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Fri July 18, 2014

Zongo Junction ("No Discount" Album Release Show)

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Zongo Junction ("No Discount" Album Release Show)

Exploding from the center of Brooklyn's vibrant afrobeat scene, Zongo Junction electrifies dance floors wherever they perform. Packed with four horns, and a five-piece rhythm section, audiences can’t help but move no matter where the band is playing. If the Talking Heads produced a Fela Kuti record of Sun Ra’s music, the product would probably sound something like this psychedelic afrobeat outfit.

In an industry where it has become commonplace to watch bands perform with laptops & backing tracks instead of live musicians, Zongo Junction takes the stage 9 strong. The Village Voice describes their live show as “Sheer energy with the force of a tractor-trailer that roars with power and noise” while the SF Chronicle says that "Zongo Junction plays its own fractured version of Afro-beat and generates an unstoppable groove when it takes the stage."

The band formed in 2009, when drummer and California native, Charles Ferguson, returned from a six-month stay in Ghana, West Africa. “Growing up in the Bay Area, I was exposed to a lot of amazing music from many different cultures, a lot of which had roots in West Africa. My love of African music brought me to Ghana in 2008 and when I returned home, I knew I wanted to start this band.” Soon after Charles' return, Zongo Junction started rehearsing and developing a following in Brooklyn. The group has proven to be a favorite booking at venues like Brooklyn Bowl, The Great American Music Hall, and colleges, festivals and performing arts centers around the country.

Zongo Junction recorded their first album, Thieves! in 2010, which included a collaboration with longtime Fela Kuti band member, Leon Kaleta Ligan-Majek. More recently the band has collaborated with FELA! cast member Abena Koomson. Members of the band have toured and recorded with TV On The Radio, Man Man, Antibalas, Vampire Weekend, Easy Star All-Stars, Tune-Yards, The Walkmen, and many more.

On July 8, 2014, the band will release their sophomore album, No Discount, on Electric Cowbell Records (Debo Band, Slavic Soul Party, Superhuman Happiness). The music on the No Discount, which was produced by Mikey Freedom Hart (Albert Hammond Jr, Bleachers), embraces the individual members' interests, from Dirty Projectors to Albert Ayler, Wu Tang to Meshugguh. At its core, you will find the addictive West African grooves that are the foundation of Zongo Junction's music.

No Discount was recorded to 24 track two inch tape at the bunker studio in Brooklyn NY, then disassembled and polished, piece by piece, by producer Mikey Hart, over a year-long mixing process. It was mastered by all-star engineer Brian Lucey (The Black Keys, Dr. Dog). Featuring swaths of analog electronics, hairpin rhythmic turns, and elaborate statements from a powerhouse 4-piece horn section, the band has become impressively adept at nestling entire sound worlds on top of authentic afrobeat grooves. The result is one of the most sonically intricate, and infectiously danceable recordings imaginable.

Zongo Junction is:

David Lizmi – Bass
Charles Ferguson – Drums
Morgan Greenstreet – Percussion
Jordan Hyde – Guitar
Ross Edwards – Keys
Matt Nelson – Tenor Saxophone
Jonah Parzen-Johnson – Baritone Saxophone
Aaron Rockers – Trumpet
Kevin Moehringer – Trombone

Afrolicious

Afrolicious‘s sound combines soulful lyrics, funky bass lines, a sprinkle of jazz horns, while retaining the soul and feel of classic funk, disco, Latin, and Afrobeat melodies. These are the type of songs you can blast in your car for some feel-good crusin’ or dance to at the club. The name “Afrolicious” was even inspired by a 2006 weekly dance party at Elbo Room San Francisco; brothers Joe and Oz McGuire—also known as DJs Pleasuremaker and Señor Oz—first collaborated with producers, DJ’s and musicians to craft their group’s sound.

The musicians that make up Afrolicious also come from as diverse a background as the band’s music. Freshislife, the lead singer on several tracks of California Dreaming, was originally a star Calypso dancer in Trinidad and Tobago before relocating to San Francisco. Vocalist and percussionist Baba Duru was in the original Headhunters and was featured on the classic B-Boy anthem “God Made Me Funky”.

This collective released their new album California Dreaming this past March, after releasing two previous EPs with Thievery Corporation’s label ESL Music. The weekly Afrolicious parties are still thriving in SF to date. This last year has seen the Afrolicious live band play at such legendary venues as Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado and upcoming gigs include the Greek Theater in Berkeley.

