The band locks into a fierce soulful groove. With a laugh, the singer enters, Rhodes and percussion percolating behind him. “It’s a beautiful world,” he chuckles, and the music starts to lift off. The Alma Afrobeat Ensemble is on the stage. And that’s where they’ll be starting on May 19th, 2016, as they begin a 10-day Midwestern tour to support their third album, It’s Time (to be released April 15, 2016). It’s definitely time for the band, bringing the heartening sound of Afrobeat from Barcelona, Spain to the American heartland.

“It’s a little weird,” says guitarist and group founder Aaron Feder. “I actually started the band in Chicago in 2003. But I moved to Barcelona 10 years ago and that’s where it really began to happen. So this is actually our first proper American tour.”

To say it’s taken off hardly does the band justice. They’ve closed out the last night of WOMAD Canary Islands, taking the coveted headlining slot, and shared the stage with the legendary master of Ghanaian highlife music, Ebo Taylor, as well as the junkyard pioneers Konono No 1.  Afropop Worldwide has called the band’s sound “as dark and intensely danceable as any African musical experience can be,” and their songs have been featured on PRI’s The World, in movies and on TV shows. It’s very definitely time.

“It’s Time has 35 minutes of music that we played live in the studio, with just a few overdubs later,” Feder says. “Then we gave those tracks to some DJs to reimagine the music. We’ve done that all through our career, with every album. The only instructions were that they shouldn’t sound like the originals.”

The five remixes by the likes of DJ Farmo, DJ Phader, Los Kalakos, DJ Quiet and Ray Lugo, that make up the rest of the album do the band full justice, but certainly take the music in very different directions, bringing in elements of hip-hop, coupé decalé, dance music, and dub. And that’s absolutely fine, Feder says.

“We’re not purists. Afrobeat has always been dance music. That’s what Fela made. But he was also influenced by what he heard when he was in London and Los Angeles. He saw the possibilities for the music, and we try to also. We’re not revisiting the past. We want to embrace the future.”

Like Fela Kuti, the originator of Afrobeat, the band isn’t afraid to tackle difficult issues in the music. “Shakedown” explores racism and corruption, while “Lost” looks at the philosophical implications of being a good person. But through it all, the beat continues, moving feet as well as hearts and minds.

Putting original music and remixes on the same disc also deliberately raises the question of what, exactly, is an album these days.

“We certainly wanted to consider that,” Feder notes. “The definition has changed so much in the last 10 years. So often now, people think in terms of individual tracks and all the different formats, so bands have to, as well. But we still tell a story with the album, hence the Side A and Side B. Plus, just before the tour we’ll put out a vinyl version of It’s Time with just the four original cuts. But there’ll also be a code to download all the tracks, including the remixes. We think it’s quite a modern album.”

The album also marks another big change:  the addition of a new member to the nine-strong band. Singer Joe Psalmist was born in Lagos, Nigeria; he has Afrobeat in his blood and that shows in the way he’s quickly become an integral member of the band, with a commanding presence both onstage and on recordings.

“I met him two years ago,” Feder recalls. “Joe comes from a musical family and he runs a gospel choir here. He fits naturally into the band, this takes him to part of his musical heritage. He’s very influenced by soul music and you can hear that in his voice.”

The band has evolved. That’s documented in the music Alma Afrobeat Ensemble has released, and all the shows the musicians have played, even taking the music back to the African continent on one notable occasion when they played in the city of Ceuta.

In addition to the musicians coming from the Iberian Peninsula, the band will pick up local musicians in the Midwest, bringing a slightly different twist to the tour.

“It’s going to be good,” Feder says with certainty. “I’ve played with these people before when I’ve come back to Chicago. They’ll fit in, but they’ll also bring their own styles. When we tour we almost always pick up additional horn players and percussionists wherever we go; sometimes dancers and other guests. This way there is more of a community atmosphere, and we can have more interaction with our environment. And it’s going to be a thrill to bring this music back to where I grew up. I’m so proud of what everyone in the band has done, and what they’ve given and keep on giving.”

It’s Time.

The band locks into a fierce soulful groove. With a laugh, the singer enters, Rhodes and percussion percolating behind him. “It’s a beautiful world,” he chuckles, and the music starts to lift off. The Alma Afrobeat Ensemble is on the stage. And that’s where they’ll be starting on May 19th, 2016, as they begin a 10-day Midwestern tour to support their third album, It’s Time (to be released April 15, 2016). It’s definitely time for the band, bringing the heartening sound of Afrobeat from Barcelona, Spain to the American heartland.

