Classic Congolese, Ghanaian, and East Nigerian bands: Dr. Nico, Africa Sukisa, Mose Se Sengo Fan Fan, Bantous de la Capitale, Franco, E.T. Mensah, Zaiko Langa Langa, Thu Zaina, Mwenda Jean Bosco, King Onyina, Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe
Sounds Like
Classic Congolese, Ghanaian, and East Nigerian bands: Dr. Nico, Africa Sukisa, Bantous de la Capitale, Franco, E.T. Mensah, Zaiko Langa Langa, Thu Zaina, Mwenda Jean Bosco, King Onyina, Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe
Chicago’s Occidental Brothers Dance Band Int’l plays classic Central and West African dance music—specializing in soukous, Highlife, Rumba, Dry Guitar, and other delights from the great continent. The multi-racial band mixes their backgrounds in traditional African music, jazz, and underground rock to bring these classic sounds to life. The group has been winning over a diverse audience of listeners, dancers and rockers, and causing a buzz among established African music critics (all ready on 2007some top 10 lists)! Word of the group’s electrifying live shows is spreading as they play sold-out shows with Afropop legend Oliver Mtukudzi and art-pop superstar Andrew Bird. The group recently played another sold-out show in March appearing as a featured group in Chicago’s Old Town School of Folk Music’s Afrofolk series.
The band began by covering the songs of Congolese greats Mwenda Jean Bosco, Franco, and Bantous de la Capitale, and their debut cd features many of these tunes. Now the group is writing original songs that incorporate their mastery of the old style with the singing of Ghanaian Kofi Cromwell. Kofi sings in a haunting mixture of English and his mother tongue, Twi. The cd is distributed by Thrill Jockey. They are at work on a new record featuring concert favorites and new original songs.
Guitarist Nathaniel Braddock leads the group. Braddock teaches African guitar at Chicago’s Old Town School of Folk Music and is a veteran of Chicago’s jazz and independent rock scene, playing with Ancient Greeks, Edith Frost, and the Zincs. Braddock is joined by Greg Ward on alto saxophone. Ward is a rising star of Chicago’s jazz scene, playing with Hamid Drake, Ernest Dawkins, and the Chicago Afro-Latin Jazz Ensemble. Handling trumpet and vocal duties is Kofi Cromwell of the much-celebrated Western Diamonds (voted Ghana’s best highlife band three years in a row). Fellow Western Diamond Daniel “Rambo” Asamoah brings his energetic style to the trap drums. Joshua Ramos, also of Liquid Soul plays upright bass. The band is often joined by Chicago's young star congero Jean LeRoy.
The OBDBI has performed at Chicago’s 2006 World Music Festival, the 2005 and 2006 Folk & Roots Festivals, the 2005 and 2006 Bucktown Arts Festival, the HotHouse, Rodan, the Logan Square Auditorium, and the Chicago Cultural Center. Their monthly gigs at Chicago’s Charleston have become legendary dance parties. Chicago Public Radio recently showcased the band in studio working out a cover tune of the New Order tune “Bizarre Love Triangle” which has since become an internet hit! See why the group is making so many fans and critics top ten lists for 2007!
Hello Occidental Brothers Dance Band Int'l, Thanks so much for the Add–and your friendship. We enjoyed your music very much. Thanks for sharing it with all of us. It's a pleasure having you among our friends! We've added two blogs about Umano, plus four more new compositions, making ten on our page. We hope you and your friends visit us and enjoy our music, too. We wake up every morning and play the music of the new MySpace friends who have arrived at our site during the night. It occurred to us that these friends (you are among them) are almost universally positive, whether they be novices or legends, and without regard to their station in life or the country they occupy. Although it's not an original thought, it also occurred to us that we couldn’t hold a verbal conversation with most of these friends, but we have bridged that gap by expressing our art honestly with each other. We all have been filling the world with our music and art, in the hope that our messages of love and human understanding will have an impact on the world at large. What a gift and what an opportunity we have received from this technology! ♫♫♫ Thom & Lorry Gambino ♫♫♫ New York, New York
Hi guys,
Thanks for your friendship and your kind words.
It is really good to hear new & creative music and yours sure is. And also very inspiring. You gave a new touch and perspective to the African music legacy with your own ideas. I 've already seen the profile/interview of Nathaniel, as I am GP subscriber, so congratulations for making it there, you deserved it. Looking forward to hear from you. Wishing you a success and enjoyment in music
Veja Entrevista que dei para o Programa “Repertório Independente”, onde eu falo de minha carreira, minha história e apesar de estar bastante gripado, ainda canto algumas canções.
Para ver este e vários outros vídeos meus no youtube, entre no link abaixo:
we definitely dig your old-school african sounds! a bunch of us saw you guys play with Andrew Bird last fall in Millenium Park and it was a really great show! best of luck with everything
We just love your music! It is full ofj oy , be it the highest vibration, and one just starts to move...the pure celebration of life. And you know, we are next to Afrika, Canary islands. Best wishes to you and keep dancing!