Brass Magic

This eight-piece ensemble features a robust horn section that hugs the listener and drums that drive like a Harley Davidson. Founded by musicians from Berkeley, California, Brass Magic developed and honed their sound in the clubs and parks of New York City. Influenced by the garbage of Manhattan, the F train, and strong beverages, the band focuses on original compositions and synthesizes styles from around the world into a new sound.
Zongo Junction ("No Discount" Album Release Show)

Exploding from the center of Brooklyn's vibrant afrobeat scene, Zongo Junction electrifies dance floors wherever they perform. Packed with four horns, and a five-piece rhythm section, audiences can’t help but move no matter where the band is playing. If the Talking Heads produced a Fela Kuti record of Sun Ra’s music, the product would probably sound something like this psychedelic afrobeat outfit.

In an industry where it has become commonplace to watch bands perform with laptops & backing tracks instead of live musicians, Zongo Junction takes the stage 9 strong. The Village Voice describes their live show as “Sheer energy with the force of a tractor-trailer that roars with power and noise” while the SF Chronicle says that "Zongo Junction plays its own fractured version of Afro-beat and generates an unstoppable groove when it takes the stage."

The band formed in 2009, when drummer and California native, Charles Ferguson, returned from a six-month stay in Ghana, West Africa. “Growing up in the Bay Area, I was exposed to a lot of amazing music from many different cultures, a lot of which had roots in West Africa. My love of African music brought me to Ghana in 2008 and when I returned home, I knew I wanted to start this band.” Soon after Charles' return, Zongo Junction started rehearsing and developing a following in Brooklyn. The group has proven to be a favorite booking at venues like Brooklyn Bowl, The Great American Music Hall, and colleges, festivals and performing arts centers around the country.

Zongo Junction recorded their first album, Thieves! in 2010, which included a collaboration with longtime Fela Kuti band member, Leon Kaleta Ligan-Majek. More recently the band has collaborated with FELA! cast member Abena Koomson. Members of the band have toured and recorded with TV On The Radio, Man Man, Antibalas, Vampire Weekend, Easy Star All-Stars, Tune-Yards, The Walkmen, and many more.

On July 8, 2014, the band will release their sophomore album, No Discount, on Electric Cowbell Records (Debo Band, Slavic Soul Party, Superhuman Happiness). The music on the No Discount, which was produced by Mikey Freedom Hart (Albert Hammond Jr, Bleachers), embraces the individual members' interests, from Dirty Projectors to Albert Ayler, Wu Tang to Meshugguh. At its core, you will find the addictive West African grooves that are the foundation of Zongo Junction's music.

No Discount was recorded to 24 track two inch tape at the bunker studio in Brooklyn NY, then disassembled and polished, piece by piece, by producer Mikey Hart, over a year-long mixing process. It was mastered by all-star engineer Brian Lucey (The Black Keys, Dr. Dog). Featuring swaths of analog electronics, hairpin rhythmic turns, and elaborate statements from a powerhouse 4-piece horn section, the band has become impressively adept at nestling entire sound worlds on top of authentic afrobeat grooves. The result is one of the most sonically intricate, and infectiously danceable recordings imaginable.

Zongo Junction is:

David Lizmi – Bass
Charles Ferguson – Drums
Morgan Greenstreet – Percussion
Jordan Hyde – Guitar
Ross Edwards – Keys
Matt Nelson – Tenor Saxophone
Jonah Parzen-Johnson – Baritone Saxophone
Aaron Rockers – Trumpet
Kevin Moehringer – Trombone

Afrolicious

Afrolicious‘s sound combines soulful lyrics, funky bass lines, a sprinkle of jazz horns, while retaining the soul and feel of classic funk, disco, Latin, and Afrobeat melodies. These are the type of songs you can blast in your car for some feel-good crusin’ or dance to at the club. The name “Afrolicious” was even inspired by a 2006 weekly dance party at Elbo Room San Francisco; brothers Joe and Oz McGuire—also known as DJs Pleasuremaker and Señor Oz—first collaborated with producers, DJ’s and musicians to craft their group’s sound.

The musicians that make up Afrolicious also come from as diverse a background as the band’s music. Freshislife, the lead singer on several tracks of California Dreaming, was originally a star Calypso dancer in Trinidad and Tobago before relocating to San Francisco. Vocalist and percussionist Baba Duru was in the original Headhunters and was featured on the classic B-Boy anthem “God Made Me Funky”.

This collective released their new album California Dreaming this past March, after releasing two previous EPs with Thievery Corporation’s label ESL Music. The weekly Afrolicious parties are still thriving in SF to date. This last year has seen the Afrolicious live band play at such legendary venues as Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado and upcoming gigs include the Greek Theater in Berkeley.

Brass Magic

This eight-piece ensemble features a robust horn section that hugs the listener and drums that drive like a Harley Davidson. Founded by musicians from Berkeley, California, Brass Magic developed and honed their sound in the clubs and parks of New York City. Influenced by the garbage of Manhattan, the F train, and strong beverages, the band focuses on original compositions and synthesizes styles from around the world into a new sound.
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The Chapel 43 Upcoming Events
777 Valencia Street, San Francisco, CA 94110

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