“It’s a little weird,” says guitarist and group founder Aaron Feder. “I actually started the band in Chicago in 2003. But I moved to Barcelona 10 years ago and that’s where it really began to happen. So this is actually our first proper American tour.”

To say it’s taken off hardly does the band justice. They’ve closed out the last night of WOMAD Canary Islands, taking the coveted headlining slot, and shared the stage with the legendary master of Ghanaian highlife music, Ebo Taylor, as well as the junkyard pioneers Konono No 1.  Afropop Worldwide has called the band’s sound “as dark and intensely danceable as any African musical experience can be,” and their songs have been featured on PRI’s The World, in movies and on TV shows. It’s very definitely time.

“It’s Time has 35 minutes of music that we played live in the studio, with just a few overdubs later,” Feder says. “Then we gave those tracks to some DJs to reimagine the music. We’ve done that all through our career, with every album. The only instructions were that they shouldn’t sound like the originals.”

The five remixes by the likes of DJ Farmo, DJ Phader, Los Kalakos, DJ Quiet and Ray Lugo, that make up the rest of the album do the band full justice, but certainly take the music in very different directions, bringing in elements of hip-hop, coupé decalé, dance music, and dub. And that’s absolutely fine, Feder says.

“We’re not purists. Afrobeat has always been dance music. That’s what Fela made. But he was also influenced by what he heard when he was in London and Los Angeles. He saw the possibilities for the music, and we try to also. We’re not revisiting the past. We want to embrace the future.”

Like Fela Kuti, the originator of Afrobeat, the band isn’t afraid to tackle difficult issues in the music. “Shakedown” explores racism and corruption, while “Lost” looks at the philosophical implications of being a good person. But through it all, the beat continues, moving feet as well as hearts and minds.

Putting original music and remixes on the same disc also deliberately raises the question of what, exactly, is an album these days.

“We certainly wanted to consider that,” Feder notes. “The definition has changed so much in the last 10 years. So often now, people think in terms of individual tracks and all the different formats, so bands have to, as well. But we still tell a story with the album, hence the Side A and Side B. Plus, just before the tour we’ll put out a vinyl version of It’s Time with just the four original cuts. But there’ll also be a code to download all the tracks, including the remixes. We think it’s quite a modern album.”

The album also marks another big change:  the addition of a new member to the nine-strong band. Singer Joe Psalmist was born in Lagos, Nigeria; he has Afrobeat in his blood and that shows in the way he’s quickly become an integral member of the band, with a commanding presence both onstage and on recordings.

“I met him two years ago,” Feder recalls. “Joe comes from a musical family and he runs a gospel choir here. He fits naturally into the band, this takes him to part of his musical heritage. He’s very influenced by soul music and you can hear that in his voice.”

The band has evolved. That’s documented in the music Alma Afrobeat Ensemble has released, and all the shows the musicians have played, even taking the music back to the African continent on one notable occasion when they played in the city of Ceuta.

In addition to the musicians coming from the Iberian Peninsula, the band will pick up local musicians in the Midwest, bringing a slightly different twist to the tour.

“It’s going to be good,” Feder says with certainty. “I’ve played with these people before when I’ve come back to Chicago. They’ll fit in, but they’ll also bring their own styles. When we tour we almost always pick up additional horn players and percussionists wherever we go; sometimes dancers and other guests. This way there is more of a community atmosphere, and we can have more interaction with our environment. And it’s going to be a thrill to bring this music back to where I grew up. I’m so proud of what everyone in the band has done, and what they’ve given and keep on giving.”

It’s Time.

The band locks into a fierce soulful groove. With a laugh, the singer enters, Rhodes and percussion percolating behind him. “It’s a beautiful world,” he chuckles, and the music starts to lift off. The Alma Afrobeat Ensemble is on the stage. And that’s where they’ll be starting on May 19th, 2016, as they begin a 10-day Midwestern tour to support their third album, It’s Time (to be released April 15, 2016). It’s definitely time for the band, bringing the heartening sound of Afrobeat from Barcelona, Spain to the American heartland.

“It’s a little weird,” says guitarist and group founder Aaron Feder. “I actually started the band in Chicago in 2003. But I moved to Barcelona 10 years ago and that’s where it really began to happen. So this is actually our first proper American tour.”

