Press:
"There’s a fire in Antibalas’ (former) lead singer, Amayo. With his painted face and colorful garb, his presence on stage was magnetic and enchanting. It was as if he was a witch doctor enchanting the audience with his melodies…” - Blurred Culture
LION AWAKES – 2025 SOLO ALBUM PRESS
WNYC Soundcheck “Afrobeat from Amayo Blends Nigerian Heritage and Kung Fu Teachings, In-Studio” (02/06/2025) >> Link
KCRW “Today’s Top Tune: Amayo ‘Black Magic Sister” (1/01/2025) >> Link
AFROPOP WORLDWIDE “Amayo’s Inner Lion Awakes” (1/03/2025) >> Link
NPR “New Music Friday: The best albums out January 17th” (1/17/2025) >> Link
RELIX “Amayo on his solo debut, Lion Awakes, the former Antibalas frontman remains focused on his tireless quest to merge rhythm, movement and meaning” by Bill Murphy (1/01/2025) >> Link
Fifteen Questions “Sound Can Change the World: AMAYO” (01/23/2025) >> Link
KEXP: “New Music Reviews” (1/20/2025) >> Link
tmrw Magazine: “Duke Amayo: Art Knows No Boundaries” (1/20/2025) >> Link
tmrw Magazine: “Album Review: Lion Awakes by Amayo” (1/17/20225) >> Link
World Music Central: “Lion Awakes: Amayo’s Spirited Solo Debut Bridges Afrobeat and Tradition” (12/25/2024) >> Link
PopMatters: “Antibalas’ Amayo Debuts with Eclectic Solo Effort” (1/27/2025) >> Link
A Lifetime on Planet Groove: “Amayo, Antibalas: The Daptone Super Soul Revue LIVE” (1/25/2025) >> Link
Groovin Mood: “Black Magic Sister: Best New Music Releases” (12/13/2024) >> Link
ExtraVAFrench: “Amayo’s First Bewitching Step on Black Magic Sister” (11/24/2024) >> Link
AMAYO LEAVES ANTIBALAS TO LAUNCH SOLO CAREER PRESS
Broadway World “Grammy Nominated Singer and Composer AMAYO to Pursue Solo Career” (02/26/2022) >> Link
Live for Live Music “Antibalas Vocalist Duke Amayo Announces Departure” (11/06/2021) >> Link
JAMBANDS “Antibalas Lead Singer Duke Amayo Leaves Band” (11/06/2021) >> Link
NYS MUSIC “Amayo Leaving Antibalas” (11/06/2021) >> Link
JAMBASE “Antibalas Announces Vocalist Duke Amayo’s Departure” (11/05/2021) >> Link
The Wind & Cloud Podcast “Ep. 36: Duke Amayo “Antibalas” – Season 3″ (02/05/2020) >> Link
The Brooklyn Rail: “Amayo: Fist of Flowers” (12/2019) >> Link
Pan African Music: “Antibalas, 20 years of Afrobeat & Kung-Fu Spirit (part 1)” (5/20/2019) >> Link
Pan African Music: “Antibalas, 20 years of Afrobeat & Kung-Fu Spirit (part 2)” (5/20/2019) >> Link
The Poke Around: “Looking Back: That time Antibalas’ Amayo became a US Citizen and then performed at Floydfest Eight” (6/19/2019) >> Link
Blurred Culture: “Amayo of Antibalas is a Captivating Force on Stage” (10/29/2017) >> Link
FU CHRONICLES 2020 ALBUM PRESS
GRAMMY.com “Meet The First-Time Grammy Nominee: Antibalas Talks ‘Fu Chronicles,’ Kung Fu, and their Mission to Spread Afrobeat” (2/17/2021) >> Link
GRAMMY.com “Antibalas’: Meet The First-Time Grammy Nominee (Video with Amayo)” (2/17/2021) >> Link
African Vibes: “Check Out the African Grammy Nominees” (12/12/2020) >> Link
RELIX: “Dojo Risin’: Amayo, Antibalas, Music and the Martial Arts” (06/01/2020) >> Link
NPR “Antibalas’ Fu Chronicles Is A Martial Arts-Inspired Testament to Afrobeat” (2/08/2020) >> Link
RELIX Album Review: Fu Chronicles (3/6/2020) >> Link
OkayAfrica: “Watch Antibalas’ Striking Video for Fight Am Finish” (2/18/2020) >> Link
BrooklynVegan ‘Antibalas Releasing ‘Fu Chronicles’, Touring Stream ‘Fight Am Finish’) (11/19/2019) >> Link
KCRW “Today’s Top Tune: Antibalas “Fight Am Finish” (12/27/2019) >> Link
Soundcheck “The Mighty Relentless Groove of the Funky, Afrobeat band Antibalas (2/14/2020) >> Link
WNYC New Sounds “Antibalas, Live in Studio (2/06/2020) >> Link
PASTE “Antibalas Live at Paste Studio NYC” (2/0102020) >> Link
CLASH “Antibalas Announces New Album ‘Fu Chronicles” (11/21/2019) >> Link
