Chicago Afrobeat Project

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Chicago Afrobeat Project (CAbP) is a dynamic musical collective rooted in '70s funk and jazz-infused afrobeat. CAbP mixes traditional afrobeat pioneered by Fela Kuti with other dance-invoking musical motifs such as Chicago house music, West African percussion rhythms and upbeat, jazzy funk. The band's live set consists of originals as well as a few classic and obscure afrobeat covers.

The group began in late 2002 in a third-story loft on Lake Street in downtown Chicago. According to the band's Web site (http://www.chicagoafrobeatproject.com), what began as a simple experiment turned into sifting through unique and colorful musicians literally from around the world. At a series of loft rehearsals in downtown Chicago, like-minded musicians joined the project. Today, the ever-morphing 7- to 14-piece CAbP consists of a full percussion section, a full horn section, keys, guitar, bass and African dancers (at select shows) and is still growing in size.

Chicago Afrobeat Project has opened for Burning Spear, Robert Walters, Steel Pulse and others, and has performed at festivals across the United States including the Chicago World Music Festival in Chicago, IL, Wakarusa Music and Camping Festival near Lawrence, KS, Bele Chere Festival in Asheville, NC, and Riverbend Festival in Chatanooga, TN. . The group became known in Chicago for their late-night 2004-2006 "First Beat" series in Chicago, where they place the first Saturday of every month at a club called in Chicago's Wicker Park neigbhorhood until 5 a.m.