Eight years have gone by since Akoya Afrobeat released their critically acclaimed sophomore album P.D.P. (President Dey Pass), and in that time the music world has seen a tremendous surge of new Afrobeat-influenced projects. Four years in the making, Akoya's new album Under The Tree aims to ensure that the Afrobeat style and message will remain a strong voice across the globe.
Akoya Afrobeat features a diverse roster of international musicians who also play with a variety of prominent acts (Antibalas, Albert Hammond, Jr., Rubblebucket, Jose James, Hailu Mergia & Low Mentality, The Pimps Of Joytime), Underground System, and the group's frontman is Kaleta, whose experience as a member of Fela Kuti's Egypt 80 band has kept Akoya grounded firmly in the language of Afrobeat. Making full use of Fela's long-form structure, Under The Tree comprises of two compositions featuring some of the heaviest grooves ever committed to record, explored on an orchestral scale.
Released exclusively on vinyl and digital formats, both songs are the result of a 16-piece ensemble playing together live, the old fashioned way, to create an undeniable groove that feels both fresh and classic at the same time. The powerful album cover, painted by original Fela artist Ghariowku Lemi, represents the subject matter of the music perfectly, rising up together in the face of a deeply flawed society.
| A | Jena Tree | 19:35 |
| B | Taking It Back | 13:19 |
