Press Release :
Fusing a mixture of African, Afro-Cuban, Jazz, and Funk music, Akoya Afrobeat is New York's finest example of a musical melting pot. Featuring members from Benin, South Africa, Panama, Japan and the US, this 13-piece ensemble embraces unity and positive vibrations. Armed with original music and an arsenal of songs by Afrobeat founder, Fela Kuti, Akoya consistently brings a new level of dance floor frenzy with every performance. The group features lead vocalist Kaleta, who for 10 years performed and recorded with the immortal Fela Kuti and Egypt 80. He has also toured with Femi Kuti as well as the legendary King Sunny Ade. His vocals, sung in Yoruba, Pidgin English and various Benin dialects, fused with driving horn lines and a precision-tight rhythm section, bring a sound so infectious one can't help but dance.

"P.D.P.", Akoya's second album, is a vast musical landscape of African funk and soul. Each selection represents a slow-cooked cumulus of traditional West-African groove interwoven with the advanced harmonies, technical demands and the pure grit of the New York jazz scene. The album as a whole represents years of composition and meticulous arrangement to stay true to the revolutionary music that dominated both African and American airwaves in the 70's and 80's. Other highlights include original cover art by Fela's illustrious personal artist and designer, Lemi Ghariokwu, and an extended feature by saxophonist Cedric "Im" Brooks, the most prominent living reedman of Jamaica.