A Platform for Ethnically and Culturally Inspired Music
ABOUT
Lagos, the pulsating epicenter of the current global Afrobeats movement, has always been a multilayered melting pot of musical genres constantly inspiring and feeding off one another. One of the bands that has always stood out amongst the crowd is BANTU, a 13-piece musical collective known for their rich myriad sounds and socially conscious lyrics. Formed as an acronym of Brotherhood Alliance Navigating Towards Unity (BANTU) by brothers Ade Bantu and Abiodun in Germany, the group has created a unique and immediately recognizable fusion of Afrobeat, Afrofunk, & Yoruba music. The list of artists who've collaborated with BANTU is a testament to the power, originality, and talent of the band: an international cornucopia including UB40, Tony Allen, Patrice, Brothers Keepers (which they created), Xavier Naidoo, Megaloh, Akua Naru, Gentleman, Seun Kuti, and Burna Boy, just to name a few. These star collaborations helped the band earn several major continental awards including the Kora Awards (the Pan African equivalent of the Grammys) for “Best Group West Africa” and “Best Group Africa.” With their newest album, "What is Your Breaking Point?", which was released in June 2023, they continue to effortlessly push the boundaries of funk and political prowess even further than their previous releases.