Antibalas short bio

Antibalas is recognized as the preeminent contemporary afrobeat ensemble in North America. Since its founding in Brooklyn in 1998, the 12-14 member ensemble has performed over 1700 shows in 30 countries and is a fixture at the premiere jazz, world music, and rock festivals around the world. The group's scope, repertoire, and expertise of its large family of musicians is not limited solely to one genre: Antibalas has rooted itself at the center of contemporary New York music, serving as a connector and collaborator through the city's disparate music scenes from Afro-Cuban, avant classical, funk, rock, reggae, and pop music. In the past few years, the group has collaborated with artists including Jovanotti, Mark Ronson, My Morning Jacket, The Roots, Medeski, Martin and Wood, David Byrne and St. Vincent and recently served as the house band at Carnegie Hall performing the music of Paul Simon. In 2008, Antibalas formed the nucleus for the Broadway musical FELA directed by Bill T. Jones, and members of the Antibalas horns served as the show's musical directors. Antibalas's most recent self-titled album was recorded at the Daptone House of Soul in Bushwick, Brooklyn, and released in late 2012 on the Daptone label.