Duke Amayo
{{Short description|Afrobeat Musician, Former lead singer of Antibalas}}
(Abraham) "Duke" Amayo is a Nigerian musician, composer, singer, and former frontman of the Afrobeat band Antibalas for 23 years.{{Cite news |last=Simon |first=Scott |date=February 8, 2020 |title=Antibalas' 'Fu Chronicles' Is A Martial Arts-Inspired Testament To Afrobeat |pages=1 |work=NPR |url=https://www.npr.org/2020/02/08/803946150/antibalas-fu-chronicles-is-a-martial-arts-inspired-testament-to-afrobeat |access-date=May 18, 2023}}
Biography
In 1995, he moved to New York City, US where he designed clothes and taught Kung Fu in his storefront, the Afrospot Temple,{{Cite web |date=2020-06-01 |title=Dojo Risin': Amayo, Antibalas, Music and the Martial Arts |url=https://relix.com/articles/detail/dojo-risin-amayo-antibalas-music-and-the-martial-arts/ |access-date=2023-05-19 |website=Relix Media |language=en-US}} a dojo and venue in pre-gentrified Williamsburg, Brooklyn. He put on fashion shows with models from the Fashion Cafe walking to live Nigerian percussionists. He had his own clothing line, AMAYO.{{Cite web |date=2022-10-15 |title=Duke Amayo… Afrobeat Lion Roars In Lagos |url=https://guardian.ng/life/duke-amayo-afrobeat-lion-roars-in-lagos/ |access-date=2023-05-19 |website=The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News |language=en-US}}
In 1998, two guys came into his Afrospot and asked him to be part of a new band, Antibalas.{{Cite news |last=Rohter |first=Larry |date=2012-08-06 |title=Waiting in Brooklyn for the World to Catch Up |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/07/arts/music/antibalas-afrobeat-band-hopes-for-post-fela-audience.html |access-date=2023-05-21 |issn=0362-4331}} His Afrospot became their rehearsal space and where Daptone Records was founded. They put on many parties and events there.
After joining Antibalas, Amayo spent a year teaching himself to play the piano and wrote his first tune, “M.T.T.T. (Mother Talker, Tick Tock)” in 2000, (nominated for a GRAMMY{{Cite web |title=Meet The First-Time GRAMMY Nominee: Antibalas Talk 'Fu Chronicles,' Kung Fu And Their Mission To Spread Afrobeat |url=https://www.grammy.com/news/antibalas-fu-chronicles-interview-meet-first-time-grammy-nominee |access-date=2023-05-19 |website=www.grammy.com}} in 2020).
Songs on the Fu Chronicles album all written by Amayo include, "Fist of Flowers{{Cite web |last=Gutterman |first=Scott |date=2019-12-11 |title=Amayo: Fist of Flowers |url=https://brooklynrail.org/2019/12/music/Amayo-Fist-of-Flowers |access-date=2023-05-19 |website=The Brooklyn Rail |language=en-US}}" based on the Kung Fu movement, "Flower Fist." Other songs he wrote like, "Gold Rush" and "Tombstown" were about the ancestors.{{Cite web |last=Renoncourt |first=Francois |date=2019-05-24 |title=Antibalas, 20 years of afrobeat and kung-fu spirit (2/2) |url=https://pan-african-music.com/en/antibalas-20-years-of-afrobeat-and-kung-fu-spirit-2-2/ |access-date=2023-05-19 |website=PAM - Pan African Music |language=en-US}}
Amayo performed at the Apollo with Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings and Charles Bradley as part of the Daptone Soul Revue, which was also made into a documentary.{{Cite magazine |last=Hughes |first=Hilary |date=2021-09-27 |title=Revisiting Daptone Records' Halcyon Moment at the Apollo |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/daptone-records-live-apollo-1231454/ |access-date=2023-05-21 |magazine=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}} He was the face and lead singer for the band for 23 years, who many affectionately called the spirit of Antibalas, as the only authentic Nigerian in the band.{{cite web |title=Antibalas Announces Vocalist Duke Amayo's Departure |url=https://www.jambase.com/article/antibalas-amayo-departure |website=JamBase}}
