Rhythm Methods: Phoenix Afrobeat Orchestra

Nearly six decades later, the influence of Kuti can still be heard in the music of a number of different bands, including the Phoenix Afrobeat Orchestra here in Arizona.The term "afrobeat" first came into common usage in the 1960s thanks to Nigerian bandleader Fela Kuti. A huge James Brown fan as well as a renowned human rights activist, Kuti blended West African musical styles such as fuji (Nigeria) and highlife (Ghana) with American funk and jazz in a way that had never been done before.&helli