The Toronto-based incarnation of Asiko Afrobeat Ensemble are all about the authentic Afrobeat sounds. The nine-piece outfit — led by Nigerian frontman Foly Kolade, who previously led a New York City version of the band — carefully balance the traditional call-and-response, chants and high-energy polyrhythms on debut effort Winners Never Quit.
A brisk listen at eight tracks, the LP features English and Yoruba lyrics, and the always pertinent and intimate themes of perseverance, socio-political subjects and cultural/intellectual integrity.
"No more knows the future… life is full of mystery," proclaims Kolade on opening track "Nobody Knows Tomorrow." It's not a particularly profound statement, but Kolade drives home the inspiring message nicely. Elsewhere, tracks like the horn-driven "Dumb Intellectuals," the downtempo groove of "Elegbede" and the more modern jazz sensibilities of "Winners Never Quit" demonstrate musical craft in action, evoking emotional responses in addition to a head sway or three. The standout number here is the funk punctuation that carries "Olofofo" to danceable highs.
Winners Never Quit is an effective debut — buoyant, vibrant and powerful — that upholds the Afrobeat legacy to grand effect.
(Independent)A brisk listen at eight tracks, the LP features English and Yoruba lyrics, and the always pertinent and intimate themes of perseverance, socio-political subjects and cultural/intellectual integrity.
"No more knows the future… life is full of mystery," proclaims Kolade on opening track "Nobody Knows Tomorrow." It's not a particularly profound statement, but Kolade drives home the inspiring message nicely. Elsewhere, tracks like the horn-driven "Dumb Intellectuals," the downtempo groove of "Elegbede" and the more modern jazz sensibilities of "Winners Never Quit" demonstrate musical craft in action, evoking emotional responses in addition to a head sway or three. The standout number here is the funk punctuation that carries "Olofofo" to danceable highs.
Winners Never Quit is an effective debut — buoyant, vibrant and powerful — that upholds the Afrobeat legacy to grand effect.
