Music Millennium

Reviews:

Antibalas-a loose-limbed Brooklyn collective featuring former members ofKing Chango and the Daktaris-once again pays homage to Nigerian Afrobeatinnovator Fela Kuti on their latest recording. Musically speaking, the recordis straight-up Afrobeat as pioneered by Kuti and his Africa 70 band-thoughthere's a definite P-Funk thread running across Talkatif, and tracesof salsa, ska and jazz are scattered throughout. This seventeen-member ensemble'sname translates roughly to "anti-bullets" (or "bulletproof,"depending on your perspective), and both meanings are highlighted by the band'sbombastic, politicized approach. Hyper-kinetic, booty-shaking instrumentalslike "World Without Fear" and "War Is Crime" prove that,in a world without words, a hot horn section is all that's necessary toblast the message across. With the wealth of classic Afrobeat material out thereto explore, this probably isn't the best point of departure for the uninitiated.