The sound out of the shitty speakers was a revelation; full, funky, frenetic and deeply rooted in the traditions established by Fela Kuti and his offspring out of Nigeria since the ‘70s.
With a unique understanding of Afrobeat, The Public Opinion Afro Orchestra trace elements of the genre created by Fela Kuti and his drummer Tony Allen, an add modern elements like MCs and turntablism all with a definitive world perspective stemming from the lineage of the groups members, which comes from all corners of the globe.
The band is the brainchild of trumpeter Tristan Ludowyk, turntablist Ethan Hill and bassist Zvi Belling and have been making a mega-impact all across Australia since 2009.
Ethan Hill explains that, ““Zvi has played in a lot of African bands, so he had really strong ties to the African community. I’ve played in a lot of hip hop bands and Tristan has played in a lot of funk and Latin bands, so we were able to draw from all three pools.
“It’s a real melting pot, the band. One of the strong points of the band is the different people from so many different backgrounds, and so many different ages as well,” Hill continues. “There’s people who are 18 in the band, there’s people who are 50 in the band as well, and there’s people from everywhere, all around the world.”
The band is currently out and about promoting a new 7” release Mr Clean (out through Tristan’s Hope Street Recordings) and this is one of the ways POAO go about spreading their message.
“It’s really difficult to tour with this many people,” says Tristan. “It’s expensive and not every venue can fit us in. So releasing a 7” is just another thing we can do to get noticed. We got them back just yesterday, they look great but I already know that some of them have found their way into the right hands in the US.”
Much of the music industry is about just that, getting your tunes into the right hands and ears, but equally the music, no matter what the genre, needs to be respectful of its origins. And that is something the POAO have in spades; respect for their musical forefathers and respect for the music they are creating.
So much so Tristan, Zvi and Ethan packed their bags and headed to Afrobeat’s homeland of Nigeria. To say they were nervous is an understatement.
“Yeah that’s right,” agrees Tristan. “We didn’t really know anyone that had been to that part of the world before and didn’t really know what to expect, but Nigeria is one of the wealthier African countries, I mean essentially it is one large city of 25 million people. So there is something going on everywhere you look.”
It’s a cliché, we both acknowledge, but this was a fantastic opportunity to confirm that music is the universal language.
“Absolutely,” affirms Tristan. “You could turn up almost anywhere in the city and start playing without saying anything. We would love to return to Africa, this time with the whole band in tow. Yeni Kuti extended an open invitation for us to play at Felabration – a music celebration of the life and times of Fela Kuti.”
The band has already been to Cairns, Byron Bay Bluesfest, Bellingen and Perth and launched the new 7” in Sydney last week, spreading their contemporary African funk to dance floors around the land, but Tristan is warmed by my story of discovering his band.
“I guess it’s different to anything else most people would have heard. But after a little while they get into it. The music gets you moving, you know? Also it’s a really visual show as well; there’s lots of people on stage – we’ve dancing girls, we’ve got guys jumping up and down doing back flips.”
BY JEREMY SHEAFFE