To say it’s taken off hardly does the band justice. They’ve closed out the last night of WOMAD Canary Islands, taking the coveted headlining slot, and shared the stage with the legendary master of Ghanaian highlife music, Ebo Taylor, as well as the junkyard pioneers Konono No 1.  Afropop Worldwide has called the band’s sound “as dark and intensely danceable as any African musical experience can be,” and their songs have been featured on PRI’s The World, in movies and on TV shows. It’s very definitely time.

“It’s Time has 35 minutes of music that we played live in the studio, with just a few overdubs later,” Feder says. “Then we gave those tracks to some DJs to reimagine the music. We’ve done that all through our career, with every album. The only instructions were that they shouldn’t sound like the originals.”

The five remixes by the likes of DJ Farmo, DJ Phader, Los Kalakos, DJ Quiet and Ray Lugo, that make up the rest of the album do the band full justice, but certainly take the music in very different directions, bringing in elements of hip-hop, coupé decalé, dance music, and dub. And that’s absolutely fine, Feder says.

“We’re not purists. Afrobeat has always been dance music. That’s what Fela made. But he was also influenced by what he heard when he was in London and Los Angeles. He saw the possibilities for the music, and we try to also. We’re not revisiting the past. We want to embrace the future.”

Like Fela Kuti, the originator of Afrobeat, the band isn’t afraid to tackle difficult issues in the music. “Shakedown” explores racism and corruption, while “Lost” looks at the philosophical implications of being a good person. But through it all, the beat continues, moving feet as well as hearts and minds.

Putting original music and remixes on the same disc also deliberately raises the question of what, exactly, is an album these days.

“We certainly wanted to consider that,” Feder notes. “The definition has changed so much in the last 10 years. So often now, people think in terms of individual tracks and all the different formats, so bands have to, as well. But we still tell a story with the album, hence the Side A and Side B. Plus, just before the tour we’ll put out a vinyl version of It’s Time with just the four original cuts. But there’ll also be a code to download all the tracks, including the remixes. We think it’s quite a modern album.”

The album also marks another big change:  the addition of a new member to the nine-strong band. Singer Joe Psalmist was born in Lagos, Nigeria; he has Afrobeat in his blood and that shows in the way he’s quickly become an integral member of the band, with a commanding presence both onstage and on recordings.

“I met him two years ago,” Feder recalls. “Joe comes from a musical family and he runs a gospel choir here. He fits naturally into the band, this takes him to part of his musical heritage. He’s very influenced by soul music and you can hear that in his voice.”

The band has evolved. That’s documented in the music Alma Afrobeat Ensemble has released, and all the shows the musicians have played, even taking the music back to the African continent on one notable occasion when they played in the city of Ceuta.

In addition to the musicians coming from the Iberian Peninsula, the band will pick up local musicians in the Midwest, bringing a slightly different twist to the tour.

“It’s going to be good,” Feder says with certainty. “I’ve played with these people before when I’ve come back to Chicago. They’ll fit in, but they’ll also bring their own styles. When we tour we almost always pick up additional horn players and percussionists wherever we go; sometimes dancers and other guests. This way there is more of a community atmosphere, and we can have more interaction with our environment. And it’s going to be a thrill to bring this music back to where I grew up. I’m so proud of what everyone in the band has done, and what they’ve given and keep on giving.”

It’s Time.

The band locks into a fierce soulful groove. With a laugh, the singer enters, Rhodes and percussion percolating behind him. “It’s a beautiful world,” he chuckles, and the music starts to lift off. The Alma Afrobeat Ensemble is on the stage. And that’s where they’ll be starting on May 19th, 2016, as they begin a 10-day Midwestern tour to support their third album, It’s Time (to be released April 15, 2016). It’s definitely time for the band, bringing the heartening sound of Afrobeat from Barcelona, Spain to the American heartland.

“It’s a little weird,” says guitarist and group founder Aaron Feder. “I actually started the band in Chicago in 2003. But I moved to Barcelona 10 years ago and that’s where it really began to happen. So this is actually our first proper American tour.”

To say it’s taken off hardly does the band justice. They’ve closed out the last night of WOMAD Canary Islands, taking the coveted headlining slot, and shared the stage with the legendary master of Ghanaian highlife music, Ebo Taylor, as well as the junkyard pioneers Konono No 1.  Afropop Worldwide has called the band’s sound “as dark and intensely danceable as any African musical experience can be,” and their songs have been featured on PRI’s The World, in movies and on TV shows. It’s very definitely time.

