The Afromotive

BIO:
"The Afromotive fuse the polyrhythms of Afrobeat with funk and extended improv... If you can stand still listening to their music, check your pulse- you might be dead." Jack Silverman, Nashville Scene
A fan once said, “It’s sounds like James Brown’s band went to Africa.” Bringing funk music back to its African roots is precisely what the Afromotive is doing with their style of afrobeat music.
Based in Asheville, NC, this large ensemble stays true to the elements that started afrobeat music- West African rhythms, song forms, and instrumentation- while bringing the music to the 21st Century through strong song writing, improvisation, and heavy beats.
Thirty-third generation djembe player Adama Dembele from Cote d‘Ivoire, West Africa brings his vast musical knowledge and touring experience to the Afromotive. These traditional West African rhythms combined with a mentality for upbeat funk music is what the Afromotive brings to its audiences. They have created a sound that crosses musical and ethnic boundaries.
On their debut album "Scare Tactics," The Afromotive takes the raw energy of their live performance into the studio. This album is an elaboration on the language of afrobeat music, yielding a truly unique sound that is rooted in tradition.
"SCARE TACTICS" REVIEWS:
"Already with a reputation as a "must-see" live act, they've finally captured that energy and released their debut album... The message is as heavy as the groove..." Ray Anderson, The Celebrity Cafe
"Masterfully recorded and precisely performed...Scare Tactics provides solid grooves and a refreshing departure from the maudlin attempts of most modern acts, and not a single performance falls short of perfect."
Harold Zimm, Southeast Performer Magazine
"As the Afromotive shows, you don't have to go to the northeast or west coast for authentic Afrobeat. The world village has extended to the south as well." Paul Borelli, KOOP Radio, Austin, TX
"An incredibly polished horn-section carries much of the energy and serves as a vehicle for a chorused, collective mood that is at times jubilant, at times bluesy and downright dark." Bold Life Magazine
"Percussionist Justin Hunnicutt and drummer Curtis Wingfield, supplemented by lead singer Kevin Meyame's contributions on djembe, congas, sang bang, and bell, tap instantly into the magic of one or another beat at the top of each track and let the feel flow in a kind of disciplined, complex ecstacy. Even the heavy, almost stumbling four-beat tread on "One Way Go" is impossible to resist.
Verdict: Welcome to Rhythm 101, where the first lesson is to consider the possibilities that lie beyond the backbeat. Hunnicutt and Wingfield treat the beat in the same way that an origami artist approaches a piece of paper, by folding and refolding it into patterns that all can imagine but few can conceive." DRUM! Magazine
PRESS:
"It's all about the beat. Primal, horn-heavy, with a percussive punch that blends old school funk with tribal rhythms, the pulsating rhythms of Afrobeat have crossed cultures and continents to carve out a groove that has touched the backbone of generations of funk lovers... (T)he sounds of West Africa now resonate through the mountains of North Carolina courtesy of Asheville's The Afromotive." Grant Britt, Creative Loafing.
"Danceable music with heavy beats and strong social messages." Jessica Marcy, The Roanoke Times
"...wailing solos, fierce grooves and a funkified dreamscape of sound. All you really need to know is how to move." Alli Marshall, Mountain Xpress.
"Despite LAAFF's all-day excesses, The Afromotive cleared my head with sinister funk...(they) turned a mild-mannered street into a fleshy sea of writhing torsos." Hunter Pope, Mountain Xpress
"The stylings of The Afromotive quintessentially make up exoticism—sounds that encapsulate a far-off land. They play beats of tribal influence and chant so hypnotically, they change any solemn idea one may have had of Africa. They bring a cultural eroticism and sexiness to an area that gets overlooked in such a manner.
"The Afromotive defy every ounce of mainstream music. With a culturally-enriching dose of maniacal musicality, the nine-piece ensemble touts a three-piece horn section, as well as the a wailing organ, guitar and various percussion instruments, including the djembe drum, which keeps the rhythm grounded through every movement and chord change.
"It's earthy hand drums juxtaposed with brassy horns. It's a high-tech riff dropping neat as a pin into a full-on percussive m..l..e with rattles, shakers, woodblock, djembe, and floor tom – and then a seamless transition back into instrumentals." Alli Marshall, Mountain Xpress
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