Songs in the repertory include ‘Amenawon’,{{Cite journal |last=Blumenfeld |first=Larry |date=May 1, 2020 |title=Album Review: 'Fu Chronicles' Antibalas written by Duke Amayo |url=https://assets.jazziz.com/uploads/2020/06/spring-2020-PDF.pdf |journal=Jazziz |issue=51 |pages=1}} "Lion Awakes", "Happy Lion", "Fist of Flowers' and "MTTT" first put out in his "Kung Fu Lessons of Life" album in 2002.{{Cite web |last=Downes |first=Michael |date=2009-07-22 |title=Introducing Antibalas Offspring Fu-Arkist-Ra |url=https://www.villagevoice.com/2009/07/22/introducing-antibalas-offspring-fu-arkist-ra/ |access-date=2023-05-19 |website=The Village Voice}}
‘Fu Chronicles’ sets the tone for the type of music he's been performing on tour. He has a new album under his own name, AMAYO, being recorded at Diamond West studios in Los Angeles.{{Cite web |date=2023-03-31 |title=Amayo Announces Spring Tour, City Winery and Colony Woodstock Shows |url=https://nysmusic.com/2023/03/31/amayo-announces-spring-tour-city-winery-and-colony-woodstock-shows/ |access-date=2023-05-19 |website=NYS Music |language=en-us}}{{Cite web |last=Johnson |first=Reed |date=2012-08-15 |title=Review: A superb turn by Antibalas at the Echoplex |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/la-xpm-2012-aug-15-la-et-ms-antibalas-echoplex-20120816-story.html |access-date=2023-05-19 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}
Amayo left Antibalas to launch his solo career as AMAYO.{{Cite web |date=2021-11-06 |title=Amayo Leaving Antibalas |url=https://nysmusic.com/2021/11/06/amayo-leaving-antibalas/ |access-date=2023-05-19 |website=NYS Music |language=en-us}} Since then he brought his new band to Nigeria to perform for the first time at Felabration, 2022.{{Cite web |last=Esomnofu |first=Emmanuel |date=2022-11-08 |title=NATIVE Exclusive: Duke Amayo Is Coming Home |url=https://thenativemag.com/native-exclusive-duke-amayo/ |access-date=2023-05-19 |website=The Native |language=en-US}} He debuted his new band{{Cite web |date=2022-11-22 |title=In Focus: Amayo Debuts New Band at BAMcafé in Brooklyn |url=https://nysmusic.com/2022/11/22/in-focus-amayo-debuts-new-band-at-bamcafe-in-brooklyn/|access-date=2023-05-21 |website=NYS Music |language=en-us}} at BAM, Brooklyn,{{Cite web |last=Sissler |first=James |date=2022-11-21 |title=PHOTOS: Former Antibalas Singer Duke Amayo Brings New Solo Project To Brooklyn |url=https://liveforlivemusic.com/news/duke-amayo-bam-cafe-11-19-22/ |access-date=2023-05-21 |website=L4LM |language=en-US}} along with a run of shows on the American East and West Coast in 2023.
Partial discography
- Antibalas, “Fu Chronicles”, 7 February 2020
- Henry Cole & Villa Locura, “Buscando La Vida”, 19 November 2021
- Amayo, “Osun Osogbo”, 16 August 2021
- Armo, “Armo”, 13 February 2019
- Antibalas, “Where the Gods Are in Peace”, 15 September 2017
- Antibalas, “AWOL 45”, 18 October 2012
- Antibalas, “Antibalas (Self-Titled), 7 August 2012
- Professor Wouassa, “Dangerous Koko!”, 4 February 2011
- Melvin Gibbs, “Ancients Speak”, 17 March 2009
- Antibalas, “Security”, 7 March 2006
- Antibalas, “K-Leg and R.O.C.”, 1 January 2006
- Antibalas, “Government Magic”, 1 January 2005
- Antibalas, “Who is this America”, 19 October 2004
- Red Hot +Riot, “Red Hot + Riot”, 15 October 2002
- Antibalas, “Talkatif”, 1 March 2002
- Amayo's Fu-Arkist-Ra “Afrobeat Disciples (Reissue)”, 2002
- Amayo's Fu-Arkist-Ra, “Afrobeat Disciples”, January, 2002
- Antibalas, “Liberation Afrobeats”, April 9, 2001
- Antibalas, “Liberation Afrobeat Volume 1”, 2001
- Antibalas Tour EP, 2001
- Antibalas, “Uprising” 9 April 2000
= Television appearances =
- Late Night with Jimmy Fallon NBC Television. 24 August 2012.
= Music videos =
- Antibalas - "Fight Am Finish" (Official Music Video)]
- "Gold Rush" (Official Music Video)]
- Antibalas "Dirty Money" (Official Music Video)
References
{{reflist}}
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Category:Afrobeat musical groups
Category:Daptone Records artists
Category:Howard University alumni