The Brooklyn Rail “Amayo: Fist of Flowers” (12/12/2020) >> Link
The Miami New Times “The Rhthym Foundation Hosts Afrobeat Band Antibalas” (1/22/2020) >> Link
Live for Live Music “Antibalas Releases new album Fu Chronicles“ (2/7/2020) >> Link
JAMBANDS “Antibalas announces new album Fu Chronicles, Set Winter Tour Dates” (12/2/2020) >> Link
GlideMagazine “Antibalas Gives Vibrant Display of Spirit & Soul on ‘Fu Chronicles’” (2/6/2020) >> Link
Pan African Music “Kung Fu & Afrobeat Collide on ‘Lai Lai,’ from Antibalas’ Fu Chronicles (2/4/2020) >> Link
BroadwayWorld “Antibalas to release new album Fu Chronicles“ (11/20/2019) >> Link
48 Hills “As Afrobeat heroes Antibalas arrive, recalling a classic track (2/10/2020) >> Link
FIP: “Les Chronique Kung-Fu d’Antibalas” (2/5/2020) >> Link
Les Oreilles Curieuses: Antibalas – Fu Chronicles (2/15/2020) >> Link
NeoPrisme Antibals x Duke Amayo – Fu Chronicles (2/17/2020) >> Link
Dig Boston “Antibalas makes Investment with Music and Culture ” Interview / concert preview (3/11/2020) >> Link
Oregon Public Broadcasting “Monday Mix: Sunbathe, Antibalas.. And Leon Bridges” (1/13/2020) >> Link
GratefulWeb “Antibalas Set to release new album ‘Fu Chronicles’” (2/07/2020) >> Link
Come To Life Media: Antibalas Bridging Culture Through Music (3/20/2020) >> Link
WHERE THE GODS ARE IN PEACE 2017 ALBUM PRESS
WNYC: Soundcheck “The Infections Groove of NYC’s Antibalas…” (9/21/2017) >> Link
WNYC: Takeaway Show “Afro-beat band Antibalas searches for the Rhythm of Change” (9/13/2017) >> Link
Chicago Reader: Afrobeat innovators Antibalas end a five-year silence with Where the Gods Are in Peace” (9/28/2017) >> Link`
Detroit Metro Times: “Afrobeat descendants Antibalas to play Otus Supply in Ferndale” (9/27/2017) >> Link
The Music (Australia) Album review (9/13/2017) >> Link
Exclaim (Canada) “Antibalas Avoid Trump to Make Timeless Political Points” (9/13/2017) >> Link
Winnipeg Free Press: (Canada) Album review (10/3/2017) >> Link
The Rapidian (Grand Rapids, MI) “Antibalas coming to Founders Brewing ” Interview / concert preview (9/26/2017) >> Link
Drowned in Sound: Album review (9/13/2017) >> Link
ANTIBALAS “ANTIBALAS” 2012 ALBUM PRESS
Bullseye with Jesse Thorn >> Interview >> Link
KEXP >> Song of the Day: >> Link
NY Times >> Feature >> Link
Details >> Review >> Link
KCRW >> Morning Becomes Eclectic >> Link
BBC Music >> Review>> Link
Wall Street Journal >> Feature >> Link
NPR >> World Cafe >> Link
Pitchfork >> Review >> Link
LA Times >> Album Review >> Link
LA Times >> Live Review >> Link
New Yorker >> Preview >> Link 1
Relix >> Review >> Link 1 Link 2
Pitchfork >> Tracks >> Link
The Guardian >> New Music >> Link
The Atlantic >> Entertainment >> Link
Rolling Stone Magazine >> Premiere >> Link
Mother Jones >> Review >> Link
National Geographic >> World Music >> Link
The imported goods >> News>> Link
Billboard >> News >> Link
New Yorker >> Music >> Link
The Village Voice >> Music >> Link
Masquecine (Spain) >> Interview >> Link (en español)
“Top 12 Musicians With World-Changing Positions.” – The Economist
“[Duke] Ellington uses his remarkable abilities to dispel any lazy presumptions about genre and race.
[Duke] Amayo carries on that mission.” – The Village Voice
“A raucous, joyous celebration of Afrobeat.” – Rolling Stone Magazine
“Lead Singer Amayo channels Fela Kuti.” – PRI’s the World
“One of the few American bands that I fear.” – Questlove
“Wasn’t that brother James Brown preaching up a bodacious erotic sermon? (Actually it was Amayo, Antibalas’ charismatic dreadlocked lead singer-conguero, inviting the audience to rip off its clothes.)” – Los Angeles Times
“[Amayo] has been credited with introducing Afrobeat to a global audience.” – Soundcheck, WNYC
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