Antibalas
Brooklyn-based Afrobeat collective formed in the late 1990s by a group of musicians devoted to Fela's legacy. Played on the Broadway musical *Fela!*, bringing the music to theater audiences. Nominated for Grammy in 2020 for *Fu Chronicles*, proving the Brooklyn Afrobeat scene had matured into a legitimate heir to Fela's tradition, not just reverent tribute act. Duke Amayo, who grew up in Fela's Lagos neighborhood and served as Antibalas frontman for 23 years, composed and performed on *Fu Chronicles*. Horn section guested on albums by TV on the Radio (*Dear Science*, 2008) and Foals (*Antidotes*, 2008), spreading Afrobeat's influence through indie rock. Part of the late-1990s Brooklyn scene alongside The Daktaris and Kokolo Afrobeat Orchestra that reignited global interest in the genre after Fela's death.
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Discography
Fu Chronicles
Grammy-nominated album from 2020 showed Brooklyn Afrobeat scene had matured into legitimate heir to Fela's legacy, not just reverent tribute act. Duke Amayo, who grew up in Fela's Lagos neighborhood and served as Antibalas frontman for 23 years, composed and performed on the album. The nomination (Best Global Music Album) put Antibalas in conversation with African artists, not just as Western interpreters but as practitioners. Proved that Afrobeat could sustain multiple generations and geographies—Brooklyn bands keeping the tradition alive 23 years after Fela's death, with musicians who'd grown up in Lagos now living in New York and bringing that experience back into the music. The horn arrangements, the extended grooves, the political edge—all present, all updated for 2020.