“It’s Time has 35 minutes of music that we played live in the studio, with just a few overdubs later,” Feder says. “Then we gave those tracks to some DJs to reimagine the music. We’ve done that all through our career, with every album. The only instructions were that they shouldn’t sound like the originals.”

The five remixes by the likes of DJ Farmo, DJ Phader, Los Kalakos, DJ Quiet and Ray Lugo, that make up the rest of the album do the band full justice, but certainly take the music in very different directions, bringing in elements of hip-hop, coupé decalé, dance music, and dub. And that’s absolutely fine, Feder says.

“We’re not purists. Afrobeat has always been dance music. That’s what Fela made. But he was also influenced by what he heard when he was in London and Los Angeles. He saw the possibilities for the music, and we try to also. We’re not revisiting the past. We want to embrace the future.”

Like Fela Kuti, the originator of Afrobeat, the band isn’t afraid to tackle difficult issues in the music. “Shakedown” explores racism and corruption, while “Lost” looks at the philosophical implications of being a good person. But through it all, the beat continues, moving feet as well as hearts and minds.

Putting original music and remixes on the same disc also deliberately raises the question of what, exactly, is an album these days.

“We certainly wanted to consider that,” Feder notes. “The definition has changed so much in the last 10 years. So often now, people think in terms of individual tracks and all the different formats, so bands have to, as well. But we still tell a story with the album, hence the Side A and Side B. Plus, just before the tour we’ll put out a vinyl version of It’s Time with just the four original cuts. But there’ll also be a code to download all the tracks, including the remixes. We think it’s quite a modern album.”

The album also marks another big change:  the addition of a new member to the nine-strong band. Singer Joe Psalmist was born in Lagos, Nigeria; he has Afrobeat in his blood and that shows in the way he’s quickly become an integral member of the band, with a commanding presence both onstage and on recordings.

“I met him two years ago,” Feder recalls. “Joe comes from a musical family and he runs a gospel choir here. He fits naturally into the band, this takes him to part of his musical heritage. He’s very influenced by soul music and you can hear that in his voice.”

The band has evolved. That’s documented in the music Alma Afrobeat Ensemble has released, and all the shows the musicians have played, even taking the music back to the African continent on one notable occasion when they played in the city of Ceuta.

In addition to the musicians coming from the Iberian Peninsula, the band will pick up local musicians in the Midwest, bringing a slightly different twist to the tour.

“It’s going to be good,” Feder says with certainty. “I’ve played with these people before when I’ve come back to Chicago. They’ll fit in, but they’ll also bring their own styles. When we tour we almost always pick up additional horn players and percussionists wherever we go; sometimes dancers and other guests. This way there is more of a community atmosphere, and we can have more interaction with our environment. And it’s going to be a thrill to bring this music back to where I grew up. I’m so proud of what everyone in the band has done, and what they’ve given and keep on giving.”

It’s Time.

The band locks into a fierce soulful groove. With a laugh, the singer enters, Rhodes and percussion percolating behind him. “It’s a beautiful world,” he chuckles, and the music starts to lift off. The Alma Afrobeat Ensemble is on the stage. And that’s where they’ll be starting on May 19th, 2016, as they begin a 10-day Midwestern tour to support their third album, It’s Time (to be released April 15, 2016). It’s definitely time for the band, bringing the heartening sound of Afrobeat from Barcelona, Spain to the American heartland.

“It’s a little weird,” says guitarist and group founder Aaron Feder. “I actually started the band in Chicago in 2003. But I moved to Barcelona 10 years ago and that’s where it really began to happen. So this is actually our first proper American tour.”

To say it’s taken off hardly does the band justice. They’ve closed out the last night of WOMAD Canary Islands, taking the coveted headlining slot, and shared the stage with the legendary master of Ghanaian highlife music, Ebo Taylor, as well as the junkyard pioneers Konono No 1.  Afropop Worldwide has called the band’s sound “as dark and intensely danceable as any African musical experience can be,” and their songs have been featured on PRI’s The World, in movies and on TV shows. It’s very definitely time.

“It’s Time has 35 minutes of music that we played live in the studio, with just a few overdubs later,” Feder says. “Then we gave those tracks to some DJs to reimagine the music. We’ve done that all through our career, with every album. The only instructions were that they shouldn’t sound like the originals.”

