African Music Concerts Week of Nov 16 - Nov 22

If you missed them Saturday night, this is your last chance to see the originators of Brooklyn AfroBeat for another year or so in Los Angeles. As many as 15-strong, the heavy brass horns and jazzy funk resonate with you long after you've left the venue and gone home to contemplate the evening's experience. Pay particular attention to the social messages and political slogans, because they are all part of the package.

The sound includes new music and a new CD, so if you've seen them before you better come back to hear their latest grooves. If you've never seen them you must come out because they are one of the most progressive and hardest working bands. Their members are Latin, African and American so the mix is a blend of familiar sounds.

Hailed by critics as a musical master and leader of the new Cuban style, this pianist is a jazz performer extraordinaire. His freestyle method includes Yoruba chants, hip hop overtones, and the teachings of Thelonius Monk as well as influences from Ecuador. John Santos joins in with a variety of percussive accompaniment.

Raised in an Ethiopian orphanage frequented by King Haile Selassie I, Isaac has taken the experiences of his childhood into the Rasta world of music. His songs sometimes have a poppish quality, but there is generally a spiritual message in all the lyrics.

This performance is part of the "Soul Shakedown" also featuring Ras Michael and others.