Date: July 22, 2010
Venue: Le Poisson Rouge
Text by Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi & Jim Hoey
Although the Occidental Brothers have been making a name for themselves for their revival of the African Highlife style of music that they play based out of Chicago, at this NYC show at Le Poisson Rouge, they featured Congolese legend Samba Mapangala. This mix allows the band to pay tribute to the classics of Ghana and West Africa while at the same time adding their own stamp on the genre with originals and instrumentals. Whichever they do, the African pulse and the Highlife guitar runs are all there and it’s hard to sit still or resist the urge to dance once they get started.
