the EMEFE spot

EMEFE @ JOE'S PUB THIS THURSDAY!

2011-04-20T08:59:00.000-07:00

RESERVE YOUR TICKET NOW FOR

EMEFE AT JOE'S PUB

APRIL 21ST

DOORS AT 11PM

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=195591910481291

http://www.tinyurl.com/emefejoespub

Columbia's own Jake Snider Band will open with a short set and then EMEFE will rock the house. Tables will be cleared, the lights will be low, and you can expect some exciting collabo's... this will be the party of the century!

Buy your tickets in advance to assure your spot by calling 212.539.8778 or buy visiting http://tinyurl.com/emefejoespub

**TICKETS ARE CHEAPER IF YOU BUY IN ADVANCE!**

See you there!

2 FREE SHOWS!

2011-02-04T12:12:00.000-08:00

EMEFE PLAYS 2 FREE SHOWS IN NYC!

FEBRUARY 3RD - DOWNTOWN @ LOCAL 269 with Bailen Brothers!

FEBRUARY 4TH - UPTOWN @ UNDERGROUND LOUNGE with Jake Snider Band!

Go get some!

AFRO-FUNK THROWDOWN TONIGHT!

2011-01-28T12:12:00.000-08:00

TONIGHT! A simple equation...

EMEFE

+ MOKAAD

+ MEMBERS OF ANTIBALAS/FELA!

+ SULLIVAN HALL

+ 9:30PM DOORS

= AN AMAZING FRIDAY NIGHT

see you there!

EMEFE DANCE PARTY

2010-12-16T13:17:00.000-08:00

This is your last chance to see EMEFE in 2010!

EMEFE WINTER DANCE PARTY !

BOWERY POETRY CLUB

11:30PM

SATURDAY DECEMBER 18TH

with Guarco and DJ Feliz Cumbe!

THIS IS IT!

Lots of great things in store for 2011 but don't let 2010 slip away so fast!

Happy holidays to everyone

Miles of EMEFE

Blog your review of "Music Frees All"!

2010-11-11T16:13:00.000-08:00

Hey guys, so here’s the deal—

In an effort to penetrate the blog-o-sphere, EMEFE wants YOU to write your own review of our new album, “Music Frees All” and then post it on your blog! All you have to do is download the album at www.emefemusic.com (name your price), write a review, and then post it on your blog! Easy as that. Let me know once you’ve posted the review and I’ll share it on my blog as well as on other sites (Facebook,Twitter, Myspace).

Thanks so much for your help!

-Billy

www.emefemusic.com

http://billyaukstik.tumblr.com/post/1547332421/give-emefe-your-own-personal-album-review

NEW CD - MUSIC FREES ALL !

2010-09-19T10:38:00.000-07:00

OUR NEW CD
MUSIC FREES ALL
IS NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE!

Check out http://www.emefemusic.com and download it for "Name-Your-Price!"
It is mixed by the amazing Scott Harding and we are really really psyched about it.
Enjoy!

AFRO FUNK THROWDOWN - SEPTEMBER 17 2010

2010-08-22T19:29:00.000-07:00

EVERYBODY: we are not on a boat anymo'. This show is now at SULLIVAN HALL and it is now a THROWDOWN! Cops busted the Rocks Off cruises for underage drinking... so we will instead be underage drinking in an 18+ venue on the same night!

CEG Presents: End of the Summer Afro-Funk Throwdown hosted by EMEFE with Mokaad and Underground System Afrobeat and special surprise guests!!!

An amazing evening of funk, afrobeat, soul, and dancing...!
Doors are at 9:30pm and the party will go all night long.

EMEFE WILL ALSO BE RELEASING ITS FULL-LENGTH CD DEBUT, "MUSIC FREES ALL"!
***********************************************************
There will be some really special guests playing with us, and an all out jam at the end of the night, so let's make it happen.
**********************************************************

http://www.emefemusic.com/
http://www.myspace.com/mokaad
http://www.myspace.com/undergroundsystemafrobeat

THIS JUST IN! EMEFE HEADLINES ROCKS OFF CRUISE! OUR BIGGEST SHOW!

2010-08-05T10:01:00.000-07:00

SEPTEMBER 17, 2010 !

