A new quintet with an Afro-funk base, the improvisational group Afro-Groove ConneXion recently electrified the Fillmore’s dance floor at the opening for the Sierra Leone Refugee Allstars and sold out their show at Cafe du Nord. This is the newest ensemble from Babá Ken Okulolo, the vibrant leader of West African Highlife Band and Kotoja. Okulolo, who came to America as the bass player in King Sunny Ade’s African Beats, created the hard-hitting, improvisational Afro-funk band with a jazz sensibility from recent studio jams. The “X” in the group’s name symbolizes the crossroads where the world’s cultures meet through music. Along with Okulolo, Afro-Groove ConneXion features Nigeria’s Soji Odukogbe, who was for five years the lead guitarist for the late Fela Anikulapo Kuti, along with Rasaki Aladokun, Gabe Turow, and Chris Cox.

Web site:  http://www.africanmusicsource.com
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/afrogrooveconnexion