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"Rhythm is what makes a good Afrobeat record," says Gabriel Roth, Daptone Records co-founder, producer and connoisseur of all things funky. "Not just the rhythm section, but the rhythm of the horns, the rhythm of the vocals, the rhythm of the keyboards, everybody's rhythm. It's not just being about being right or wrong in your rhythm, or being good at it, but it's about feeling something the same way, swinging the same way, anticipating things the same way, and hitting things the same way - everybody hearing music the same way, and being able to turn all those instruments into one voice. "Antibalas is the only band that can do that, right now. That's why they're still at the front of the scene, after all these years." Born in a Brooklyn warehouse in 1997, 12-piece ensemble Antibalas is credited with introducing Afrobeat to a wider global audience, influencing countless musicians and developing a live show that is the stuff of legend. The group has performed everywhere from Central Park to Carnegie Hall to Rikers Island Prison, and that's just in New York. Through their concerts, tours and recordings, Antibalas have helped re-popularize the classic Afrobeat sound, in the process earning the admiration of a wide array of respected musicians.
01. Dirty Money
02. The Ratcatcher
03. Him Belly No Go Sweet
04. Saré Kon Kon
Antibalas