by: Sean Boy
Let's pigeonhole Antibalas: big band afro-funk. Not much of a pigeonhole, and therein lies the beauty of Antibalas (Spanish for "bullet-proof" / "anti-bullets"). Mix Fela Kuti with The Meters with Tito Puente perhaps and you get the feel for Antibalas. Afrocentric grooves and vocals punched lumpy with Latin horn blasts and completely danceable. That's the hook. Antibalas will get your fingers snapping, hips swinging and then they'll start their preaching; challenging capitalism and stirring up insurrection. It may happen that audiences and listeners will miss the message and simply remember the beat. So be it. A mad beat it is, and the 14 plus piece band backs up their message by performing at benefits for many progressive organizations in and around New York City. Sure, the band may fight against the economic system of the country, but musician-wise, Antibalas is the stuff that America is made of: Americans of all races, Latino, European, African and Asian. They're all here and they're all represented in sound and united under one groove.
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