A number of years have flown by since some friends told me about Nigerian musician Fela Kuti—pioneer of Afrobeat music, human rights activist , and political maverick. Kuti, who died in 1997, was responsible for making music best described as a fusion of jazz, funk and traditional African chant, completed by African rhythms and a pronounced horn section.  I bought some of his albums and nearly wore them out from listening to their hypnotic strains so often. I even got to see Kuti play at the Brixton Academy. I never imagined that, years later, the spirit of Afrobeat would return to me in a Parisian park.  But that it did, in the form of a Brooklyn, New York-based group called Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra.

AAO was founded in 1998 by Martin Perna  and modeled on  Eddie Palmieri's Harlem River Drive Orchestra, as well as on Afrobeat god, Fela Kuti.  Its music isn't one hundred percent pure Afrobeat, though, as it includes elements of jazz, funk and reggae dub.

Of course, AAO's quite the sizable entourage—full horn section (baritone sax, tenor sax, trumpet, trombone); bass; as many as two guitars at a time; drums; two  percussion set-ups,  including congas; and keyboards. At points, everyone mucks in with backing chants or percussion; they've a strong team ethic.

I saw Antibalas twice, on consecutive days, and on the second occasion, it performed on a large bandstand at the Jardin du Luxembourg, vibrant foliage and trees providing a striking backdrop.  The band generated good feelings all 'round; I witnessed  fresh-faced teenagers dancing (some, no doubt, under the influence of sinsemilla) and a woman of about seventy, strutting about—a refreshing sight. A substantial number of people reclined in chairs, as they might have if enjoying a more traditional orchestra/band in the park. All of AAO's components worked well, each member contributed fully. The songs tended to go on quite a while (five minutes or longer), and often there are some long solos—be they from sax, trumpet, or meandering keyboard.

With their high-energy sounds, AAO is no normal outfit. I mused, on the way home, over which modern musical style has been most rife with dynamism, and I concluded that it has to be Afrobeat....followed by Ska music, also known to get people moving.  When Afrobeat's tight horn sections begin riffing, it’s akin to a heavyweight boxer throwing his hardest punch and connecting. There was no lead singer, as such; however, the conga player, donning long dreadlocks, African attire, and  a face covered in white paint markings, seemed to be frequently designated to hold that spot. He was filled with intensity, practically acting out every word he sang.

Fela Kuti’s words were highly politicized, heralding Pan-Africanism and socialism and calling for a united, democratic African republic. He was a major threat to the establishment, many of his songs being direct attacks against dictatorships—most specifically the militaristic governments of Nigeria in the 1970s and '80s. He also attacked upper-class Africans for betraying their roots.  Likewise,  Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra  has a political agenda, much of it targeted at the present Bush administraion. It works surprisingly well—political  commentary atop the group's lengthy, mesmeric grooves, suddenly punctuated by raucous blasts of the horn section, playing hooky repeated phrases. The interesting thing is how successfully Antibalas also incorporates humor and audience participation (via call-and-response moments during certain choruses) while taking on such heady subject matter. Abroad, Americans are often chastised for being insular, for supporting a perceived war-mongering president; but, clearly, this criticism is not representative of all, and music doubtlessly can be a strong medium for expressing viewpoints. Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra is solid proof of both.

If I'd  paid good money to see AAO, I would have been no less delighted. This collective puts so much into their music and its members appear to really enjoy what they do. Their warmth translates clearly. Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra lifted the spirits of its audience, that fateful day in Le Jardin, and I'm sure we all would have been happy to dance even longer into that good night.