/Jam Releases, Releases, World Music Releases | No Comments
Aphrodesia’s sound represents the next generation of the American Afrobeat movement, where respect is paid to various music forms, but with fluid migrations between genres and cultures, all with the intention of making people move: heart, soul, and feet. The legendary 12 piece band serving brass laden Aphrobeat funk.
“Afrobeat is a musical phenomenon whose time has come…. Aphrodesia, San Francisco’s contenders in the Afrobeat arena, are 11 young heavyweights who embellish the form with Latin swing and reggae skank. Vocalist Lara Maykovich adds a steamy sensuality, shifting the focus of the message from the boardroom to the bedroom. It’s an irresistible twist that’ll keep you begging for more.”
-SF Bay Guardian
February 27, 2009 | Filed Under Aphrodesia, Pop/Rock/Jam Releases, Releases, World Music Artists, World Music Releases | No Comments
The legendary 12 piece band serving brass laden Aphrobeat funk.
“Afrobeat is a musical phenomenon whose time has come…. Aphrodesia, San Francisco’s contenders in the Afrobeat arena, are 11 young heavyweights who embellish the form with Latin swing and reggae skank. Vocalist Lara Maykovich adds a steamy sensuality, shifting the focus of the message from the boardroom to the bedroom. It’s an irresistible twist that’ll keep you begging for more.”
-SF Bay Guardian
February 11, 2009 | Filed Under Aphrodesia, World Music Artists | No Comments
Aphrodesia
Description: An 11-piece Afrobeat orchestra with a rowdy blend of African rhythms, exotic melodies, slamming percussion, and monstrous horns.
Location: San Francisco, California, USA
Biography: Socially charged in the tradition of African greats like Fela Kuti and as intoxicating as a drop of honey on your lover’s trembling backside, Aphrodesia’s music and stage show are irresistible.
Emerging in 2003 from the fertile San Francisco Bay Area music scene, Aphrodesia’s highly original brand of “Super Afrobeat” and uncompromising political stance made them resist easy classification. In 2004, the band exploded into the national consciousness with the “Just Vote Tour”, a swing-state voter registration tour that took the band all the way to NYC and back in their vegetable oil-powered bus and landed the group on the cover of USA Today. Showstopping performances at the High Sierra Music Festival and the Baja Bash also won the group high praise, as well as several phenomenal tours from Southern California up to the Pacific Northwest. Continue reading Aphrodesia…