EMEFE at MERCURY LOUNGE

2010-07-24T23:01:00.000-07:00

TONIGHT,
SUNDAY JULY 25,
MERCURY LOUNGE,
LOWER EAST SIDE NYC,
7 O'CLOCK PM,
OPENING FOR NYLE AND GATO LOCO,
A GOOD TIME WILL BE HAD BY ALL.

CHECK THE EVENT ON THE FACE OF BOOK!
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=134556626571746

m

antibalas tonight!

2010-07-22T11:57:00.000-07:00

check out antibalas tonight at river to river festival, castle clinton in battery park! free show. emefe creator Miles Arntzen will be on drumkit!

http://www.rivertorivernyc.com/events/eventDetail.php?eventID=3423

"The Night (Live)"

2010-07-03T21:28:00.000-07:00

Check out our FREE DOWNLOAD of "The Night" from our recent set at Bowery Poetry Club. Dance the night away... on your own stereo. Features solos by James Delano, Jas Walton, and Jason Prover. Gotta love it. Also, see the video that goes along with it, below.

<a href="http://emefe.bandcamp.com/album/the-night-live">The Night (Live) by EMEFE</a>

TONIGHT AT BOWERY POETRY CLUB

2010-07-02T13:48:00.000-07:00

EMEFans!
we're playing tonight at bowery poetry club at 9:30 , and after us is funk band Mokaad. it will be an amazing night, pocket galore.

here's a link to the Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=127486180610097&ref=ts

hope to see you there!
news soon about our upcoming full length release, Music Frees All.

m

"MUSIC FREES ALL"!!!!!!

2010-05-30T20:36:00.000-07:00

long time no talk. we are listening and listening more to our mixes of our upcoming first release, "Music Frees All", which will have all (yes ALL) of the EMEFE originals you know and love:
Jump and stomp, free your self, the night, oh thats what it is, 221 groove, war and consequence, sumo, and sneaky.
featuring the crew you know and love: miles arntzen, jas walton, deen anbar, davy levitan, nick kokkinis, billy aukstik, kris nolte, james delano, christian anderson, and javier ramos.
we hope you'll stay tuned and keep up with us in the time leading up to the RELEASE DATE!!!!
-mfa

Headlining TUTUMA

2010-04-15T19:48:00.000-07:00

SHOW! SHOW! SHOW!
WE ARE PLAYING TWO SETS (8 AND 10:30)
AT TUTUMA SOCIAL CLUB
THIS FRIDAY NIGHT APRIL 16TH
NO COVER OR MINIMUM

featuring tunes like Jump and Stomp, Oh That's What It Is, Sneaky, new tunes like 221 Groove, The Night, and The Animal Shuffle, and also Fela and Antibalas tunes.

it's gonna be good nuff said
m

Darling Nikki

2010-04-13T08:36:00.000-07:00

This is the song that set off the whole Tipper Gore Parental Advisory sticker controversy. Here's a link to an NPR article on the matter: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4279560

Anyway, here it is: Darling Nikki by Prince, off Purple Rain. It is too sexy for young audiences, and too ridiculous for mature audiences. But to those somewhere in the middle, it is genius.

And here is Foo Fighters completely kickass studio version of the same tune. They do it justice, man. Dave Grohl's shrill scream fits right in.

Check it out. What is the difference between the two? Prince's version is sneaky, unsettling, eccentric, sexual... no wonder Tipper Gore had a problem with it. Foo Fighters' version, though, almost masks the weirdass lyrics. I actually heard the Foo's version first before hearing the original, and it took me a few listens to realize what Grohl was singing about... and it ain't pretty. But the Foo Fighters give Prince's tune a new dimension, a very intense dimension. Whether or not you like it is a personal choice. But I am down for both.
Not a chance EMEFE is covering this anytime soon... but 'thank you for a funkay time.'
m

FELA - Teacher

2010-03-12T23:56:00.000-08:00

Here's a vid to check out. It's a great insight into fela's bandleading style and his onstage persona.

-mfa

GIG TONIGHT, THURSDAY MARCH 11th, @ CAMEO in BK!

2010-03-10T22:32:00.001-08:00

!!! Come one come all !!!

