After spending decades building a reputation as a legend in the afrobeat world through performances with luminaries like King Sunny Adé and Fela Kuti, the singer, guitarist, and percussionist Kaleta, A.K.A. Leon Ligan-Majek, is now stepping out with a debut full-length album with Super Yamba Band. After being born in the Benin Republic, Kaleta moved to New York City in the 1990s and joined Super Yamba Band in 2017. The new album Mèdaho will be out September 6 on Ubiquity Records, and today the group is releasing a new single from the LP entitled “Adjotò.”
Kaleta & Super Yamba Band are known for honoring titans in music like James Brown and the aforementioned Kuti with a style that blends African traits from Benin and Nigeria with American funk styles, forming the crux of afrobeat. “Adjotò” certainly fits that bill with a rock solid rhythm section that will get audiences moving while Kaleta’s striking vocals careen over the top of the mix. It may be overdue for Kaleta to have a debut LP, but we can now bask in the magic of his enchanting collaboration with Super Yamba Band.
Mèdaho is available for pre-order here.
Kaleta & Super Yamba Band will be performing an album release show at Knitting Factory in Brooklyn. Tickets are available here.
Connect with Kaleta & Super Yamba Band: Facebook | Instagram | Website | Bandcamp
