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Concert Pick
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The Eugene Register-Guard , Concert Pick >>
Aphrodesia goes to the source for inspiration for new work
Official Grrrlz Rock! shows tonight at the WOW Hall and Saturday at the Wetlands keep the series rocking along, but traveling band Aphrodesia wants to tap into some of the girl power, too.
The group, led by two female vocalists, hits the WOW Hall on Thursday. The band is promoting the release of its new project, “Lagos by Bus,” scheduled to come out Dec. 4.
Aphrodesia, as its name would suggest, is an Afrobeat band. “Lagos by Bus” draws on Afro-Cuban music, Ghanaian “highlife” and jazz, according to a news release.
The booking person at the WOW Hall had a real no-brainer in scheduling a local opening band for this show: Eugene’s Eleven Eyes. Both groups tap similar sources but produce very different results — sort of like when you give a class of kindergartners the same three colors of paint.
Only these bands are far more skilled and at least as creative as any group of kids.
Aphrodesia traveled by bus with Ghanaian band the African ShowBoyz through parts of West Africa, inspiring the new project. Among other adventures, band members chased down people trying steal their passports as they attempted to cross the Nigerian border.
They ended up trading cassette tapes of their music for the passports, according to a press bio.
Another trip highlight was playing Femi Kuti’s club. The son of the founder of Afrobeat, Fela Kuti, joined the group on stage and helped Aphrodesia win over the crowd, the release says.
--By Serena Markstrom 11/23/07 >> go there
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