It is sure to be a blast tonight at 93 N. 6th St. Between Berry & Wythe, (Near the Bedford ave (L) station, one stop into Brooklyn), where we will be tootin' our horns and bangin' our drums at 9PM sharp. This lovely event will only cost you 5 dollars, and there are also two excellent bands playing after us.
Additionally, there will be

SUPER SECRET SPECIAL GUESTS!

We hope to see you all there!

a great article on Antibalas bass player

2010-03-09T08:13:00.000-08:00

the bass in afrobeat is an art in itself. restraint is key, as pointed out by Antibalas' bassist Nick Movshon in bass player magazine. click on the image to check out the article.

-mfa

TONIGHT AT TUTUMA

2010-03-01T08:13:00.000-08:00

Tonight we are rockin out at tutuma social club at 9pm. we are trying to win the second and final round of their Rising Stars series! so come out and support, gonna be fun.

Remain in Light

2010-02-08T13:40:00.000-08:00

When the Talking Heads released their fourth studio album in 1980, Remain in Light, many fans were puzzled by the new influences to their sound. Critics did not know how to categorize this rise in rhythmic patterns, and an increase in subtle straight-ahead guitar riffs, with punchier vocals. As the album settled in, critics stated that the Talking Heads had begun to play "world music". This nebulous title that has been thrown around for decades, "world music," is both nondescript and inaccurate. Tower Records (RIP) once had an entire section of their store devoted to this "genre". However, in retrospect, much of what was originally deemed "world music" is being appropriately re-categorized and appreciated. An incredibly large portion of the music previously labeled as "world," is in fact Afrobeat - a wonderful mix of African highlife, jazz, funk, and spanish influences. When critics incorrectly labeled Remain in Light as a "world music" album, they were in fact unknowingly noticing that Brian Eno, the Producer of the album, had gifted Fela Kuti's 1973 album Afrodisiac to David Byrne, the Talking heads' frontman, during the recording of the album. This Afrobeat record quickly became the main source of inspiration for Remain in Light, deeply affecting Byrne's songwriting.

Here is a great track off of Remain in Light, called "Born Under Punches". It's amazing to see so many Afrobeat elements shine through, and mix with the Talking Heads' unmistakably 80's sound.

Here is a video of them playing it live during the year of its release

Fela Kuti has long been an inspiration to wildly popular and talented members of the music industry, and although these influences have never been fully recognized or appreciated, it's better late than never.

-NK

GREAT SHOW LAST NIGHT!

2010-02-07T10:53:00.000-08:00

a heartfelt THANK YOU to ALLL the people who came out to sullivan hall last night, man it was a blast for us to see everybody have so much fun. our music is about being in the moment, forgetting the nonsense of everyday life, and freeing yourself to dance to our grooves. we are doing this for you!

and, a warning: we will be returning to Tutuma Social Club on March 1st... stay tuned for more information.

here are some helpful links:
EMEFE myspace: myspace.com/emefemusic
EMEFE bandcamp (where you can download our music): emefe.bandcamp.com

thank you again! keep up the support.
miles, billy, jas, james, doug, javier, nick, jj, deen, davy, and christian

EMEFE LIVE THIS SATURDAY!!

2010-02-01T22:18:00.000-08:00

we're playing this saturday february 6th at greenwich village's great spot SULLIVAN HALL.
doors at 8:30pm!
we'll be playing our danciest grooves for you, including fela kuti and antibalas tunes.
plus it's bob marley's birthday so come celebrate! there are reggae/soul bands before and after us.
come party on this wonderful saturday night boys and girls!

Last night's show: Chico Mann at Joe's Pub

2010-01-30T11:49:00.000-08:00

Last night Mr. Aukstik and I went out to Joe's Pub to see Chico Mann - the electro-funky brainchild of Marcos Garcia, guitarist of Antibalas. I have always been a fan of Marcos because of his crisp guitar work and his distinct voice on recent Antibalas tunes "War Hero" and "Hilo". We walked into the cool dark acoustically-awesome room of Joe's Pub and our feet started moving right away. Marcos Garcia was behind what looked like an old school keyboard/synth and a few effects pedals lined up, with a microphone there too, of course. He was joined by two other musicians, one behind a computer/mixing board/synth (I think...), supplying the bed effects and parts with uncontrollable style and passion, the other playing bongoes, a cymbal, and a drum pad so deep in the pocket that it was hard to believe he was playing live. They were blasting through infectious grooves that were crafted for the dance floor, for venues like this. The flow was so good - and when Marcos would come out to sing, the music would elevate. The vocal parts and lines were so on point for the music they were making. When the set ended, we wanted more Chico Mann, to say the least. We had just gotten started. I could have listened to those grooves - the high keys lines played by Marcos layered on the Fela Kuti-esque guitar parts layered on the synth melodic bed layered on the crisp bongos layered on the simple drum machine pattern - for hours longer. Long story short, and I think I can speak for Billy when I say this: SEE/LISTEN TO CHICO MANN!!

