Lion Awakes

For 23 years, Nigerian singer Amayo was the frontman for the acclaimed Afrobeat collective Antibalas. Having left the band in 2021, Lion Awakes is Amayo’s confident solo debut. From the opener ‘Black Magic Sister’ to the final ‘Ascended Lion’, Lion Awakes is a masterclass in the vibrant sounds and energetic rhythms of classic Afrobeat. The horn lines are punchy, the guitar riffs are syncopated and the basslines are powerful. But it is Amayo’s powerful shamanistic vocals that cut through the percussive mix most clearly. His impassioned, evocative lyrics guide the listener through a tale which centres on a mythical lion in the ancient land of Alkebu-Lan. Amayo is trained in the martial arts of Kung Fu, enabling him to bring a distinctively Chinese musical twist to the characteristically Nigerian genre. Occasional moments of Cantonese can even be heard among the predominantly Yoruba and Pidgin English. An ingenious combination.