Kaleta & Super Yamba Band - Medaho (Ubiquity)

WHAT THE COVER LOOKS LIKE:

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WHAT WE SAY:

In the deluge of pale Afrobeat imitations over the last twenty years, the groups with some of the original players stand tall. Well you can now file Kaleta & Super Yamba Band's outstanding new album for Ubiquity Records alongside your Seun Anikulapo Kuti & Ebo Taylor LPs.

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WHAT YOUR EARS SAY:

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WHAT THE PRESS RELEASE SAYS:

"Mèdaho" is the debut album from Brooklyn based afro-funksters Kaleta & Super Yamba Band. Fronted by Afrobeat and Juju veteran Leon Ligan-Majek a.k.a. Kaleta—a native of Benin Republic—Mèdaho draws on the group’s shared reverence for the raw, psychedelic afro-funk sound that captivated Kaleta as a music loving kid in 1970s Benin. Mèdaho means "big brother," "elder" or "teacher" and is dedicated to Kaleta's late brother Ligan-Ozavino Pascal who introduced him to funk and soul music at a very early age. Kaleta's guitar chops would later earn him decades of recording and international touring with Fela Kuti, King Sunny Ade, and more recently Lauryn Hill. Now based in New York City, Kaleta has taken the reins and become the frontman for Super Yamba Band, a group known for their sweaty Brooklyn dance parties and original Afro-Funk influenced compositions. Mèdaho explores some of the rarest grooves and psychedelic sounds from classic era Benin and Nigeria and brings the highly danceable music back to life!

Credits
Kaleta & Super Yamba Band are:
Eric Burns: Guitar
Vince Chiarito: Bass
Walter Fancourt: Saxophone, Keyboards (4), Percussions
Evan Frierson: Congas (1,2,5,7), Candombe Drums (3,4,6,8,9),
Talking Drum (2,3), Percussions
Leon Ligan-Majek (aka Kaleta): Lead Vocal, Guitar (2), Percussions
Sean Smith: Trumpet, Keyboards (2,4,5,6,8), Percussions
Daniel Yount: Drum Set, Keyboards (1,3,5,8,9), Percussions

With additional contributions from:
Eric Biondo: Trumpet (3, 5, 6, 7, 9)
Nadav Nirenberg: Trombone (3, 5, 6, 9)
Seth Paris: Baritone Sax (3, 5, 6, 7, 9)
Carter Yasutake: Trumpet (2)

Mèdaho was recorded at Thump Recording Studios and Hive Mind Recording in Brooklyn, NY

Produced by Daniel Yount and Vince Chiarito
Engineered and mixed by Vince Chiarito
Mastered by Rich Morales at Super Fine Audio

Vinyl mastering by JJ Golden at Golden Mastering
Artwork: Sean Smith
Layout: Kei Abe
Artist Management: Spencer Conover