-miles

ps. go to ChicoMann.com for more.

FELA! The Musical

2010-01-25T18:16:00.000-08:00

This is an order from Miles to see FELA! THE MUSICAL, now on Broadway.
Put simply, the show is so uplifting. The music is great, supplied from members of Antibalas, lead by Aaron Johnson. From the moment you walk in to the theater, the band is already going with infectious afrobeat Fela and Antibalas grooves. I couldn't help stomp my feet on my way to my seats. I was having a good time before the show even started!

And the show itself was great. Very entertaining, funny and theatrical but not over-done. If you don't know who Fela Kuti was (and you are wondering why all these people are talking about him), this is a great way to learn the basics about his life. He was an amazingly influential character, and though his name has seriously come into the media, more people need to know about him: his life, his music, his legacy. Anybody in any line of work can learn from him.

To learn more, go to www.felaonbroadway.com. Take one night out of your busy lives to free your mind and experience the spirit of Fela!

m

Check out afro-funky show thursday night (1/21)

2010-01-20T14:41:00.000-08:00

There's a party goin on thursday night at Cameo in Brooklyn courtesy of Zongo Junction, an ill young afrobeat band with friends from NYU and New School. Also playing is the constantly fresh Ikebe Shakedown... so check it out, there will definitely be members of EMEFE there!

It is important to support afrobeat in any way possible - it is the most uplifting music out there today and any effort to keep it up should be supported and recognized... and danced to!!

EMEFE's thoughts on JUSTICE

2010-01-14T00:00:00.000-08:00

Justice.....not too much can be said to categorize this duo of musical geniuses. Not only have they single-handedly been able to reinvent electro/dance music in less than 6 years, but also have managed to tour the globe and pick up 4 GRAMMY Nominations, 3 MTV Europe Music Awards, and 1 MTV Video Music Award along the way. Being an avid listener of Justice, I pride myself in knowing that each remix of theirs not only serves "justice" to the original tune, but absolutely blows the original out of the water, making the final product a hit every time. Being a trumpet player who enjoys jazz, hip hop, and big band swing music, one would not normally think that I would be attracted to a group like Justice, and I could imagine why. But the reason that I love Justice so much is the exact same reason that I enjoy jazz, hip hop, and swing ----- because it GROOVES! Who could not like music that just makes you want to jump out of your seat and move your body! Justice's music is legendary in that manner--when one puts on a song, say their hit, "DVNO", something is triggered in the mind that causes immediate movement in the lower quarters which slowly but surely creeps into the upper ligaments and creates an all out dancing freak. Having just recently purchased tickets to see Justice LIVE in NYC in February, you can imagine why my body is already feeling the urge to move. I am preparing myself for one of the most epic shows ever, and I will try very hard to remain relatively calm throughout it.

So kids, if you have not heard any of Justice's tracks, go out and educate yourself! Their album "Cross" is on sale everywhere and they are planning to release a brand spankin new CD early this year.

PEACE

-B.A.

ahh, the new year...

2010-01-11T15:37:00.000-08:00

2010 it is, and these two pictures pretty much sum up how (i think) this year will go.

first we have: DESSERT.
taken at the Ritz Carlton hotel in florida, man what a spread... and this is only one half of the table! the chocolate at this place, unbelievable. really chocolatey. anyway, this year will definitely bring some treats like those pictured here. yeah, Tiger Woods is supposedly a dirty dirty boy, and yeah NBC is about to put Jay Leno back to Conan's spot, but there are rosy happy times ahead, i assure you. great music is brewing, life goes on - let's just smile and eat our dessert.

then we have: URINAL.
taken on the corner of bleecker and carmine, this speaks for itself pretty much. 2010 - THE FUTURE! You have some nudey mags and tabloids in the window, toilet's there if you need it. it's the new thing! THE FUTURE! anything can happen on the street... it's a free country, ain't it?

well, it will be an exciting year. EMEFE will truly make its presence felt. we hope you will be there with us.