The five remixes by the likes of DJ Farmo, DJ Phader, Los Kalakos, DJ Quiet and Ray Lugo, that make up the rest of the album do the band full justice, but certainly take the music in very different directions, bringing in elements of hip-hop, coupé decalé, dance music, and dub. And that’s absolutely fine, Feder says.

“We’re not purists. Afrobeat has always been dance music. That’s what Fela made. But he was also influenced by what he heard when he was in London and Los Angeles. He saw the possibilities for the music, and we try to also. We’re not revisiting the past. We want to embrace the future.”

Like Fela Kuti, the originator of Afrobeat, the band isn’t afraid to tackle difficult issues in the music. “Shakedown” explores racism and corruption, while “Lost” looks at the philosophical implications of being a good person. But through it all, the beat continues, moving feet as well as hearts and minds.

Putting original music and remixes on the same disc also deliberately raises the question of what, exactly, is an album these days.

“We certainly wanted to consider that,” Feder notes. “The definition has changed so much in the last 10 years. So often now, people think in terms of individual tracks and all the different formats, so bands have to, as well. But we still tell a story with the album, hence the Side A and Side B. Plus, just before the tour we’ll put out a vinyl version of It’s Time with just the four original cuts. But there’ll also be a code to download all the tracks, including the remixes. We think it’s quite a modern album.”

The album also marks another big change:  the addition of a new member to the nine-strong band. Singer Joe Psalmist was born in Lagos, Nigeria; he has Afrobeat in his blood and that shows in the way he’s quickly become an integral member of the band, with a commanding presence both onstage and on recordings.

“I met him two years ago,” Feder recalls. “Joe comes from a musical family and he runs a gospel choir here. He fits naturally into the band, this takes him to part of his musical heritage. He’s very influenced by soul music and you can hear that in his voice.”

The band has evolved. That’s documented in the music Alma Afrobeat Ensemble has released, and all the shows the musicians have played, even taking the music back to the African continent on one notable occasion when they played in the city of Ceuta.

In addition to the musicians coming from the Iberian Peninsula, the band will pick up local musicians in the Midwest, bringing a slightly different twist to the tour.

“It’s going to be good,” Feder says with certainty. “I’ve played with these people before when I’ve come back to Chicago. They’ll fit in, but they’ll also bring their own styles. When we tour we almost always pick up additional horn players and percussionists wherever we go; sometimes dancers and other guests. This way there is more of a community atmosphere, and we can have more interaction with our environment. And it’s going to be a thrill to bring this music back to where I grew up. I’m so proud of what everyone in the band has done, and what they’ve given and keep on giving.”

It’s Time.

Life No Get Dublicate (November 11^th, 2014) is Alma Afrobeat Ensemble’s sophomore studio album (and first on Slow Walk Music, Barcelona’s home for African music), and it reflects the evolution of this modern Afrobeat collective.  While remaining true to their distinctive take on classic Afrobeat, it also includes bits of M’balax, odd time signatures, and unique instrumentation, and features artwork from Lemi Ghariokwu, who was responsible for the most emblematic album covers for the Afrobeat master and creator, Fela Kuti.

This is a truly international release, reflecting the multicultural origins of Afrobeat and the band itself.  The album was recorded in Barcelona, mixed in Madrid and mastered in Boston.  Native Chicago guitarist and founder of the band Aaron Feder produced the album with with bassist Dinky Redondo.  Babacar Gaye (Senegal), singer, dancer and primary lyricist, flexes his linguistic muscle, singing in Wolof, French, Spanish and English.  Tato Sassone (Argentina) provides a unique interpretation of the drum stylings of Tony Allen, and Didier Roch (France) plays a variety of African and Afro-Caribbean percussion instruments, including Djembe, Dundun, and Batá drums. The otherworldly keyboard sounds are from the fingers of Paquito de la Iguana, and the core horn section features a bassoon, saxophones (tenor and alto), and trombone, providing unique voicings and textures.  Special guest Farmo (Color Humano, Black Baudelaire) provides a burning harmonica solo on Bursine, while world-renowned Norwegian trumpet player Audun Waage (Jojo Mayer Band, Bearfarm) adds flavor throughout the album.

This album is a powerful and significant step forward for a band that was already regarded as the “best representative of Afrobeat music in Spain” (DJ Floro).  They have been touring the Iberian Peninsula and Europe throughout 2014, with their summer adventures finishing in Plaza Catalunya, in the center of Barcelona, to play for 10,000 people on the opening night of La Mercé local festival.