Elikeh, whose first local gigs were at Takoma’s tiny Mayorga coffeehouse, played an August record-release show for its third album at the 700-capacity Black Cat, its biggest local club date ever. The octet, led by Togolese singer-guitarist Serge “Massama” Dogo, has played every smaller rock club in the city, from the Velvet Lounge to the Rock & Roll Hotel.

At the Cat, Dogo wore an African-style tunic and trousers, and Nigerian-bred guitarist Frank Martins played trebly riffs. But the band was joined onstage by two guests from this side of the world: local rapper Head-Roc and Takoma Park guitarist John Kadlecik, a Jerry Garcia disciple who plays with ex-Dead men Phil Lesh and Bob Weir in Furthur. (The large jam-band fan base overlaps the smaller Afrobeat one.)

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“For us to build our audience, we can’t stick to one continent,” Dogo says.

That’s why Elikeh, which counts five Americans among its eight members, titled its album “Between 2 Worlds.” The title recognizes two developments, says Dogo, who lives in Petworth. “The band is not just Africans but also Western musicians. We decided to go with a sound that would reflect who we are more as a band, instead of just one style.

“The second is really about me. Because of my being an immigrant, I’m stuck between two cultures. Sometimes, I don’t know how to deal with situations. And I noticed that when I went back home, it was different, too. I faced the same situation, but in reverse.”

Dogo’s lyrics continue to comment on African culture but now are more likely to do so in English. “The way I wrote the songs, the verse may be in English, but the chorus will be a chant in Mina, my native language,” he says. “Instead of making the band do a song that reflects just me, we did a song that reflects who we are and where we are. Because we are not in Togo.”