Afrobeast

Yaaba Funk are a multiracial, multi¬national ten-piece Brixton band who have developed a strong reputation over the past two years due to their ability to deliver a steaming live set that always gets audiences up and dancing. The band’s musical roots are varied – lead singer Richmond Kessie is Ghanaian and Ghanaian highlife is a strong factor in their sound, while Fela Kuti-flavoured Afro-beat provides a motor for many songs. Jazz, funk and reggae also come into play across the album as the eight original songs unfold. Opener ‘Me Nye Me Dofo’ is dedicated to the late DJ Charlie Gillett and is a powerful demonstration of how Yaaba Funk cook up a big fat groove. Excellent musical interplay within the large band keeps the music flowing and while tracks such as ‘Mutani N’ Africa’ run up to 11 minutes, the music never loses its focus. A consistently excellent rhythm section means Yaaba are always funky and tight while disciplined use of horns and guitar colours the groove. If I have any reservations about Afro Beast is that it is not beastly enough – the band never really let loose and take the wild, nasty risks that make Fela’s finest recordings so memorable. When the British grab a foreign music form they are always at their best when messing with the music rather than playing it straight. Yaaba Funk in concert can be as exciting as, say, a young Rolling Stones; Afro Beast is a fine debut but it doesn’t quite capture the wild animal the Stones harnessed.