Mustafa Akbar channels Teddy Pendergrass and James Ingram over modern dance and progressive soul tracks. He's been making a name for himself by lending his rolling baritone to dance releases by Thunderball and The Fort Knox Five, but he's also one of the few acts that can bridge the gap between DJ-centric club heads and live music aficionados. His band Chosen helps him ride the line between the dynamicism of live musicians and the connected musical narratives created by DJs. Catch this hometown gem for one of his all-too-infrequent live sets.Fritz Hahn (Washington Post).There are many favorable comparisons to George Clinton, Marvin Gaye and Curtis Mayfield, which he proclaims to be extremely proud of, Mustafa maintains, "I'm just doing my thing."Performing live with his solo project "Chosen" combining dance music, soulful ballads,
afrobeat,hip hop and even a hint of reggae, and socca, Mustafa's style can be described as "eclectic soul"!He has been touring in the U.S. and internationally as the lead vocalist for Drum &
Bass superstars, Thunderball (ESL Music), promoting their critically acclaimed release, Scorpio Rising. This CD features the standout track Heart of the Hustler, which displays Mustafas singing and song-writing skills. You can also hear him on the dancehall smash, Zouk, from the T. Kolai album, Teak All Eye (Chillifunk Records, London England), and on the hit tracks, "Touching You," by Talk (Perfect Toy Records, Germany), Higher Love, with Antonio Ocasio (Tribal Winds, NY), and Wonderful Life by A.S.E. (Odara Productions, WDC). Most recently Mustafa was tapped by the Godfather of Hip Hop himself, Afrikaa Bambaataa, to add vocals to his latest album, Dark Matter: Moving at the Speed of Light, on Tommy Boy Records. Add to that his recent vocal contributions with the Fort Knox Five for their upcoming releases, Reminted and The New Gold Standard, and you can see that Mustafas a vocalist on the move.
As a singer, songwriter and producer, Mustafa consistently delivers magic. His ability to move the crowd is unmistakable, having shared the stage with artists from Thievery Corporation,Femi Kuti, De La Soul, Bebel Gilberto, to Ursula 1000, and Los Amigos Invisibles. Currently recording the sophmore disc, the solo debut cd Natural High, is definitely a must have for any music connoisseur as Mustafa blesses the microphone, reminding us: "You don't need a prophylactic Stick the music in your ear!"
