Bone Reader

Washington DC isn't an obvious place to look for Afrobeat. Yet in the land of suits and carpeted corridors, Chopteeth Afrofunk Big Band have nonetheless carved out a name as a big band powerhouse. Influences include Fela Kuti, New Orleans brass and Ivorian pop, with an audible dose of Franco, reggae and Funkadelic. Their previous albums leaned heavily on these forerunners, but Bone Reader sees the band both more comfortable in its own skin and more politically charged.

The album opens with a protest song in French and English, ‘Questions of Our Day’. Voices and brass trade blows over a solid base of guitar, percussion, bass and keys. It's Afrobeat business time, with powerful chants and interacting rhythms. But before we get too settled, ‘Edward Snowden’ arrives: cue the voice of the US intelligence whistle-blower over slow funk that drifts between something akin to a 1970s TV theme-tune and Ghanaian highlife. These two exemplify the breadth of Chopteeth's sound on this record. While not radical, it's a refreshing mix of deep-rooted influences and fresh invention. The political edge is honed further with DC-based rappers Head-Roc and Flex Mathews. There's more than meets the eye in this city.