Alma Afrobeat Ensemble

Alma Afrobeat Ensemble is an internationally touring collective based in Barcelona that plays their own brand of unique, creative, dance-inducing, modern Afrobeat. AAbE is one of the leaders of the Afrobeat renaissance worldwide, having been doing this for longer than any other band besides Antibalas and the Kuti family. They have released 4 full-length albums, an EP of remixes, and they have a live album in the works. The band’s most recent album, “Monkey See, Monkey Do” has received rave reviews, being called one of the year’s best world music albums, and has placed the band “at the worldwide top of Afrobeat”, as well as spending various months on the European World Music Chart. Alma Afrobeat Ensemble has always made a conscious decision to avoid being just another Afro-funk band masquerading under the banner of Afrobeat. Their sound has been constantly and consciously evolving, starting with Latin influences of cumbia (on the album Toubab Soul ), moving on to a hip-hop and m’balax influence (on Life No Get Dublicate), a more soul influence (It’s Time), then a slightly more Americana roots influence mixed with electronic touches (Monkey See, Monkey Do). Maximum Ink Magazine described the band’s current sound as “a mixture of classic Afrobeat, trance, and funk that transcends the gap between conscious thought and physically driven conviction”, and Tropicalidad says that AAbE is “not afraid to experiment but at the same time always shows the necessary respect for the foundations of the genre!” In addition to four US tours and constant touring of Spain and Europe, AAbE has done the soundtrack for both TV and movies (“Museo Coconut” and “Super Zebraman”), been featured on WNPR in the USA (live in studio for Radio M), and done multiple live in studio concerts in Spain (“Conciertos de Radio 3”).