-m

Bernard "Pretty" Purdie

2010-01-01T13:11:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!!

Nothing like the purdie shuffle,
a true legend, and a happiness-spreading man

What a beat

And again, killing it with the King

Have a happiness filled 2010!

Writeup on DJ FreshDirect's blog

2009-12-30T20:13:00.000-08:00

Yo.

Check out "Emefe - Afrobeat Funk On That Next Tip" on our good friend Fresh Direct's blog:

http://djfreshdirect.blogspot.com/2009/12/emefe-afrobeat-funk-on-that-next-tip.html

And for other Fresh Directness go to http://djfreshdirect.blogspot.com.

WORD!

The Kutis

2009-12-28T20:30:00.001-08:00

Mr. Kuti's got wisdom

Young Kuti knows whats up too

He's got some damn big shoes to fill (ayo!!)

-NK

Check us out on YouTube!

2009-12-25T18:43:00.000-08:00

Here's EMEFE performing the Fela Kuti tune, "I No Get Eye For Back" at Tutuma Social Club on December 21st, 2009. Peep the other videos from that night posted by "thenewyorkjazz" too!

We won!

2009-12-24T11:48:00.000-08:00

We won the Tutuma Rising Stars event last Monday, 12/21! what does this mean? It means we are back at the final Battle of the Bands on March 1st, 2010. Thank you to everybody who came out to see us! looking forward to an even better show in a few months, and hopefully a couple in between...

-EMEFE

Mr. Kirk

2009-12-22T23:40:00.000-08:00

My main man Roland can play three horns with no eyes, when most can't play one horn with two.
Who doesn't like to squeal and shout?

5:34 is when he really gets cookin

-NK

Rolling Stone's Top Songs of Decade

2009-12-22T06:33:00.000-08:00

In Rolling Stone's top songs of the DECADE (typical Rolling Stone article...), the top 5, or at least the first 5 listed are:

1 | Gnarls Barkley — "Crazy"

2 | Jay-Z — "99 Problems"

3 | Beyoncé — "Crazy in Love"

4 | Outkast — "Hey Ya!"

5 | M.I.A. — "Paper Planes"

the article: http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/31248926/100_best_songs_of_the_decade/27

While these are all good songs, i dunno....... they are all also kind of annoying commercial pop songs.
"Crazy" is a great song. Gnarls Barkley is a great duo, i just wish they put out more music.
"99 Problems" is preeetty good, but Jay-z definitely has more better songs. This is a good rock/rap mashup type song, which i guess speaks to a wide audience.
"Crazy in Love" is an amazing club song that still has integrity outside of a sweaty dance floor. Beyonce in general is super talented, i'm really happy she's around (as kind of an R&B diva) in this day and age.
"Hey Ya" - yeah, everybody was obsessed with this for a few months straight - which is why its on this list - but its really not that good of a song. i dunno. maybe there's something i'm missing, but the fact is, it is just really entertaining and fun.
"Paper Planes", also, is entertaining and really good for in the club, but i've had the urge the listen to this tune on my ipod maybe twice.

it's about what gets the crowd moving. the fact is: one thing that is same across the board is they all have great beats, infectious grooves. i'm a firm believer in rhythm as king, and this list solidifies that in my mind. it is all about the groove.

damn straight!
-m

TUTUMA!

2009-12-20T18:20:00.001-08:00

We're playing at Tutuma Social Club tomorrow, Monday December 21st.

Check out Tutuma's website - they're a great new Peruvian venue with no cover and great food.

CLICK HERE TO GO THERE

Buddy Rich...check this out...

2009-12-20T18:14:00.000-08:00

welcome, _____!

2009-12-20T15:50:00.000-08:00

welcome to the EMEFE spot.

follow us!
leave a comment!
enjoy!

here's some links to start you off:
WE'RE PLAYING AT TUTUMA SOCIAL CLUB ON 12/21/09!
check out this superyoung asian kid playing OB-LA-DI-OB-LA-DA on youtube! tee hee!
have you heard of last.fm?

enjoy the holidaze