Chopteeth, Elikeh Help Ring in Inaugural Weekend

Chopteeth w/ Elikeh, Rock and Roll Hotel, Washington, DC
January 17

DC is dancing again. There's hope and joy in the air. At Rock and Roll Hotel, a packed house danced and celebrated as two Afrofunk bands tore it up at this inaugural weekend concert. Headliner Chopteeth and newcomer Elikeh, both based in DC, blended varied cultural influences and driving beats. The result was a high-energy dance party.

Headliner Chopteeth, with its 5-piece horn section, played two sets, never waning in energy. African and Latin rhythms filled the room, as bongos kept the beat. Some 13 musicians crammed on the small stage and made a big sound. They call their sound Afrobeat, or big band funk, "a stew of modern jazz, Yoruba tribal music and burning, James Brown-inspired rhythms." And that reggae beat that seems to drive some of their songs? That's the Jamaican ska, mixed with Ghanian dance tunes and Senegalese rumba.

First up was Elikeh, whose lead singer hails from Togo. Their sound was positively infectious.